Year-end greetings: "As we welcome 2022"

Yoshinogawa's business for this year ends today.
Various restrictions on the movement of people due to the new coronavirus infection,
I never expected it would continue for another year.
In particular, during the summer months when common colds and influenza are not prevalent,
The idea that the ban on serving alcohol in restaurants would continue was something I never would have imagined.
In the midst of rapidly changing circumstances, what is the "new normal" regarding alcohol?
How should we interpret this? This has been a year in which I've constantly been forced to think about this question.

Change in order to stay the same
Minamo brand release, brewery opening, Kayoi launch,
These are the sakes that Yoshinogawa has been brewing for a long time, the sake that I would call "satisfying" sake,
It all started with the desire to provide the kind of "inspiration" that is needed in this new era.
Yoshinogawa's philosophy, both then and now, is to "provide the perfect sake to accompany our customers' meals."
That has been my primary consideration.
To provide an "inspiring" experience to those who taste Minamoya Kayoi and those who visit the brewery,
We aspire to be a sake brewery that connects that "excitement" to daily "satisfaction."

Towards an era of "new value of time"
When you delve deeper into these thoughts, you realize the value of alcohol in the daily "satisfaction"
The challenge then becomes how to improve it further.
The value of alcohol in providing daily "satisfaction" is
I think it's about the value of the time spent with alcohol.
Rather than thinking it's delicious the moment you take a sip, I prefer to think, "Today's food and drinks were great," after finishing the meal.
We want people to feel it. Yoshinogawa sake is a sake that allows people to enjoy their time while drinking it.
From now on, drinking occasions will mainly be small gatherings with family and close friends.
The invaluable time that can be gained by sharing the same space with both those who drink alcohol and those who don't.
I believe that's the kind of time that's necessary for both home-based businesses and restaurants.
Sake is a drink that allows you to relax and enjoy your time.
We hope that Yoshinogawa can be a place where you can enjoy your time and also heal your mind and body.

Challenges starting in 2022
For those who love sake, we offer delicious sake, and also for those who can drink alcohol but don't particularly like sake.
We offer liqueurs and sparkling wines that you can enjoy.
For those who cannot drink alcohol or for children, we offer non-alcoholic beverages made with amazake (sweet rice wine).
And we offer dishes using fermented seasonings and other ingredients that everyone can enjoy.
Yoshinogawa will begin entering the dried koji and dried sake lees market with a business restructuring subsidy from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
This will allow us to enter the food sector, which is centered on fermentation, in addition to alcoholic beverages.
We will approach sake brewing with even greater sincerity than before, and we will also take on new challenges.
Everything we do is for the sake of our customers' smiles.

Thank you very much for your patronage over the past year.
Thank you for your continued support next year.

December 30, 2021
Yoshinogawa Co., Ltd.
President and Representative Director
Yuki Minemasa