Japanese Sake : All Japan News,Inc

By Ryuji Takahashi  

I visited Shibamata Taishakuten Nichiren-shu Buddhist Temple early in the New Year. It’s been thirty years since I moved to Tokyo, yet I’ve never visited the temple once. Since I’ve never seen the film series, “It’s Tough Being a Man,” I was convinced I had no reason to visit. I was proven wrong however. Shibamata Taishakuten is a reputable Nichiren Buddhist Temple built by two monks during the Edo Period (1603-1868) in 1629 (the current building was built after the Meiji Period (1868-1912)). The official temple name is “Hyoei-zan Daikyoji,” yet often referred to locally as “Taishakuten.”     

The temple is mentioned in literary works such as “To the Spring Equinox and Beyond” by author Soseki Natsume. More recently, the temple is most renowned due to the Japanese film series, “It’s Tough Being a Man.” Therefore, a statue of the main character, Tora-san, stands in front of the Shibamata Station. I rode the train to the Keisei-takasago Station and took the Keisei Kanamachi Line to the Shibamata Station. Since the wait time to switch trains was fifteen minutes, and the walking distance from Keisei-takasago Station was also fifteen minutes, I started walking towards Shibamata Station.     

The pathway to the shrine starts in front of the station. Passengers deboarded the train and immediately started taking photos standing next to the statue of Tora-san. Several restaurants stood in front of the railroad station. It seemed many restaurants served yakisoba, perhaps a local specialty. Walking on the bustling pathway to the shrine, I encountered many pedestrians with skewered mugwort dumplings and sweet sake in hand as they passed by. I regretted not visiting this bustling pathway to the shrine for the past thirty years.    

A newcomer to Taishakuten, I eyed the restaurant Freshwater Fish Cuisine, where a long line of guests stood at the front waiting for the eatery to open, and the rice cracker shop, as I passed by without stopping. I thought to first visit the shrine and headed towards Taishaku-do, where a long line of worshippers stood at the Nitenmon entrance. Surprisingly, I quickly reached the front of the Taishakuten and visited the shrine. I drew a fortune slip before returning to the pathway to the shrine just after noon. More visitors have come since I arrived, and the pathway to the shrine was bustling more than before.       

Long lines formed in front of shops selling skewered mugwort dumplings and rice crackers. Since I came a long way to Shibamata, I bought mugwort dumplings at the shop “Toraya” on my way back to the railroad station. I ate as I strolled until I entered the izakaya restaurant “Haru,” once featured on a TV program that explores pubs. I saw no local patrons inside, perhaps due to soaring prices around the New Year that targets tourists. At first, I was the only customer, which made me nervous. However, groups came in afterwards and the restaurant was soon packed to capacity.     

Afterwards, I strolled along the railroad tracks towards Keisei Kanamachi Station in the opposite direction from where I came, enjoying the chilly breeze along the way to sober up. I enjoyed another drink at the Kanamachi Station and headed to Nippori Station, where I enjoyed hot sake at a standing bar in the Yanaka Ginza shopping district before I returned home. I realized during this visit that I should visit other renowned hot spots in Tokyo, a great start to the new year.    

 

 

東京地酒散歩（柴又帝釈天）

　年明けに柴又帝釈天に行ってきた。東京に住み始めて３０年になるが、一度も行ったことが無く、何故か映画「男はつらいよ」シリーズを観てもいないのに行く場所ではないと勝手に思い込んでいた。しかし、決してそんな場所ではなく、江戸時代初期、寛永６年に２名の僧によって建立されたで由緒ある日連宗寺院である。（現在の建物は明治時代以降に建てられたもの）正式には経栄山題経寺だが、地元では帝釈天と呼ばれることが多い。夏目漱石の「彼岸過迄」など多くの文芸作品に出てくるお寺で、近年では「男はつらいよ」シリーズが一番有名の為、柴又駅前には主人公の寅さん像が設置してある。私は京成高砂駅まで電車で向い、そこから京成金町線で柴又駅まで行く予定だったが、電車乗り換え待ち時間が１５分有り、京成高砂駅から歩いても１５分とのことだったので、歩いて柴又駅を目指した。駅前からすぐ参道が始まるのだが、電車から降りてきた人々は先ず寅さん像と記念撮影をしていた。駅前には飲食店が数件あり、名物なのか焼きそばを出す店が多いと感じた。そこから賑やかな参道に入ると皆、草団子や甘酒を片手に歩いている風景に出くわす。こんなに参道が賑わい楽しい場所にも拘らず３０年来ていなかった事を悔やんだ。開店待ちで行列が出来ている川魚料理店や煎餅屋などを横目に帝釈天新参者の私は寄り道をせず、まずはお参りが先だろうと参拝客が列をなしている帝釈堂を目指す。入口の二天門前から行列が出来ていたが、案外すんなり帝釈堂までたどり着きお参りを済ますことが出来た。そして、おみくじを引いて参道に戻るがちょうどお昼を過ぎたくらいだったので、来た時よりも人が増えていてより一層参道が賑わっていた。草団子屋や煎餅屋なども行列が出来ていたが折角、柴又に来たのだからと駅まで戻る途中の「とらや」で草団子を買い、食べながら歩き、某BS放送の酒場探訪の番組にも出たことがある駅前の居酒屋「春」に入店。どうやらお正月＆観光地価格で値段がこの時期は高い為か、地元の人は飲みに来ていない感じで、最初は私以外他の客がいなかった為一瞬不安になったが、のちに団体客などが入り満席になっていった。その後、酔いを覚ます為、冷たい風を浴びながら来た方向とは反対の京成金町駅まで線路沿いを散歩しながら歩き、金町駅でさらに１杯呑み、JRで日暮里まで行き、谷中銀座の角打ちで熱燗を呑み帰宅した。まだ行ったことのない他の東京の有名スポットにも行ってみるべきだなと思わされる良い年始となった。

