日本酒ブランド戦略で検討会＝輸出拡大へ、中田英寿さん参加－国税庁

　国税庁は９日、日本酒の輸出拡大に向けたブランド戦略を検討する有識者会議（座長・小泉武夫東京農業大名誉教授）の初会合を開いた。日本酒の魅力を世界に広める活動をしている元サッカー日本代表の中田英寿さんもゲスト参加した。
　国税庁によると、日本酒の輸出額は９年連続で過去最高を更新し、近年は原料や精米歩合だけでなく、料理との相性や造り手のこだわり、蔵元の歴史なども注目されている。さらなる輸出拡大には、日本酒の付加価値を高めるブランド戦略が必要と考えた。
　委員には小泉教授のほか、日本ソムリエ協会の田崎真也会長、黒龍酒造（福井県）など酒造会社の社長ら９人が就任。１２月をめどに中間報告を取りまとめ、施策を提言するという。
　中田さんは低温に保ったまま輸送することの重要性を訴えたといい、会議終了後の取材に「日本と同じものを海外で出せれば大きく発展する。どれほど良い酒を造っても、きちんとした状態で届けられない限り（市場は）変わらない」と話した。（2019/09/09-18:24）

Japan's National Tax Agency on Monday held the first meeting of its panel of experts to discuss a branding strategy for sake to boost the country's exports of the rice wine.
   Japan's sake exports have hit a record high for nine straight years. An effective branding strategy is needed for delivering added value to sake for further growth in exports at a time when attention is increasingly paid to not only ingredients and rice polishing rate but also specific sake products that go well with specific cuisine, passions of sake producers and the histories of sake brewers, informed sources said.
   Former Japanese professional soccer player Hidetoshi Nakata, who is working to spread the attractions of sake abroad as part of his current activities, joined the day's meeting of the panel as a guest.
   The panel is headed by Takeo Koizumi, professor emeritus at Tokyo University of Agriculture. Its members also include Shinya Tasaki, head of the Japan Sommelier Association and the presidents of brewers including Kokuryu Sake Brewing Corp. in the central prefecture of Fukui. It plans to compile an interim report on policy recommendations in December at the earliest.
   At the meeting, Nakata, who has played in the Japanese men's national soccer team, underlined the importance of sake being transported at low temperatures. Sake exports would increase sharply "if products with the same quality as that for the Japanese market are offered in overseas markets," he said. "Even if best-quality sake is made, the (size of the) market will not change unless they are transported under proper conditions."