Japanese Sake : All Japan News,Inc

By Kosuke Kuji

 

Continuing from the previous article, we discussed the serious problem of the severe shortage of sake rice in the wake of the Reiwa-era rice crisis. Of course, that was a major problem in itself. However, there was another problem that was even bigger.
That was the fact that even when we could get our hands on sake rice, its price had doubled.
Basically, sake rice production is planned in advance. By December of the year before planting, we meet with farmers and agricultural cooperatives to discuss how much sake rice we will need and determine how much should be planted.
This is what we call contract cultivation. Without such a contract, sake rice cannot simply be sold as table rice. Therefore, it is essential to carefully determine the required quantity before planting. Otherwise, if we end up with surplus rice, it can become a serious problem.
Of course, sake breweries purchase all the rice they have contracted for.
This was also the case during the Great East Japan Earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic. During both periods, sake consumption dropped sharply, and we had to adjust our production volume. However, when it came to the rice we had contracted with farmers to purchase, our company bought every last grain without reducing the contracted amount by even a ippyo (a traditional unit of rice). Of course, we had stopped sake production, so this was an extremely difficult decision for us to make.
This time, even though we had contracts in place for the cultivation of sake rice, it is true that some farmers and agricultural cooperatives switched the planned production from sake rice to table rice, leaving us unable to secure the quantity we needed. But that was not the only problem. The price also skyrocketed, doubling from the price that had been quoted to us at the time the contracts were made.
From our perspective, we found ourselves in an unbelievable situation: we could not obtain the amount of sake rice we had requested, and the price had doubled. It made us question what the word “contract” actually meant. The impact was greater when we contracted with agricultural cooperatives than when we contracted directly with farmers.

 

To be continued in the next article.

 

 

 

酒豪大陸225「令和の米騒動から来る酒米の問題　その3」

 

前回の続きです。令和の米騒動を受けて、酒米が全く足りない問題を前回はお話ししました。もちろんそれも大問題だったのですが、もう1つもっと大きな問題がありました。
それは、酒米が手に入っても、値段が2倍に値上がりしてしまう、という問題です。
酒米は基本的に、作付けする前年の12月までにどのくらいの酒米が必要か、農家さんや農協と打ち合わせて、作付け量を決めます。
契約栽培、なのでこの契約がないと、酒米は食米にすることが出来ないので、量をしっかりと決めて作付けしないと余ったりしたら大変です。もちろん酒蔵は契約した酒米は全量買い取ります。これは東日本大震災の時もコロナの時も、日本酒の消費が一気に減り、製造量を調整しなければいけなかったのですが、農家さんと契約している米に関しては当社は一俵たりとも減らさずに全量買い取りました。もちろん酒造りはストップしましたので、相当大変な決断でした。
今回、この契約した栽培なのに、農家さんや農協側で酒米が食米に変更して作付けされてしまって量が確保できなかったのはその通りなのですが、値段も契約時に提示された値段から一気に2倍に膨れ上がりました。
私達からすると、酒米も希望数量いただけない、値段は倍になる、というとんでもない事になり、契約という言葉の意味がわからなくなってしまいました。これは農家さんと直接契約する場合よりも、農協と契約した場合のほうが影響が大きかったです。
次回に続きます。

 

 

-Let’s take this opportunity to reflect on the history of Japanese sake- 

 

The first sake produced in Japan was fruit liquor 
Traces of sake production are seen since the mid-Jomon period (14,000 – 300 B.C.). Unlike Japanese sake however, the ingredients were not rice, but fruits such as wild grapes, etc. In other words, the first sake produced was fruit liquor instead of grain sake. 
On the other hand, grain sake production is thought to be introduced from Mainland China approximately 2,600 years ago. A document from the Nara period (710 – 784 A.D.) reads, “kuchimi-zake” (sake produced from chewed rice or grain before fermentation) was produced.
Kuchimi-zake utilizes enzymes in saliva that breaks down starches by chewing on plants like grains and potatoes that contain starches, spit out into a bottle to create sake.  
Enzymes in saliva break down starches in plants into sugar. Wild yeast ferments alcohol into sake, not fermented naturally like fruit liquor, but artificially fermented since this time. 
Also, this sake production method was used not only in Japan, but also among indigenous populations in the Amazon and Andes plateau.    

 

Sake was consumed to mark occasions that celebrated milestones in human life 
The “Gishiwajinden” written around the 3rd century documented sake consumption in Japan from the Jomon period (14,000 – 300 B.C.) to the Nara period (710 – 784 A.D.). 
“When someone died, the chief mourner mourned for approximately ten days while others participated in mourning by dancing and drinking sake,” indicating people at the time drank sake during occasions that marked milestones in human life.    

