
SB-004Shop Basics
How to scan a sake shelf without panic
A beginner's guide to reading sake shelves using visible cues like label words, bottle size, and regional names.
SB-004Shop Basics
- Section
- Shop Basics
- Updated
Sake shelves, labels and seasons explained
Sake shelves, labels and seasons explained
Saketen Journal is a reading guide to the shelves, labels and seasons of Japanese sake retail. Each article takes one practical question about sake shops and answers it in plain language for newcomers and longtime drinkers.

SB-004Shop Basics
A beginner's guide to reading sake shelves using visible cues like label words, bottle size, and regional names.

SB-003Shop Basics
A practical guide to the main types of sake shop in Japan, from tiny neighbourhood liquor stores to department counters, and how their range and advice differ.

SB-002Shop Basics
知っておきたい日本酒の瓶サイズと家庭保存の基本。容量の違い、開封前後の扱い、買い方の判断を整理します。

SB-001Shop Basics
Learn what junmai, ginjo, and other sake label terms actually tell you before you taste, with a practical decision checklist for shoppers and enthusiasts.
SB
How sake shops are organised and how to read what stands on the shelf.
LS
Decoding bottle wording, regional naming and the rhythm of seasonal releases.
RC
How small-shop curation and tasting practice shape craft beverage shopping today.
Entries kept by other desks, each read before it was shelved here.