An amazing 7days in Paris.

I went on a business trip to Paris, France for seven days starting June 24th.

The purpose is to participate in a pop-up event for a new brand and to conduct on-site inspections.

Last fall, I had a new encounter, and we discussed sharing the current state and future of the sake industry with that team, and how we could redefine the value of Japanese culture.

Things progressed smoothly, and we were able to bring it to fruition with sake from the 2025 brewing year.

The new brand name is MAMA.

The character "間" represents space.

"Aida" (interval/between) to represent a relationship

And then there's "mama," which expresses things as they are.

This label delivers the beauty of Japanese culture "as is."

Instagram account is listed below.

https://www.instagram.com/ma_ma_label/

Japanese sake is still consumed in limited contexts overseas.

That "richness as a culture" has not been fully conveyed.

Therefore, as its first initiative, MAMA focused on the French concept of Savoir-Faire (technique as art),

We will take on the challenge of establishing a luxury category of sake based on the concept of "Savoir-Faire" in overseas markets.

Wakabayashi Brewing is taking on the challenge of creating a premium label for the first time.

I was in charge of the sake inside the bottle.

So, we were holding a 3-day limited event right in the heart of Paris.

I traveled to France to participate in it.

Incredibly fortunately, at that very moment, the hottest heat wave on record swept across all of France.

(And what's more, only 25% of Paris has air conditioning! There's no air conditioning in the shops!!)

I've had a very hot week.

The event itself was a huge success, partly because it was held in conjunction with Fashion Week!

I was very happy to see many people drink the sake we have brewed.

We received a variety of feedback.

(I was so busy that I couldn't take any photos during the event...)

The customers who came to the event were not so much people who love sake, but rather...

Parisians

People who love fashion

People who work in restaurants

Sommelier

People who like Japan and Japanese culture

Japanese people in France

Tourists who happen to be in Paris for Fashion Week

And so on...

It was truly diverse.

Some people were drinking sake for the first time!

"It's so fruity?!"

"It's all made from rice? I can't believe it!"

I was shocked by all of that.

It was a great honor to be able to provide that person with their first experience of Japanese sake.

Some people

"Beautiful"

I was so happy that you expressed it that way, and I was deeply moved by the beauty of your expression.

One thing I noticed while interacting with various people was the richness of their comments and expressions after drinking.

I was struck by how fluently they spoke, perhaps because it's a country with a strong wine culture, or maybe it's just their national character.

The most innovative comment among them was:

"It tastes electric!" (What kind of taste is that...?)

Another thing I noticed was how quickly they would think about what kind of food would pair well with the alcohol they drank, and then start talking about it together.

It seemed like we talked more about food in general than about the taste itself.

In between events, I had the opportunity to speak with restaurant owners and distributors.

In addition, we were able to hear about the situation in the French alcohol market,

The distribution system for sake, what kinds of sake are popular, etc.

It was a very enriching learning experience every day.

In between, I was able to walk around the streets of Paris.

I tried to imitate the people of Paris by eating outdoors,

I would get up early in the morning and go for a walk near the Seine River,

I observed the many pigeons in Paris,

Walking on cobblestones and breaking your shoes,

Got a tan,

I would get drenched in sweat and have to go back to my room several times a day to change clothes.

I would drink miso soup alone in my room in the middle of the night.

I sometimes find myself thinking about Marie Antoinette,

It was a week that went by in a flash.

I was given many opportunities that I wouldn't normally have access to.

How to convey the value of something to people,

The environment in which it is offered, the behavior and language of the person conveying it, etc.

I was able to experience a culture unique to a country with a rich luxury industry.

Sake brewing for this season will begin next month.

We intend to sell what we create with confidence and pride!

and,

We will continue to strive to create even better products.