Amid the increasing popularity of amazake, a traditional sweet non- or low-alcohol sake made from fermented rice, breweries and retailers in the Tokai region are boosting production and sales ahead of winter, when demand surges.
Touted for its health and beauty benefits, amazake has seen sales rise this summer, prompting stores to produce their own product instead of entrusting production to breweries.
"(Amazake) sold really well this summer, probably because (people were trying to cope with) the heat wave," said Yoshitaka Kato, president of Kojiya, an established manufacturer of rice malt based in Tsushima, Aichi Prefecture.