Shurui Sōgō-kenkyū-jo

【English】
National Research Institute of Brewing (NRIB)

The only public research facility in Japan devoted solely to alcoholic beverages, with its origins in the Brewing Research Institute founded by the Ministry of Finance in 1904. Now an independent administrative agency under the Ministry of Finance, it is located in Higashi Hiroshima City in Hiroshima Prefecture. Below is an outline of its history and primary activities.

Primary activities.

  1. High quality analysis and assessment of alcoholic beverages.
  2. Quality assessment of alcoholic beverages (including the National Sake Awards and similar).
  3. Research into and surveys of alcoholic beverages and related industries.
  4. Application of research and patents held; hosting of visitors and overseas researchers.
  5. Collection, sorting and dissemination of information.
  6. Training for producers and distributors.

The NRIB also provides excellent English-language materials on sake and other topics in its field of expertise.

http://www.nrib.go.jp/English/index.htm

 

History

1904 Brewing Research Institute founded by Ministry of Finance in Takinokawa Village, Kita Toyoshima District, Tokyo (now Takinokawa area of Tokyo’s North Ward).
1911 First Japan Sake Awards (Zenkoku Shinshu Kanpyokai) held.
1943 Becomes the Brewing Technology Department of the Tax Agency under the Ministry of Finance.
1945 Renamed the Tax Agency Brewing Research Institute under the Ministry of Finance.
1949 Comes under the jurisdiction of the newly-formed National Tax Agency, and is renamed National Tax Agency Liquor Tax Department Brewing Research Institute.
1959 Becomes a research facility under the direct control of the National Tax Agency, and is renamed National Tax Agency Brewing Research Institute.
1995 Transferred to Higashi Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture, and renamed National Tax Agency Brewing Research Institute (characters changed from 試験所 literally (experimental ) laboratory, to 研究所 (research) laboratory).
2001 Becomes the  National Research Institute of Brewing  .

 

kenkyu jo ( Picture courtesy of National Research Institute of Brewing ( NRIB ) )

kenkyu jo ( Picture courtesy of National Research Institute of Brewing ( NRIB ) )