 

 

 

日本酒の始まり
日本酒の歴史を振り振り返ってみよう

 

日本での初めての酒は果実酒　
縄文時代中期より酒造りの痕跡は見られるが、今の日本酒とは異なり米ではなく山葡萄などの果実を原料としていた。いわゆる果実酒で穀物酒ではなかった。
一方、穀物を原料とした酒造りは、今からおよそ2600年前に中国大陸から伝わったとされる。
奈良時代に書かれた文献には「口噛の酒」が造られていたと書かれている。
口噛の酒とは、唾液に含まれるでんぷん分解酵素を利用したもので、雑穀やいもなどでんぷんを含んだ植物を一度、口で噛み、壺の中に吐き出して造る酒の事。
唾液のでんぷん酵素により、植物のでんぷんが糖に分解され、野生酵母によるアルコール発酵で酒になる。
果実酒のような自然発酵ではなく、人工的な発酵がこの時代より行われていた。
また。この酒造法は日本だけで、行われていたのではなく、アマゾンやアンデス高原の先住民にもみられる。

 

人生の節目の行事に飲まれた酒
3世紀ごろに書かれた「魏志倭人伝」には、縄文時代から弥生時代の日本での飲酒に関する記録がある。
「死者が出ると、喪主は十日余り喪に服し、他人は喪に参じて詠い舞い、飲酒する」と記されており、当時から人生の節目となる行事に人々は酒を飲んでいたことがわかる。

 

 

By Ryuji Takahashi

 

Around the world, I have heard that there are relatively few countries where people drink their alcohol cold. I don't know whether that is actually true, but some people even say that there are more countries where beer is not served chilled than countries where it is.
Certainly, even in Japan, there are people who enjoy drinking beer at room temperature. When it comes to Yebisu Beer in particular, I get the impression that quite a few people prefer it that way. Perhaps they believe that you have to drink Yebisu at room temperature to fully appreciate its deep, rich flavor. As someone who is firmly on the side of Asahi Super Dry, I simply cannot understand that way of enjoying beer. Especially in summer, I love that ultimate moment when I come home covered in sweat, take a bath, and then sit down with an ice-cold beer. The moment that cold beer flows down the back of my throat, I think to myself, “This is what I work for.”
When it comes to sake, I also want to drink it as cold as possible during the summer.
However, there is a long-standing belief that a true sake connoisseur should drink hot sake even in the summer. And I don't think this is a good thing.
One of our regular customers, a gentleman in his late sixties who enjoys sake and works outdoors, once came into our restaurant after work and ordered hot sake. The heat that had built up in his body during the day, combined with the hot sake, triggered symptoms similar to heatstroke, and he became unable to move. Since then, whenever sake lovers visit our restaurant during the summer, I tell them, “Don't try too hard to act like a connoisseur. You could put your life at risk.”
It is already a brutally hot summer, and even the Summer Koshien baseball tournament has been adjusting its schedule as a measure against heatstroke. Of course, drinking nothing but cold things is not necessarily good for the body either. It is important to take in moderately warm or hot foods and drinks from time to time. But if your body is clearly rejecting something, or you don't even want to consume something hot and are only forcing yourself to do so to prove how tough you are, I think you should stop. Moderation is important in everything. We should consume the things that truly make our bodies feel revived.
And it is not just about alcohol. Staying hydrated is also extremely important. So why not take this opportunity to develop the habit of drinking water while you drink alcohol?
According to research announced by a university in Oita, drinking water while consuming alcohol does not necessarily prevent a hangover if you end up drinking the same amount of alcohol as someone who does not drink water. Apparently, people tend to mistakenly believe that water prevents hangovers simply because, when drinking for the same amount of time, they end up consuming less alcohol because some of what they drink is water.
In other words, mizuwari—or, more specifically in the world of sake, yawaragi-mizu, the water served alongside sake—does not magically prevent drunkenness or hangovers. But because it helps reduce the amount of alcohol you consume, it is certainly kinder to your wallet.
And during the summer, it also helps with hydration.
So, forget about strange notions of what a “true connoisseur” should do. Cool yourself down, drink plenty of water, and enjoy your sake properly.

 

 

 

夏の酒は「通」より「体」――冷たい酒と、やわらぎ水のすすめ

 

