About GI Zukan

GI Zukan is a field guide to every Japanese product registered as a Geographical Indication. It brings MAFF's agricultural GIs and the National Tax Agency's liquor GIs together and adds seasons, where to buy and brewery visits to the registered details, so that more people get to know and taste them.

Each product's characteristics, link with the area and registration details are based on MAFF's registered product pages (Public Data License 1.0). The Japanese and English texts are as published by MAFF (English only for products MAFF has an English page for). All other English, and the Chinese (Simplified and Traditional) and Korean texts, are our translations from the Japanese. Each page cites its source URL.

The introductions, seasons and where-to-buy information are our own, compiled from MAFF specifications and materials from prefectures, JA cooperatives and producer groups. Liquor GI production standards are our summaries of National Tax Agency notices. These, the "What is a GI?" page, the seasons and all translations, along with anything else not found in the public information of MAFF or the National Tax Agency, are edited by us and we are solely responsible for them (MAFF and the National Tax Agency are not). For accurate registration details, please see the official page linked from each product.

Product photos are those published on MAFF's registered product pages, used after confirming with MAFF and resized for display (source: MAFF website).

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Some links to shops contain affiliate links (ads). If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. What we list does not depend on whether a commission is paid.

GI Zukan is run by Matatabi Inc. and is not created or endorsed by MAFF, the National Tax Agency or any other government agency. Seasons and availability change; please check official sources before buying or visiting, and let us know if you spot an error.

Links to furusato nozei and online shops are provided to help you find GI products. Please confirm on the listing that an item is a genuine GI product.