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Japanese whisky adopts new logo in GI status push

The move will mean Japanese brands which meet the industry standard, including major producers such as Suntory, will feature the logo on their bottles. The move is part of a wider push by the JSLMA to raise awareness of Japanese whisky both in the domestic market and abroad via a new potential Geographical Indication (GI), which would make it easier for consumers to distinguish Japan's whisky from other types.

As part of its journey to achieve this goal, the JSLMA is aiming to encode its standards into a legally binding definition. GI status in Japan is underwritten by the Japanese GI Act which provides intellectual property protection to “products which are high quality and have obtained reputation as a result of unique production methods and natural characteristics of the production area”.

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The JSLMA will also consult with the Japan National Tax Agency on the establishment of the enhanced “labelling standards for the manufacturing process and quality of Japanese whisky”.

Masaki ‘Mory’ Morimoto, president of whisky-producer The House of Suntory, sees the JSLMA's efforts as an essential pursuit in enhancing the worldwide reputation of Japanese whisky.

He commented: “We are pleased to see that the JSLMA is taking steps to make this new standard legally binding and unveiling a new logo that will help people easily distinguish authentic Japanese Whiskies in the market.

“We are proud to announce that The House of Suntory will gradually be incorporating the JSLMA logo into our authentic Japanese whiskies in our key markets as early as end of this year. The JSLMA logo is a significant milestone for improving transparency and we welcome their efforts to continue to protect the incredible reputation of Japanese Whisky around the world.”

The standards push by the JSLMA comes at a time where emerging-whisky countries are beginning to achieve global recognition. This includes the likes of India, an emerging whisky-making nation which Harpers contributor Henry Jeffreys investigated in a recent article.

• Spirits
• Legislation
• Japan
• whisky
• Japanese Whisky
• standards