世界的に見て、冷たい酒を飲む国は少ないと聞いたことが有る。本当かどうかは知らないがビールも冷やす国の方が少ないという人もいる。確かに日本でもビールを常温で飲むのが好きな人がいる。特にエビスビールに関しては常温好きが多い気がする。エビスビールの深い味わいを感じるには常温で無ければならないということなのだろう。アサヒスーパードライ派の私には全く理解の出来ない楽しみ方である。特に夏場は汗かいて家まで帰り、風呂に入り、冷たいビールを飲むという至高の時間が大好きである。喉の奥を冷たいビールが流れ込む瞬間に、このために仕事をしているなと感じる。日本酒でも出来るだけ夏は冷たいのを飲みたい。しかしながら、日本酒は夏でもお燗酒で飲むのが通だという風習もある。これが良くない。そんな話を鵜呑みにして、外回りの仕事をされている前期高齢者の当店の常連様が仕事帰りに熱燗を頼み、昼間に体に蓄積した熱と熱燗が引き金となり、熱中症の様な症状を発症して動けなくなったことが有る。その後、当店に来店する日本酒好きのお客様には、無理して通ぶると命が危ないよと夏場は言い聞かせている。夏の甲子園も時間をずらし熱中症対策をしている猛暑の夏である。しかし冷たい物ばかりだと良くないので適度に温い物とか暑い物を体に入れることは大事なのだが、体が拒否反応を示すとか、体に入れたくもないのにヤセ我慢して暑い物を摂取するのは止めた方が良い。何でも適当が大事で自分の体が本当に生き返ると感じる物を摂取するべきである。そして酒ばかりではなく、水分補給も大事なので、この機会に酒を飲みながら、水を飲むという習慣を身につけてみてはどうだろうか。大分の大学が発表した内容では、酒を飲んでいる際に水を飲んでも水を飲んでいない人と同じ酒量であった場合、水を飲んだ人が二日酔いを防げるかというと、そうではないらしい。同じ時間酒を飲んだ場合、水を飲んだ分、酒量が減るので、二日酔いになりにくいと勘違いするそうだ。結果、やわらぎ水は悪酔いや二日酔いになりにくくなる効果がある訳ではないが、酒量が減るので財布にやさしくなるということである。夏場の水分補給にもなるので、変なこだわりは捨てて、クールダウンして水と酒をしっかり飲もう。

 

 

Generally, “tarusake” refers to Japanese sake sold in barrels. The (Japanese) National Tax Agency stipulates sake must be “stored in wooden barrels with wood aroma (including sake packaged in bottles or other containers)” to be labeled as tarusake. As this definition indicates, the value in the quality of tarusake is mainly the distinct aroma of wood transferred from the sake barrel.
Wood aroma refers to the cedar aroma transferred to sake while contained in a cedar barrel, also referred to as “sugi-ka” (cedar aroma). Wooden barrels are used to brew and squeeze sake, also used to transport sake in ancient times. Therefore, it’s natural for sake to exude wood aroma, as cedar materials were traditionally preferred as pails and barrels. The wood aroma generally became obsolete from general sake brands once enamel tanks were adopted for brewing and storage containers in the early Showa era (1926 - 1989). Afterwards, the preferred container to transport sake became glass bottles, not impacting the sake flavor, thus enabling the original sake aroma to come through. Due to the demand for original wood aroma, sake today is stored in wooden barrels short-term with a light wood aroma, distributed as barreled sake in the market.     
However, wood aroma in one phrase has both good and bad implications. Sake barrels are made of materials such as the top quality Yoshino-sugi, Higo (current material used from Kumamoto prefecture), Akita prefecture, and other cedar materials. Not only does the production region generate differences in materials, the part of the cedar used will determine the wood aroma properties and how the aroma is generated. The exterior white part of the cedar log is referred to as white log, gradually turning red towards the center part. As barrel material, the interior white log with a slight red hue called the “koutsuki” is the most optimal part. Barrels created from koutsuki is white on the exterior, while the area in contact with sake inside is slightly red, which not only generates a quality wood aroma, but also prevents sake from seeping or leaking outward.       
In contrast, barrels created from the center log area with a deep red hue is too strong in both wood aroma and color, also high in resin composition that impacts the sake quality, thus not used to make quality sake barrels since ancient times, but often used to make pickle barrels instead. Barrels created from Koutsuki are called “koutsukedaru,” while barrels created from the red part are called “akamidaru.”     
The first documentation of sake brewed in wooden barrels was viewed in 1582. Since then, wood aroma became essential for sake aroma. Therefore, in the early Showa era when tanks manufactured from resin were adopted for sake production, a Yoshino-sugi cedar chip was sometimes added to sake after pasteurization to add the wood aroma.    

 

 

 

樽酒とは、どのような日本酒か

 

