See Kickstarter Plan
A Quiet Sake Export Cellar

Sake from Japan A calm way to meet small breweries, one wooden cup at a time.

No loud bars. No influencer tours.
Sake from Japan is a quiet cellar project that connects overseas drinkers with small Japanese breweries through films, photo essays, and tasting sets. Instead of chasing mass export, we want to build a small bridge for people who enjoy drinking slowly, alone or with one other person.

This is not a big brand project.
It is about cedar cups, quiet counters, and the soft moment when sake is poured between two people.

Quiet Sake Culture
Sake being poured into small wooden masu cups on a tray
What we want to share

Cedar aroma, seasonal snacks, and the silence around a small tray.

Small breweries · Wooden cups · Calm hospitality For one or two people at a time
CONCEPT

Beyond “kampai!”: a slower way to meet Japanese sake.

Most overseas images of sake are loud—cheers in crowded izakaya, endless shots with tourists, brand logos everywhere. But there is another side: quiet breweries, cedar-scented cups, and the kind of drinking that feels closer to tea ceremony.

Sake from Japan wants to archive and share this slower side of sake, before small breweries disappear into statistics and export numbers.

Focus on small & regional breweries, not mass brands
Drinking as a quiet ritual, rather than a party
Stories told by makers, not marketing slogans
A bridge for patient drinkers outside Japan
Tiny cellars, big stories
SMALL BREWERIES
Japan still has many small sake breweries, often family-run for generations. Their labels rarely leave the region, but their stories are deep.
  • • Seasonal, limited, and local-only bottles
  • • Breweries that serve mostly regulars and neighbors
  • • Places where silence is part of the tasting
Sake as a quiet evening
SLOW DRINKING
Instead of loud bar scenes, we focus on rooms where you can hear the sound of liquid touching wood or ceramic, and conversations are soft.
  • • One or two cups, not endless rounds
  • • Paired with small seasonal snacks
  • • Time to actually taste what is in the glass
From local shelves to global curiosity
QUIET EXPORT
We are not building a giant export machine. We are building a **small cellar** where overseas drinkers can discover bottles and breweries one by one.
  • • Stories first, logistics second
  • • Respect for local pricing and supply
  • • A long-term bridge, not a quick boom
BACKERS

Who this project is for.

This is not a generic “Japanese alcohol box”. It is for people who feel that knowing the place and the brewer matters as much as tasting the drink.

Quiet drinkers & home tasters
AT-HOME TASTING
If you like to drink alone or with one close person, building small rituals at home, this project is designed with you in mind.
  • • Prefer slow evenings over loud parties
  • • Enjoy pairing drinks with reading, music, or conversation
  • • Like exploring different bottles in small quantities
Sake curious, not yet experts
SAKE BEGINNERS
Maybe you know a few big brands, but want to go deeper—without being overwhelmed by technical terms and aggressive marketing.
  • • Want simple, clear explanations
  • • Interested in the human side of breweries
  • • Prefer guidance over hype
Supporters of small producers
CULTURAL BACKERS
If you like supporting farmers, roasters, or winemakers, you probably understand why small sake breweries need quiet allies too.
  • • Believe that “small” can mean “precise and beautiful”
  • • Want your support to reach real makers, not just platforms
  • • Value transparency over buzzwords
CELLAR PLAN

What we will create with this campaign.

In the first phase of Sake from Japan, we will build a small but detailed cellar combining short films, photo essays, brewer interviews, and tasting guidance.

1. Film portraits of breweries
FILM
We will visit selected small breweries and film them in quiet detail: water, rice, steam, wooden tools, and the rhythm of daily work.
  • • 4K sequences focusing on atmosphere, not narration
  • • Seasonal footage (winter brewing, spring light, etc.)
  • • Subtle captions in English for overseas viewers
2. Photo + micro-essay cellar book
PHOTO & TEXT
Each brewery will be introduced through still photographs and a short story: who makes the sake, who drinks it, and what kind of evening it was made for.
  • • Digital “cellar book” (PDF) with brewery profiles
  • • English main text with key Japanese terms kept
  • • Designed for reading with a glass in hand
3. Guided tasting sets & maps
TASTING
Depending on regulations and partners, we will design small tasting sets or “virtual tasting routes” so you can follow along from home.
  • • Clear notes on aroma, texture, and ideal mood
  • • Suggestions for music, snacks, and timing
  • • Guidance even if you can only access similar styles locally
4. Online cellar & future expansion
FUTURE
Selected materials will be available in an online “quiet cellar” connected to other projects like standing soba and mixed hot springs.
  • • A dedicated page on sakefromjapan.com
  • • Short films on YouTube and other platforms
  • • Room to add new breweries in later phases
Goal of Phase 1: to build a **trustworthy, human-scale cellar** that overseas drinkers can visit again and again, instead of a one-time “mystery box”.
BUDGET & KICKSTARTER

Funding goal and how we plan to use it.

For the first phase of Sake from Japan, we are preparing a Kickstarter target around US$10,000.

Target & priorities
GOAL
Our priority is to work with a small number of breweries in a way that respects their time and production cycles. A goal of US$10,000 lets us film and write carefully without pushing anyone into unsustainable export.
  • • Small crew (1–2 people) travelling light
  • • Enough days at each brewery to listen, not just film
  • • Time for translation, layout, and calm editing
Planned Kickstarter funding goal
US$10,000
Approx. ¥1.5M (subject to exchange rate changes)

• Travel & on-site production at selected breweries
• Filming, editing, color work, and sound design
• Photography and layout for the digital cellar book
• English text writing & translation support
• Platform fees, payment processing, tax, contingency
Use of funds (summary)
• 40–50%: shooting & post-production
• 20–25%: travel & accommodation
• 15–20%: book design, writing, translation
• 10–15%: Kickstarter fees, payment processing, buffer

This site is a pre-launch information page. Final numbers and timelines will be confirmed on the official Kickstarter campaign.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions.

Will you ship real bottles of sake as rewards?
We are still studying legal and logistical conditions for each region. Our baseline is to provide **digital rewards** (films, cellar book, guidance) that anyone can enjoy. If we can safely and legally offer physical tasting options, they will be clearly described on the Kickstarter page.
Is this project sponsored by big sake companies?
No. This is an independent, small-scale project. We will be transparent about any partnerships, and our main focus will stay on small breweries and their stories.
Do I need to know a lot about sake to enjoy this?
Not at all. The cellar book and videos are designed for people who may only know a few names, but are curious and patient. We will explain terms gently, without gatekeeping.
Is this only for overseas backers, or also for people in Japan?
Both. The language of this LP and the Kickstarter will be English, but the project is meant to be useful for people living in Japan as well— as a guide to visiting breweries or choosing bottles for quiet evenings.
How is this related to your other “quiet Japan” projects?
Sake from Japan is part of a series of archives about quiet, vanishing experiences in Japan— including standing soba, mixed hot springs, and other everyday spaces. Each project stands alone, but they share one philosophy: documenting places and drinks designed for one or two people at a time.
CLOSING

“This bottle came from a small room in Japan.”

One day, we want you to be able to say that sentence while pouring sake for yourself or for someone you care about.

If you have ever felt calm just from watching clear liquid fill a wooden cup, or if you have ever wished to know **who** made the drink in your glass, this project is for you.

Sake from Japan is a small attempt to give small breweries and quiet drinkers a shared cellar, instead of leaving everything to big export numbers.