The most traditional and prestigious sake contest held today is “The Annual Japan Sake Awards,” organized by the National Tax Agency. The first sake contest was held in the spring of 1911, held annually (currently in May) excluding 1945, when the contest was canceled due to wartime damage. The venue of the sake contest is The National Research Organization located on Takinogawa street in Kita ward, Tokyo.   

The Gold and Silver prize is selected from new sake brewed that brewery year, delivered from sake manufacturers nationwide for assessment. The total number of exhibition sake entries exceeded 1,000 at one point. However, entries are now limited to only one per sake manufacturer. Exhibition sake entries are narrowed down to approximately 700~800 and assessed, from which approximately 100 sake selections are awarded the Gold prize. After the assessment, the awarded sake selections are announced. Sake brewers, wholesalers, sellers, and beverage shop owners visit to taste the recognized sake selections, an event celebrated with great success each year. Approximately twenty members of the judging panel consist of technical officials and official appraisers of the National Tax Agency.   

Furthermore, the test facility was renamed as The National Research Institute of Brewing in 1995 and relocated to a new facility in Higashi-Hiroshima city. The first sake contest in Japan was titled “The First Japan Sake Awards,” held at the same National Research Organization, Ministry of Finance, in October 1911. The sake contest was organized by the Brewing Society (predecessor entity of the Brewing Society of Japan), formed by sake manufacturers nationwide and associated government officials of the Ministry of Finance. This sake competition is the “Fall Sake Competition,” held in the fall when sake ages, while “The Annual Japan Sake Awards” organized by the government is referred to as the “Spring contest.” Approximately 8,000 sake manufacturers were active in Japan at the time, with 2,137 entries submitted for the first contest.    

This sake contest evolved with each passing year, since organized every other year. For the fifteenth contest held in 1937, 4,991 sake entries were received. The award ceremony was held at the Tokyo Takarazuka Theater. In 1939 however, the control of sake production started, and the contest was canceled. After World War II ended, in 1949, the Brewing Society of Japan renamed and revived the sake contest as “Japan Sake Contest.” However, the contest was held only three more times until it ended in 1951. In 1961, Tokyo University of Agriculture organized the “Japan Sake Food Contest” and held the contest fifteen times until 1976.   

So many sake entries were submitted to this contest because the recognition received at this contest was honorable and effective for advertising. Not only has this sake contest contributed to improve sake quality, but the reputation of quality sake brewed in Nada and Fushimi districts – both historically renowned sake brewing districts since the Edo period (1603-1868) - brought recognition to an unknown regional sake brand, a major by-product of this sake contest.  

 

 

Sake bottles normally display two labels. 

The large front label often displays the “sake brand” in the center of the bottle, while the right or left side shows the special sake designation (such as Junmai Daiginjo, etc.). 

The production year, month, and date indicated is the sake bottling date. The label also lists the alcohol content, volume of the bottle, and the names of the brewery and master sake brewer.  

The back label lists important information such as the sake meter value - a positive or negative value that indicates the sake is sweet or dry. Generally, the greater the negative value, the sweeter the flavor; and the greater the positive value, the dryer the flavor. This positive or negative sake meter value is determined by the sugar content in sake. The higher the sugar content, the greater the negative number; and the lower the sugar content, the greater the positive sake meter value. Sake with a positive sake meter value that is lighter in relative density than water is lower in sugar content, etc., while sake with a negative sake meter value that is heavy in relative density is higher in sugar content, etc. 

Generally, sake with scary names such as oni, kujira, otoko, etc., tend to be dry in flavor. 

Approximately sixty-five percent of all sake produced is standard sake. As sales of Ginjo and Junmai Ginji increase however, the overall sales of sake is also increasing.  