一般に「樽酒」とは、樽詰で市販されている日本酒のことをいうが、国税庁の「清酒の製法品質表示基準」では、樽酒と表示できる条件として、「木製の樽で貯蔵し、木香のついた清酒（瓶その他の容器に詰め替えたものを含む）である場合」と規定している。このことからも分かるように、樽酒の酒質としての価値は、主として独特の木香にあるといえよう。
木香とは、酒を杉材の容器に入れている間に酒に移った杉材の香りのとで、「杉香」ともいう。酒の仕込みにも搾った後の貯蔵にも木桶が用いられ、運搬用の容器は木樽だった昔は、酒に木香がつくのは当たり前のことであり、桶や樽の材料には、古来杉材が好まれた。ふつうの日本酒から木香が消えたのは、昭和の初期に仕込み用、貯蔵用容器としてホーロー製のタンクが登場してからのことである。その後、運搬容器もガラス瓶となり、 容器の影響を受けない、日本酒本来の香味を味わえるようになったわけだが、かつての木香のある酒に対する需要もあることから、現在は木樽で短期間貯蔵し、軽く木香をつけた酒が樽酒として出回っている。
ただし、ひと口に木香といっても、香りのよし悪しはある。樽材には、最良とされる吉野杉のほか、肥後（現・熊本県）や秋田産などの杉材が用いられるが、産地によって材質に違いがあるだけでなく、杉材のどの部分を使うかで木香の性質やつき方が違ってくるからだ。杉丸太の外周部の白い部分を白太といい、中心部に向かうにつれて色が赤みを帯びてくるが、 樽材としては、白太の内側にわずかに赤みがついている「甲付（こうつき」」と呼ばれる部分が最適とされる。甲付で作った樽は外観は白く、内側の酒と接する部分は淡紅色で、良質の木香がつくばかりでなく、酒が染み出たり漏れたりすること（「目趣し」という）もない。これに対して、丸太の中心部（「赤味」という）から取った赤みの濃い材料で作った樽は木香、着色とも強すぎ、樹脂成分の溶出も多く酒質を悪くしてしまうので、昔から上質の酒の樽としては用いられず、漬物樽に使用されることが多かったという。甲付で作った樽を「甲付樽」、赤味で作った樽を「赤味樽」と呼ぶ。 
酒造りが木桶で行なわれた文献上の初見は天正十年（1582）のことだが、それ以来、木香は日本酒になくてはならない香りだった。そこでホーロー製タンクに切り替わった昭和の初期には、木香のない酒に木香をつけるため、火入れ後の酒に吉野杉などの木片を入れることもあった。

 

 

By Kosuke Kuji

 

In the previous column, I explained just how difficult the situation surrounding rice for everyday consumption had become during Japan’s “Reiwa Rice Crisis.” The price of rice had more than doubled, making it difficult for Japanese people to buy rice. As a result, unable to eat rice as they normally would, people turned to bread, udon noodles, and pasta instead—and sales of all of these foods rose across the board.
This Reiwa Rice Crisis also had a major impact on the world of sake. As you may know, the main ingredients of sake are “rice” and “water.”
Water is basically sourced from wells and other natural sources, so it generally does not cost much. Rice, on the other hand, is purchased from farmers or agricultural cooperatives after entering into contracts with them, and breweries use carefully inspected rice for sake production. In the case of wine, many wineries grow their own grapes and make wine from them. With sake, however, there have traditionally been farmers who specialize in growing rice, while sake breweries, which are corporations, face a high barrier to entering the agricultural business. As a result, there are almost no breweries that grow 100% of the rice they use to make their own sake. Because of this, many breweries grow their rice under contract with farmers or agricultural cooperatives. This is why the Reiwa Rice Crisis involving rice for everyday consumption had such a major impact on the sake industry.
The first major problem was that the price of rice for everyday consumption doubled. This meant that farmers could earn much more by selling their rice as table rice.
So, what happened next?
Farmers began to stop growing sake rice, which brings in less profit and is more difficult to grow. In other words, breweries found themselves in a situation where they desperately wanted to make sake, but there simply was not enough sake rice available.
Of course, there were also farmers who continued to properly grow sake rice without switching to the more expensive rice for everyday consumption. Even so, there was still a serious shortage of sake rice.
To be continued in the next issue.

 

 

 

酒豪大陸「令和の米騒動から来る酒米の問題　その2」

 

前回のコラムでは日本でおこった令和の米騒動での食米がどのように大変な状況だったかお伝えしました。
食米も2倍以上に高騰して、日本人が米を買えなくなり、米を食べられずにパンやうどん、そしてパスタの売り上げは軒並み上昇しました。
この令和の米騒動は日本酒の世界にも大きな影響を与えました。
ご存じの通り、日本酒の原材料は「米」「水」です。
水は井戸水などを使うのが基本ですので、お金は基本的にかかりませんが、米は農家や農協と契約をして、検査をしっかりとした米を購入して酒造りをします。ワインの場合は自社でブドウを育てて醸すところが多いのですが、日本酒は古くから米は米をつくる専門の農家がいて、株式会社である酒蔵が農業に参入するハードルが高く、100％自社の造る日本酒の米を自社で育てている蔵はほぼありません。そうなると米は農家さんや農協と契約栽培する蔵が多く、これが令和の食米の米騒動の影響を大きく受けました。
まず大変だったのが、食米が2倍に値段があがりましたので、農家に入ってくる収入も食米を売れば大きく増えます。そうなるとどうなるかというと、もうけの少なく、育てるのが大変な酒米は「作ってもらえない」という状況になりました。日本酒を造りたいのに酒米が全く足りない、という状況に陥りました。
もちろん中には高い食米にシフトせずに酒米をちゃんとつくってくれる農家さんもありましたが、それでも酒米が全く足りなくなってしまったのです。
次回にまた続きます。

 

 

Dry/sweetness indicates the degree of sweetness while smooth/refreshing and rich/full flavor indicates the degree of richness. 
The stronger the rice flavor, the more easily the rich sake flavor is detected, applicable to low-polished sake high in mineral content such as Junmai, Kimoto, and unfiltered sake with distinct, full flavors. 
The characteristics of the flavors, suitable consumption method and temperatures are different by sake type. 
This report introduces Pure Sake and Mellow Sake.    

