hiroshima - ichibansake.com

You can taste Hakukou, Morikawa shuzo, from Hiroshima prefecture and Hiraizumi, Hiraizumi honpo from Akita prefecture.

Hakukou (Morikawa shuzo)

The brewery is located in western Japan at the southern portion of the Hiroshima prefecture, in a small town surrounded in nature; being a part of the Seto inner sea national park. Their brewery is located at the eastern side of the Noro Mountain [839m]. The Norogawa River flows nearby, and its clean waters and the clear air are representative of the beautiful surrounding environment.
Along with Nada and Fushimi, Hiroshima is known as one of the 3 greatest producers of sake, and has been known from long ago as a land suited for making sake. The traditional method of making sake in Hiroshima is the “Soft water brewing method”, a brewing method that fully utilizes the characteristics of the water quality in Hiroshima (generally soft water), and the quality of the sake is recognized throughout Japan.

The foundation of their brewery is in the quality water. The quality of water used is one of the most important factors in making sake. Their water has been commented on by professor Sasaki of the Hiroshima Kokusai Gakuin University, also known as the “Professor of water”: “This is a vary rare soft water which matches the definition of “Good water” given by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The water quality is good for making not only tea, coffee, and cooking, but is also optimal for making soft water brewed sake.”.
The figures learned from analysis show that because of the very low mineral content, the yeast is easily starved of nutrients, and it is difficult to ferment into alcohol. It is said that the mineral content is the very minimum it can be to make alcohol with. Because of this, our brewery puts in a significant amount of effort in making a good koji (malted rice) to introduce the alcohol fermentation, and as a result, a flavorful sake is born.

To sum up the “Hakuko” in one phrase, it is “a sake that tastes soft and pleasant but is full of flavor”. It is a sake perfect for the dinner table.

Morikawa shuzo Home page

Hiraizumi (Hiraizumi honpo)

Brewery History and Background:
They are Akita’s oldest and even in Japan 3rd oldest brewery, having been founded in 1487 in the middle of the Muromachi era. Originally, the company was a wholesaler of goods sent by ship, with sake brewing just a side business. But in the early Meiji period, sake brewing became the main business. We have since then been staunchly brewing sake in the old yamahai-shikomi method. Our current brewery dates from 1883.

Origins of the name:
The name is a combination of the name of the business when we were a wholesaler, Izumiya, and the name of the immediate region, Hirasawa, and was shortened from “Hirasawa Izumi no Sake.” Also, there is the theory that a local painter sent our sake to Monk Ryokan of the Echigo region, calling it “jumping, good, white water,” and the name and characters are a play on that expression.

Hiraizumi is Gold Prize winning sake in the Annual Japan Sake Awards 2015.

Hiraizumi honpo Home page

DATE AND TIME

2018/6/13 (Wed) – 6/19(Tue)

-You cannot go? Check out ichibansake Event Calendar

LOCATION

Seibu Ikebukuro B1F

〒171-0022 Tokyo, Toshima, Minamiikebukuro, 1 Chome−28−1

Google map

Access

Directly connect
Ikebukuro Station South Exit, Exit 38, Exit 36

Web site

For more information visit, 今週の酒と肴

You can taste Suishin, Suishin Yamane Honten Brewery, from Hiroshima prefecture and Tenju, Tenju shuzo from Akita prefecture.

Suishin (Suishin Yamane Honten Brewery)

Suishin Yamane Honten Brewery was established in 1860. In the mid-Meiji period (1868-1912) the company unified its some 20 sake brands into one, with the aim of making them more widely known. Although the newly unified brand was initially called “Yoigokoro,” it started to be called “Suishin” as the years passed (the same kanji, but pronounced differently).

Discovering the “Kyokai yeast No. 3” in 1913, the company had already been recognized as a sake manufacturer in prewar days. The Suishin brand has also been highly valued since early times, winning first place three times at the National Alcohol Beverages Competition, held in 1919, 1921 and 1924. It also received the honorary award at a competition.

Speaking of Suishin sake, the great Japanese artist Taikan Yokoyama must be mentioned.

In a famous episode early in the Showa period (1926-1989), Taikan Yokoyama, who loved Suishin sake, found a kindred spirit in the then president of the company, Kaoru Yamane and promised to relish Suishin sake to his dying day.

In the brewing process called shikomi, the Suishin brewery has emphasized the use of ultra-soft water drawn from beneath the foot of Mt. Takanosu, which lies in Fukutomi-cho (the central area of Hiroshima Prefecture). In an effort to ensure constantly high quality Suishin sake, the brewery spent as long as two years to find this water. Because the ultra-soft water has almost no mineral content, the Suishin sake brewed with the water gives not only a delicate, refreshing taste, but also a full, elegant sweetness and richness. A light flavor and well-rounded aroma are also attractive features. As the main ingredients of the Suishin sake, top-quality “Yamada Nishiki” rice grown in Hyogo Prefecture and rigorously selected Hiroshima-grown sake rice are used.

Always keeping in mind the brewing of sake that one never tires of drinking which the artist Taikan Yokoyama loved to drink throughout his life, the brewer has grown, and is determined to continue expanding into both domestic and overseas markets.

Suishin Yamane Honten Brewery Home page

Tenju (Tenju shuzo)

Founded in 1830, by Eikichi Ohi, Tenju SHUZO is a tightly knit, family-owned brewery enjoying its sixth generation ofsake production. TENJU brewery is located in Yashima village near the beautiful Mount Chokai, in Akita Prefecture, in northwestern Japan. The village has a population of only 5,000, but it is number one in sake production in Akita.

Severe winters bring heavy snowfalls, and prolonged low temperatures. These severe conditions are ideal for sake brewing. Tenju brewery avails itself of the nature that abounds in the nearby terrain. They use Mt. Chokai’s naturally-filtered, soft water. The resulting sake is distinguishably clean on the palate. The brewery’s philosophy is that sake making is rice making. The brewery commissions farmers from 25 rice paddies to exclusively supply rice for Tenju’s sake production. All of the employees of the brewery are intimately and intuitively familiar with rice because all of the workers are rice farmers during the summer and become sake makers during the winter months.

In 1983, Tenju Research Group was founded. This group is comprised of rice farmers who consistently endeavor to improve their crop from year to year. Tenju is the first brewery to establish such a research group. In Japanese “TENJU” means to last a hundred years. The name evokes both the wish for the longevity of Tenju Sake enthusiast, and the company’s 140 years over commitment to maintaining Japan’s timehonored, traditional sake brewing methods. With abundant resources Tenju is justifiably proud of its traditional brewing techniques and the quality of their handcrafted sake. JUNMAI DAIGINJO CHOKAISAN exemplifies the clean, well-rounded flavor and elegant nose for which TENJU is renown.

Tenju shuzo Home page