 

 

By Ryuji Takahashi

 

Three sake breweries were invited to organize the 2023 year-end sales event at Kanemasu Brewery (Shibata city, Niigata prefecture). Thursday, December 28 felt like a half-day workday, yet many visitors arrived to purchase nigori sake “Hatsuyuki,” a popular nigori sake of this brewery. Some customers purchased sake in bulk since Kanemasu Brewery offers few bottled sake products. The sake products featured by Kanemasu Brewery were Junmai Daiginjo “Hatsuhana,” stored at freezing temperatures for two years; and “Kanemasu 36-year-old sake.”      

The container of “Kanemasu 36-year-old sake,” aged for thirty-six years since 1986, is eye-catching. The 360 ml titanium custom-made double wall tumbler was made by the renowned Horie Titanium Co., based in the Tsubame-Sanjo area. After the aged sake is finished, the uneven interior of the tumbler ensures silky froth beer foam. The 360 ml aged sake is priced at approximately 40000 JPY. Explaining the value of this aged sake to customers was very challenging.   

The sales event on December 29 featured “Nagatorogura” by Hakuro Brewery (Nagaoka city, Niigata prefecture) and new sake by both the Hakuro Brewery and Fujisaki Sobe Shoten (Nagatoro city, Saitama prefecture) of the same group. Hakuro Brewery featured their new sake, Junmai-Daiginjo Nigori Sake, and “Sanzui Junmai-Daiginjo Non-filtered Unprocessed Sake,” bottled in low volumes. New sake by Nagatorogura is unprocessed, non-filtered Junmai Ginjo sake with a flavor like fresh green apple juice. Customers came out in droves to the shopping district this day after completing their work for the year to prepare for New Year’s eve and New Year’s day. Many customers purchased fresh sake available only this time of the year. 

Nihonsakari was featured the next day, soon to become a classic sake featured during the sales event on December 30. The special set packaged in the Jinkichi bag (handbag made of durable canvas fabric used to transport sake from the sake shop) consisted of the Ginjo with gold leaf, Daiginjo with gold leaf, and “Souhana Junmai Ginjo,” also used when the Emperor ascended the throne, all products that suit the New Year ambiance. Sales personnel at Nihonsakari taught me the basics of selling sake before my shop opened. For the first time in over a decade, we teamed up so I could learn how to sell sake from a seller of a national sake brand, which is different from how local sake is sold. 

On the final day of New Year’s eve on December 31, two part-time workers were invited to sell out the rest of the inventory of the year. High-end sake sold out in no time, along with various new sake and New Year’s sake products that all sold out and concluded the year by 21:00. 

It is truly unusual to see this much sake sold at other times of the year. The phenomenon of high sake sales raises the question if domestic sake consumption is declining in Japan. If sake sales of this volume are consistent year-round, it would be safe to say the Japanese sake industry has a bright future ahead. 

*Jinkichi bag: handbag made of durable canvas fabric used to transport sake from the sake shop  

 

 

Japanese sake is brewed from fermentation-mash prepared by adding yeast, steamed rice, koji, and water to the pure yeast starter cultivated in large volumes, in which alcohol ferments. Since the volume of steamed rice used to prepare the standard yeast starter is low at approximately seven to eight percent of the overall volume mashed (the yeast starter ratio is the ratio of the total volume of rice in the yeast starter to the total volume of rice used to mash the fermentation-mash one time), adding a large amount of ingredients (steamed rice, koji, and water) at once rapidly lowers the acidity of the yeast starter and the number of yeast starters. Therefore, the yeast starter cannot cultivate at the same pace, increasing the risk of bacterial contamination.    

Therefore, ingredients are not added at once, but divided and added in several stages to cultivate an adequate yeast starter while mashing. This mashing method is referred to as the “Stage-mashing process,” otherwise referred to as the “Three-stage mashing process,” as sake ingredients are divided and added in three stages. Some may suggest increasing the volume of the yeast starter to ensure safety in mashing in one stage. However, preparing the yeast starter is very time-consuming, and significantly increasing the ratio of yeast starter can compromise the aroma of sake, thus deemed unrealistic.   

The Three-stage mashing process is used to mash in three stages over a four-day period: “First stage,” “Second stage,” and the “Third stage” (also referred to as “tome-jikomi,” or the “final stage”). 

During the “first stage” on the first day, the volume after mashing grows to approximately three times the yeast starter. The mashing temperature is slightly high between 53.6~55.4 degF to revive the yeast in the yeast starter. During the “resting stage” on the second day, mashing is stopped for a day to sufficiently cultivate the yeast starter and increase the yeast in the fermentation-mash. During the “second stage” on the third day, the volume after mashing reaches approximately seven times the yeast starter at the mashing temperature between 48.2~50 degF. During the “third stage” on the fourth day, the mashing temperature drops further between 44.6~46.4 degF, and the volume grows to approximately fourteen times the yeast starter. This concludes the standard three-stage mashing process. However, the temperature is lowered to ensure safety as the mashing continues, for as the volume increases, the lactic acid concentration drops and becomes easily susceptible to bacterial contamination.  