 

Pure Sake
Pure sake is rich in flavor with a lasting palate, appealing for it’s full-bodied and umami flavor. Most notable among Junmai sake for its umami flavor from rice, pure sake is most commonly produced using the Kimoto method and prepared from Yamahai yeast.       
Well-rounded with a subdued scent, pure sake flavor consists of umami flavors from rice and minerals, common in Japanese sake. The main aroma is rice, the main sake type is Junmai sake, etc., with a temperature range between 59 degF to 64.4 degF. The temperature range to serve pure sake hot is between 104 degF to 131 degF.
 
Mellow Sake 
Sake highly aromatic, deeply flavorful, golden-hued and aged. Mellow Sake is old sake, expensive and rare like aged sake and noble brewed sake. Mellow, ripened aroma with umami flavor evenly balanced between sweet, acidic, and bitter flavors; a highly satisfying sake.  
The Mellow Sake aroma consists mainly of dried fruits and spices. The main type of sake is aged sake, noble brewed sake, and old sake, most aromatic at the temperature range between 77 degF to 86 degF.   

 

 

 

日本酒のタイプ－味の濃淡と香りによって4つのタイプに分類できる

 

辛口、甘口は甘みの度合いを示しているのに対し、淡麗、濃醇はコクの度合いを示す。
米の風味が強い酒ほどコクを感じやすい、低精白でアミノ酸やミネラルが多く残っているもの純米酒や生酛系、無濾過の酒など、米本来のふくよかな香りを持つタイプが該当する。
日本酒のタイプ分類、味の濃淡と香りによって4つのタイプに分類できる。

 

タイプごとに風味の特徴、適した飲み方、温度が異なる。今回は醇酒タイプと熟酒タイプを紹介する。

 

醇酒タイプ
口に残る濃醇な味わい、旨味みとコクが魅力、米の旨味を感じるタイプで純米酒の中でも生酛や山廃系酒母を使用したものに多い。
ふくよかで落ち着いた香りがあり、米の旨味にミネラルの風味が加わった、日本酒らしい味わい。主な香り米、主な酒のタイプ、純米酒など、香りが立つ温度帯15度から18度、40度から55度

 

熟酒タイプ
香りが高く深い味わい、黄金色の熟成タイプ、古酒や秘蔵酒のような長期熟成した高価で希少性の高い酒が該当する。練れた熟成香と甘味、酸味、苦味がバランスよく合い深い旨味があり、どっしりとした飲み応えがある。
主な香り、ドライフルーツ、スパイス、主な酒のタイプ、古酒、秘蔵酒、長期熟成酒、香りが立つ温度帯、25-30度、35度  

 

 

By Ryuji Takahashi

 

Some people say that large beer mugs are a bad idea because the drink gets warm or the ice melts and waters it down. But the simple answer is to finish drinking it before it gets warm or diluted. If you cannot do that, then you should simply use a smaller mug. On the other hand, for people who can drink a lot, a large mug is by far the better value. Today, the quality control of sake has improved so much that there is no longer the same need to worry about storage temperatures as there was in the past. Even so, more and more breweries now offer a wider selection in 720ml bottles than in the better-value 1,800ml bottles. Many breweries even bottle their seasonal sake exclusively in 720ml bottles. Generally speaking, the larger the package, the better the value—not only for sake, but also for food and everyday household products. Yet fewer people are buying sake in 1,800ml bottles, and as a result, breweries are gradually reducing the number of products they offer in that size. Even though prices have been rising across the board due to inflation, fewer consumers are buying the better-value 1,800ml bottles of sake. This is despite the fact that more convenience stores and supermarkets now offer delivery services than ever before. The main reasons given are that it takes too long to finish the bottle, the flavor may change, it does not fit in the refrigerator, or it is simply too heavy to carry. In recent years, fewer convenience stores and supermarkets have continued to stock 1,800ml bottles of sake. Curiously, however, many of these same stores still sell 2-liter and 4-liter plastic bottles of kōrui shochu. Somehow, those large bottles remain on the shelves. In the end, there are still plenty of people who buy 4-liter bottles of shochu because they offer better value. But if those same people are unwilling to buy approximately 2 liters of sake—even though the total weight, including the bottle, is only about 3 kilograms—it makes one wonder whether the real issue is simply that sake is no longer in demand. Perhaps reasons such as “it is too heavy to carry” or “I cannot finish it before the quality changes” are, in the end, nothing more than excuses for not buying sake. It may even be that the sake industry itself has elevated sake too much. By emphasizing ideas such as “every drop of sake is as precious as a drop of blood,” promoting sake as Japan’s national drink, and placing titles such as “Sake Brewery Master” at the forefront, the industry may have gone too far in presenting sake as an exceptionally delicate and sophisticated beverage. Perhaps if sake were the kind of drink that no one would object to selling in plastic bottles, larger-volume containers would still be selling well today. After all, people would not normally place a large container directly on the dining table. They would simply transfer the sake into a katakuchi or a tokkuri before serving it. If that is the case, then the charm of a small glass bottle becomes irrelevant. If you want to chill the sake in the refrigerator or pour it from a glass bottle, all you have to do is transfer it from the plastic bottle into a glass bottle yourself. As the price of sake continues to rise across the board, perhaps it is time to provide the atmosphere yourself and enjoy the better value of buying sake in larger volumes.

