Geographical Indication (GI)
GI is a system which promotes the appropriate using of the name of the geographical origin, which is the common property of the area.
When the liquor products have specific characteristics of the area, based on the application from a producers’ association of the area, the Commissioner of the National Tax Agency grants it as the GIs. After that, only the producers of the area can use the GIs for their products.
When the WTO(World Trade Organization) started, protection of the GIs of wines and spirits became the duty of the member nations. Therefore, the NTA established the system in 1994. And the system was revised in 2015, and all liquor products became targets of the system.
- Notice on Establishing Indication Standards Concerning Geographical Indications for Liquor (National Tax Agency Notice No.19)
- Information on GIs protected in Japan
- What is the Geographical Indication for Liquor Products in Japan? (Published in March 2024)(PDF/33.6MB)
* The video on GIs is also available in the website "sakefan World" (http://sakefanworld.info)
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