4 THE NAVIGATOR | FEATURE WILL NEW REGULATIONS CLEAN UP JAPANESE WHISKY? PERHAPS Nice idea. Does it have the teeth? That is perhaps the best way to describe the ‘Standards for Labeling Japanese Whisky’ that fully came into effect on 1 April, 2024, with the aim of ensuring only whisky produced in Japan, to a prescribed set of standards, could be labelled and sold as such. That’s the aim, though it may not be the outcome. And it’s certainly a hot topic. Over the last decade the worldwide demand for Japanese whisky has boomed, and volumes have soared. And although there has certainly been a surge in new distilleries opening in Japan, supplying that demand hasn’t come simply from new stills sprouting across Hokkaido, or the mash tuns at Yamazaki working overtime. Rather, what has driven the growth is the volume of whisky imported to Japan in bulk for rebottling and exporting. With new labelling – typically with Japanese lettering, a catchy name and perhaps a drawing of cherry blossoms or Mount Fuji – it is then sold abroad as ‘Japanese’ whisky, often at a premium price point. And that practice is what the new rules are trying to rein in. The regulations – see sidebar for some of the details – are the initiative of the Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association (JS&LMA), an industry body that includes major producers such as Suntory, Nikka, Mars, Chichibu and even smaller producers such as Akkeshi and Nagahama. The new regulations were announced in 2021, with the Association allowing members three years to get their sourcing and labelling in order. But here’s the kicker: the ‘regulations’ only apply to members of the JS&LMA, not the industry as a whole. So for non-members, it’s business as usual. The regulations also have no backing in law, and there are no penalties or repercussions listed for infringement.
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