 

 

 

酒のジョッキは大きければ大きい程良い　

 

大ジョッキは酒がぬるくなるとか、氷が溶けて薄くなるなどと言う人がいるが、ぬるくなる前に薄くなる前に飲んでしまえば良いだけのことで、それが出来ない人は小さいジョッキを使えば良いし、グビグビ飲める人は大ジョッキが断然お得である。今は日本酒の品質管理が良くなり、昔ほど酒の管理温度を気にしなくて良くなったのにも関わらず、お得な1升瓶よりも4合瓶の種類が多い酒蔵が増えてきた。季節の酒は4合瓶しか瓶詰めしませんという酒蔵も多い。内容量が多ければ多いほど、お得になるのは酒に限らず食品でも日用品でも同じはずなのだが、1升瓶で酒を買う人が減っているので、酒蔵も段々と1升瓶の種類を減らしているのである。物価高騰で色々な物の値段が上がっているにも関わらず、お得な1升瓶買いは減っている。最近はコンビニやスーパーもデリバリーを実施する業態が増えてきたにも関わらずである。なかなか飲み切れないとか、味が変わってしまうとか冷蔵庫に入らないだとか、運ぶのが重いとかが主な理由である。最近はコンビニやスーパーマーケットで1升瓶を売っている店は少なくなってきた。しかし、なぜか2リットルや4リットルのペットボトルの甲類焼酎は売っていたりするのである。結局、4リットル焼酎はお得だから買う人はいるのだけれど、約2リットル日本酒（瓶の重さを入れると約3キロ）は買わないとなると、これはただ単に日本酒が求められていないのではないかと考えてしまう。運ぶのが重いとか、飲み切れないなどは、あくまでも日本酒を買わない言い訳に過ぎないのではないだろうか。これは業界自体が、日本酒を持ち上げすぎたのかもしれない。酒の一滴は血の一滴とか、国酒とか、杜氏を前面に打ち出して緻密で繊細な飲み物とした打ち出しをやりすぎたのではないだろうか。もしかしたら、ペットボトルで販売しても誰も何も言わないような酒ならば、今も大容量の方が売れていたかもしれない。そして大容量の容器を、そのまま食卓に乗せることはせず、それこそ片口や徳利に移して食卓で飲むはずなので、そこに少容量のガラス瓶の風情とかは関係無くなる。冷蔵庫で冷やしたいとか、ガラス瓶から注いで飲みたければ、自分でガラス瓶にペットボトルから移し替えれば良いだけである。酒の値段も軒並み上昇しているので、風情は自分で用意するとして、気軽にお得に大容量の日本酒を買ってみてはどうだろうか。

 

 

“Arabashiri” (“First Run”) is the white, cloudy sake that results when first squeezing the aged moromi (fermentation-mash), also referred to as “freshly-pressed sake.” 
Squeezing the moromi (fermentation-mash), and separating the liquid (refined sake) from the solid parts (sake lees) is called “pressing.”   
Traditionally, Japanese sake was produced by placing the moromi (fermentation-mash) in a sake bag, lined inside an elongated wooden box and pressed, thus referred to as ‘pressing.’ The traditional press was made from hard wood with no fragrance, such as the Japanese Zelkova tree or ginko. However, some are made of stainless steel or concrete. 
Recently, many automatic pressing machines are used. Also, the sake bag capacity is between 5~10 liters, made of cloth before World War II, but many since made of user-friendly synthetic fiber. 
First, a sake bag filled with fermentation-mash is lined inside a traditional press and stacked. At this time, sake first exuded from the traditional press is white and clouded, containing fermentation-mash particles that leaked when filling the sake bag, called “Arabashiri.” This arabashiri is kept in a separate tub, sometimes squeezed again if not commercialized.    
Once the traditional press is filled with a sake bag, place the “kasawaku” (frame) on top, and repeat stacking more sake bags. Several hours after stacking, the weight of sake bags naturally release clear sake trickling down, referred to as “Mizubune.” Once the stacked sake bags start to lower from the weight, remove the “kasawaku” (frame), place the “press lid” on top, and start pressing. The time period while pressure is applied is called “Oshibune.” The pressure during pressing was applied using a large stone as weight during the Edo Period (1603-1868), but since changed to water pressure and oil pressure method.        
The next day, the sake bag is stacked onto a separate traditional press to resume pressing, referred to as “semebune,’ and the released sake is called “seme.” Sake released after arabashiri to before seme is high quality, distinguished as “nakadare, the most aromatic sake.”    
To squeeze high-end sake such as Ginjo, a method of suspending a sake bag filled with fermentation-mash above a container is sometimes used to naturally release sake. This squeezing method is referred to as “fukurozuri, or sake dripped from hanging bags by gravity.” This sake is placed in a room with the temperature managed between 7~8 degrees Celsius, with the sediments removed and stored. The aroma and flavor for each and every bottle is subtly different, with the aroma changing as the sediments sink to the bottom.      

