[Paid Blog] Amakuchi, Karakuchi, and Umakuchi Through the Eyes of Sakagura Miyamoto.
The terms mainly used to categorize the taste of sake are amakuchi (甘口), karakuchi (辛口), and umakuchi (旨口), which gained momentum with the arrival of Juyondai.
Amakuchi, in English, is “sweet.”
Karakuchi is “dry.”
Umakuchi is, well… since there is no English word for it, calling it “umakuchi” would be appropriate.
In Korean, amakuchi is “단맛.”
Karakuchi literally translates as “매운맛,” but that means something entirely different, so it would be appropriate to describe it as “dry,” just as in English.
For umakuchi, “감칠맛” would likewise be the appropriate Korean word.
According to the second law of thermodynamics, one of the laws accepted as a truth that holds the world together, the more energy is converted into other forms, the more some of it disperses or changes, making it difficult to use again in exactly the same way as before. This is also why perpetual motion is impossible.
I think this law applies to language as well. I see the conversion of language into another form as “translation.”
So, when Japanese is translated into Korean, English, or another foreign language, some of the meaning comes across, but the abstract feeling or power of the original word is not conveyed 100%.
Let’s take an example. 青い is “blue” in English and “푸르다” in Korean.
It is a very simple word, so it is easy to translate. Yet the feeling conveyed by the Japanese word 青い is not exactly the same as the feeling conveyed by the English word “blue,” and the feeling conveyed by the Korean word “푸르다” is also quite different from those two words.
In this way, there are limits to understanding amakuchi, karakuchi, and umakuchi simply through translation.
When we accept terms describing the taste of nihonshu in such a vague, elusive way, we sometimes overlook the characteristics and interesting aspects of each taste.
Because our understanding remains vague, it is that much harder to grow attached to them.
This limitation is precisely what prompted me to write this blog post.
By conveying amakuchi, karakuchi, and umakuchi in Sakagura Miyamoto’s own way, I hoped that many people would think about what amakuchi, karakuchi, and umakuchi mean to them.
I started by organizing my thoughts on amakuchi. The content is as follows.
Thank you to everyone around the world who loves Nihonshu and has visited Sakagura Miyamoto. Sakagura Miyamoto was created to make Nihonshu more than just a drink with good taste and aroma — but something that lives in your memories. For those who want to turn Nihonshu from a simple alcoholic beverage into a medium that brings back moments and stories, and for those who want to describe Nihonshu in a deeper, more dimensional way, we invite you to join the Sakagura Miyamoto membership. The content below is for members only. Thank you.
