SAKETIMES

What SAKETIMES does

SAKETIMES is a Japanese web media platform operated by SAKE Street, Inc., headquartered in Tokyo, that publishes editorial content covering sake (Japanese rice wine) culture, breweries, reviews, events, recipes, terminology, and industry news. The platform operates two web properties — a Japanese-language site at jp.sake-times.com and an English-language edition at en.sake-times.com — and serves two distinct audiences: sake enthusiasts seeking cultural knowledge, tasting guidance, and brewery information, and sake breweries seeking PR and promotional distribution channels. The underlying technology is a standard web-based content management system used to publish sake-related articles, with no proprietary technology stack, no AI/ML capabilities, and no mobile applications disclosed.

The company operates a content-led go-to-market, distributing through organic channels (Twitter, Facebook) and editorial coverage, supplemented by the SAKETIMES PRESS press release distribution service. SAKETIMES PRESS offers three tiers: a free basic distribution tier, a paid SAKETIMES PRESS Pro tier with enhanced features including video, and a free English-language distribution tier for Weekly News. Revenue is generated exclusively through advertising and PR services — sponsored content, the SAKETIMESパートNERS program featuring major sake breweries (Sawanotsuru, Gekkeikan, Hakkaisan, among others), and press release distribution. No consumer-side pricing exists; content is freely accessible to readers, while paying customers are sake breweries and related businesses. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding, no parent company, and no public listing.

Name

SAKETIMES

Legal name

SAKE Street, Inc.

Website

https://jp.sake-times.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

SAKETIMES is a Japanese web media platform operated by SAKE Street, Inc. that publishes editorial content on sake culture, breweries, reviews, and events, monetizing through sponsored content and a PR distribution service (SAKETIMES PRESS) aimed at sake breweries and related businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sake and alcoholic beverage digital media

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAJAEAF

Food, Cooking & Beverage Magazines

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Magazine Publishing (Consumer & B2B/Trade Magazines)

Keywords

• Sake media platform
• Brewery news coverage
• Japanese beverage content
• Sake culture media
• Alcohol industry publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Advertising and PR Services: SAKETIMES generates revenue through sponsored content, PR press release services (SAKETIMES PRESS), and article advertising. They offer three tiers: free SAKETIMES PRESS (basic articles), SAKETIMES PRESS Pro (paid enhanced articles with video), and SAKETIMES PRESS English (free English-language distribution).
2. Content Partnership/Sponsored Articles: Partnership content featuring sake breweries and brands (SAKETIMESパートナーズ), including sponsored articles and promotional content for partner companies like sake breweries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SAKETIMES operates a sake-specialized web media platform (jp.sake-times.com, with an English edition at en.sake-times.com) that publishes editorial content on sake breweries, terminology, reviews, recipes, events, culture, and storage. It complements this consumer-facing content with B2B services for sake-related businesses, including SAKETIMES PRESS (a press release distribution service with free and paid Pro tiers) and SAKETIMESパートNERS, a sponsored-content and partnership program for sake breweries and related brands.

Product overview

SAKETIMES operates a comprehensive Japanese web media platform focused on sake culture, featuring multiple content verticals including sake knowledge (brewery directories, terminology, reviews), sake enjoyment (recipes, events, restaurants), and sake insights (analysis, health, manners). The platform also offers SAKETIMES PRESS, a PR distribution service with free and paid tiers for sake-related announcements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SAKE TIMES (English site): English version of the SAKETIMES website

Products and services

• SAKETIMES Japanese Web Media Platform

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• ヤンマー株式会社 (Yanmar Co., Ltd.)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 February 2018Strategic co-development partnership with 沢の鶴 for the 酒米プロジェクト (sake rice development project) to develop new sake rice varieties. This is a major cross-industry collaboration between agricultural machinery and sake brewing to innovate sake production and support Japanese agriculture.
• 沢の鶴株式会社 (Sawanotsuru Co., Ltd.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor sake brewery featured as SAKETIMES partner with extensive sponsored content coverage including the 酒米プロジェクト (sake rice development project) with Yanmar, product launches, and company stories. Multiple featured articles under SAKETIMESパートNERS program.
• 月桂冠株式会社 (Gekkeikan)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraditional sake brewery featured as partner with sponsored content through SAKETIMESパートNERS program.
• 八海彫刻株式会社 (Hakkaisan Brewery)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured sake brewery partner with sponsored content coverage through SAKETIMESパートNERS.
• MakuakeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCrowdfunding platform frequently featured for sake brewery projects and limited-edition sake releases. SAKETIMES covers Makuake projects from sake breweries.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• Wine Folly: Digital-first content platform dedicated to wine education, reviews, and producer profiles. Highly comparable in business model to SAKETIMES — niche beverage content with strong editorial authority and a global audience.
• VinePair: Online media outlet covering wine, spirits, beer, and cocktails with ad-driven and affiliate monetization. Directly comparable in operating model to SAKETIMES as a digital beverage media brand.
• SAKENOWA (さけのわ): Japanese sake review and social platform that lets users log and rate sake. Closest direct peer to SAKETIMES in terms of sake-focused audience and content-led engagement in Japan.

Broad incumbents

• Nippon.com: English-language online media covering Japanese culture, society, and industry. Comparable to SAKETIMES as a Japan-focused content platform with international (English) reach, but broader in subject matter.
• SevenFifty Daily: Digital media and platform covering the alcohol industry with editorial content, data tools, and B2B services. Comparable to SAKETIMES in editorial + B2B monetization model, though broader in category scope.
• Drinks International: Long-running international trade magazine covering the global drinks industry. Comparable to SAKETIMES as a B2B-facing beverage media, but with broader category coverage and a print heritage.
• Beverage Media Group: North American beverage trade media organization publishing news and analysis for retailers and producers. Comparable to SAKETIMES in B2B media/advertising model, but focused on off-premise retail and broader drinks.
• Japan Today: Long-running English-language news and lifestyle media covering Japan. Comparable to SAKETIMES' English edition as a Japan-origin, English-language publisher, but with a broader news-and-lifestyle remit.
• The Spirits Business: Established global trade media focused on spirits and broader alcoholic beverages. Comparable as a category publisher but with a wider beverage scope than SAKETIMES's sake-only focus.
• Imbibe: Brand of magazines and digital content for the on-premise drinks industry. Comparable as a niche beverage content brand but with broader beverage scope (cocktails, beer, spirits) than SAKETIMES.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/saketimes
• Facebookfacebook.com/saketimes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SAKETIMES