 

 

 

荒走りとは、どのような日本酒か 　

 

「荒走り」とは、熟成を終えたもろみを搾り始めた時、最初に出てくる白く濁った酒のことである。「しぽりたて」などとも呼ぶ。 
もろみを搾り、液体（清酒）と固形部分（酒粕）とに分離することを「上槽」または「圧搾」という。
伝統的な日本酒の製法では、酒袋に入れたもろみを「槽」と呼ばれる木製の細長い箱に並べて搾ったので、上槽とか「酒揚」、「槽掛け」といった。槽は古来木製（ケヤキやカツラ、イチョウなど堅くて香気の悪くない木材を使用）だったが、ステンレスやコンクリート製のものもある。
最近は、自動もろみ圧搾機が多く使わ れている。また、酒袋の容量は5～10リットルほどで、戦前までは布製だったが、戦後は使い勝手のよい化学繊維製が増えている。搾り方は次の通り。 まず、もろみを詰めた酒袋を槽に並べて積み重ねる。この時、槽の垂れ口から最初に出てくる酒は、袋詰めの時に漏れたりしたもろみの粒子が含まれていて白く濁っているが、これが「荒走り」である。荒走りは別の桶 に取っておくが、これをそのまま製品化しない場合は、もう一度搾り直したりする。槽が酒袋でいっぱいになったら「笠枠」という木枠をのせて、さらに酒袋を積み重ねることを繰り返す。 積み終わって数時間ほどは、酒袋自体の重みできれいな酒が自然に垂れてくるが、この間を「水槽」という。積み上げた酒袋が低くなってきたら笠枠を取り外し、「押蓋」をのせて圧搾を始める。この圧力をかけている間を「押槽」という。圧搾の圧力は、 江戸時代には大きな石を重りにした天秤式だったが、その後、水圧方式、 油圧方式に変わっている。翌日、酒袋を別の槽に積み替えて（槽直し）再び圧搾する。これを「責槽」といい、 ここで出る酒を「責め」という。 荒走りの後から責めの前まで出た酒は品質がよく、「中垂れ」と呼んで区別することもある。
吟醸酒などの高級酒を搾る場合は、もろみを詰めた酒袋を容器（主に用いられる容器の容量が一斗なので「斗瓶」と呼ばれる）の上に吊るし、自然にしたたらせる方法がとられることもある。この搾りの方法を「首吊り」 または「袋吊り」といい、このようにして搾った酒は「斗瓶取り」とか「斗瓶囲い」「雫取り」などと呼ばれる。斗瓶取りした酒は摂氏7～8度管理された部屋に静置し、滓を取って貯蔵するが、一本一本の斗瓶ごとに香りや味が微妙に異なり、滓が沈んでいく間にも香りが変わるという。

 

 

By Kosuke Kuji

 

In Japan, the "Reiwa Rice Crisis," which has become a major issue since two years ago, has caused the price of table rice to surge dramatically. Last year, the price of rice for everyday consumption doubled compared with the previous year.　
This was caused by inaccurate demand forecasts by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), which temporarily resulted in a shortage of table rice in 2024. As rice disappeared from supermarket shelves, agricultural cooperatives and rice collection companies became increasingly concerned. In 2025, competition for rice procurement intensified among these organizations, causing prices to continue rising rapidly.　
Rice harvested in autumn 2025 reached the highest price level in Japan’s history. As a result, the price of rice consumed by households also surged dramatically.　
This situation made it increasingly difficult for Japanese consumers to purchase rice, leading many to switch from rice to alternatives such as bread, soba noodles, and udon noodles. As a result, overall rice consumption itself declined significantly.
In the midst of the crisis, the Japanese government released its emergency stockpiled rice reserves in 2024. However, long lines formed as people rushed to purchase the stockpiled rice. Although this reserve rice consisted of older rice harvested two to five years earlier, the situation revealed how many people had no choice but to prioritize price over taste in order to secure a supply of rice.
The "Reiwa Rice Crisis" has transformed the eating habits of Japanese people and significantly changed their perception of "rice" — a food that has been consumed by Japanese people since ancient times and remains a core element of Japan’s culinary identity.
The impact of the "Reiwa Rice Crisis" has extended beyond table rice, significantly affecting industries that rely on rice as a raw material, including sake production like ours, as well as processed products such as "okaki" rice crackers and rice crackers made from rice and rice flour.
The extent of these challenges and how deeply they affected these industries will be explored in detail in future columns.

 

 

 

酒豪大陸「令和の米騒動から来る酒米の問題　その1」　

 

日本は一昨年から騒動になっている令和の米騒動により、食米の値段が昨年は一昨年に比べて2倍に一気に値上がりしました。
これは、農水省の需要予測が狂っていて、一時的に2024年に食米が足りなくなり、スーパーなどの棚から消えてしまい、それを焦った農協や米の集荷業者が2025年になり、集荷競争が激化し、値段がどんどん吊り上がっていきました。
2025年秋に収穫された米には今までの歴史の中で最も高い値段がつき、それに伴い、私達が家庭で食べる米の価格も急上昇してしまいました。
これにより、日本人は米が買えなくなり、米ではなくパンや蕎麦、うどんなどに切り替えていき、米の消費そのものも大減少してしまいました。
途中、2024年には政府が緊急事態用に備蓄をしている備蓄米を放出しましたが、その備蓄米を買うために長蛇の列が出来るほどでした。備蓄米は2年から5年前の古米なのですが、味の前に価格でこれを買うしか出来ない人がどれだけ多かったかわかります。
そんな令和の米騒動は、日本人の食生活を一変し、日本人が古来、食べ続けてきた、日本人の、日本食のアイデンティティーでもある「米」に対する意識が大きく変わってしまいました。
この令和の米騒動は食べる米だけにとどまらず、私達のように米を原料とする日本酒造りや、米や米粉を原料とする「おかき」や「米煎餅」のような加工品にも大きな影響を与えました。
その影響がどんなに大変だったかなどは次回以降のコラムで詳しく書いていきます。

 

 

Dry/sweetness indicates the degree of sweetness while smooth/refreshing and rich/full flavor indicates the degree of richness. 
The stronger the rice flavor, the more easily the rich sake flavor is detected, applicable to low-polished sake high in mineral content such as Junmai, Kimoto, and unfiltered sake with distinct, full flavors. 
The characteristics of the flavors, suitable consumption method and temperatures are different by sake type. 
This report introduces Aromatic Sake and Refreshing Sake.    

 

Aromatic Sake 
Sake with highly aromatic fragrance like fruits and flowers such as Junmai and Daiginjo. 
Light to the palate, refreshing, and smooth sake with a fruity, wine-like flavor, popular overseas. The aroma is similar to fruits or herbs.
Applicable mainly to Junmai-Daiginjo and Daiginjo, most fragrant at the temperature range of approx. 41 degF. 

 

Refreshing Sake 
Lightest to the palate and highly refreshing, most common among Japanese sake. Applicable to a wide range of sake from Ginjo to non-premium sake, casually enjoyed year-round. The aroma is similar to lemon and lime. 
Applicable mainly to unpasteurized sake and sake with low alcohol content, most fragrant at the temperature range of approx. 41 degF ~ 50 degF

 

 

 

日本酒のタイプ－味の濃淡と香りによって4つのタイプに分類できる　

 

辛口、甘口は甘みの度合いを示しているのに対し、淡麗、濃醇はコクの度合いを示す。
米の風味が強い酒ほどコクを感じやすい、低精白でアミノ酸やミネラルが多く残っているもの純米酒や生酛系、無濾過の酒など、米本来のふくよかな香りを持つタイプが該当する。
日本酒のタイプ分類、味の濃淡と香りによって4つのタイプに分類できる。

 

タイプごとに風味の特徴、適した飲み方、温度が異なる。今回は薫酒タイプと爽酒タイプを紹介する。

 

薫酒タイプ
香りが華やか果物や花のような香り、華やかな香りを持つ吟醸酒、大吟醸酒が該当する。飲み口が軽快でさっぱりとした、いわゆるきれいな酒である。ワインのようなフルーティーな風味があることから、海外でも人気が高い。主な香りフルーツ、ハーブ。
主な酒のタイプ純米大吟醸、大吟醸、香りが立つ温度帯10度前後。

 

爽酒タイプ
日本酒としては最も軽快で清涼感の高いものが多い、日本酒の中でも最も多いタイプで、吟醸酒から普通酒まで幅広い酒が該当する、1年を通してカジュアルに楽しめる。主な香、レモン、ライム、主な酒のタイプ生酒、生詰め酒、低アルコール酒、香りが立つ温度帯5度から10度。