To prepare sweet sake on the other hand, the final step requires the fermentation-mash prepared by the three-stage mashing process to be mashed one more time, referred to as the “four-stage mashing process.” 

 

 

By Kosuke Kuji
 
In this series that introduces seasonal sake, this report features “cloudy sake” released in the spring. 
The beautiful spring season of Japan is represented by blooming cherry blossoms. The sighs of plants and animals that survived the cold winter season are sensed during one of the most beautiful seasons in Japan.   
Spring is also a season of partings in the sake industry. The Master sake brewer and brewery workers who lived and worked at the brewery throughout the winter season return home in the spring to plant rice.    
“Nigori sake” is a category of sake sold by many sake breweries year-round. Freshly squeezed sake is slightly cloudy in the beautiful spring season. Recently, cherry blossom petals float on the surface of some nigori sake products released in the spring.  
Nigori sake is not thick and slightly cloudy. The Japanese also enjoy viewing cherry blossoms during the spring. Slightly cloudy nigori sake enjoyed while viewing the pink cherry blossoms create an elegant ambiance, the epitome of beauty. 
Please enjoy nigori sake while viewing cherry blossoms to experience the beautiful spring season in Japan.

 

 

酒豪大陸「季節の日本酒④春のにごり酒」

日本酒の季節を代表するお酒を紹介していますが、今回は春の「にごり酒」です。

日本の春は桜に代表されるように大変美しい季節です。寒い冬を乗り越えた植物や動物達の息吹を感じることのできる、まさに日本の中でも最高の季節になります。

日本酒の世界も春はお別れの季節で、冬の間蔵に来て泊まり込みでお酒の仕込みをしていた杜氏さんや蔵人が故郷に帰る時期でもあります。

同じく日本の春の代名詞の田植えがあるからです。

日本酒には「にごり酒」といういジャンルがあり、通年を通して販売している蔵も多いですが、春の美しい季節にしぼったばかりの新酒の日本酒を薄くにごらせ、桜の花びらを浮かべて飲むような、春のにごり酒も近年増えてきました。

ポイントはドロドロのにごり酒ではなく、薄く濁っている、というところだと思います。

日本の春は花見があります。花見でこの薄いにごり酒は、桜のピンクと相まって、大変風情があり、美しさの極みとも言えます。

そんな日本の素敵な春にぜひにごり酒を桜と楽しんでいただきたいです。

 

By Ryuji Takahashi
 
I continue to push myself despite feeling exhausted during the month of December, a busy and hectic month with no chance to rest until the new year. First on the schedule is the in-store sales event for Kondo Brewery (Kondo Shuzo Co., Ltd.) in Gunma prefecture. I happened to have new freshly squeezed sake, so I held the in-store sales event to sell the new sake and Junmai Ginjo “Kurobi” brewed using a centrifugal separator, winner of the Gold prize during the New York World Wine & Spirits Convention, over two days in the bitter cold weather.       
Kondo Brewery is the producer of the sake brand “Akagiyama.” Their flagship product is the Honjozo “Akagiyama Dry,” seemingly available in convenience stores, drug stores, and many stores that sell daily necessities. Seventy to eighty percent of this sake is consumed locally in Gunma prefecture, while seasonal and special sake are often not released in other prefectures. In Tokyo, only two stores including my own store deal directly with the brewery. At our store, customers from Gunma prefecture buy this sake product in bulk. 
The first day of the sales event concluded with an evening banquet at the brewery with lively discussions about sake, audio, and vehicles. The following week, I attended “An evening of Italian cuisine with sake” at the Italian restaurant “Karibe-tei.” Surprisingly, the event was attended by a record number of guests who feasted on luxury food ingredients such as lobster, shirako (soft roe), calf, and fresh oysters with eighteen sake bottles - nine different sake brands of two bottles each - the highest number of bottles consumed to date. The concluding dish was the bubbling Champagne Risotto. Guests took photos and videos of the bubbling Champagne Risotto.        
 The last collaborative event of the year featuring Italian cuisine ended successfully. I hosted the year-end hot pot dinner event with unrestricted time and appetizers brought by guests the following week. The final week consisted of three in-store sales events at Kanemasu Brewery in Niigata prefecture on the 28th, Hakuro Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. in Niigata prefecture on the 29th, and Nihonsakari Co., Ltd. in Hyogo prefecture on the 30th, leading into the New Year’s Eve sales event, the busiest event of the year.   
I was writing this article mid-December without encountering any major issue. I felt rushed to finish all my work before the end of the year, as I have many events and business trips scheduled in 2024. I feel deeply grateful for this past year that ended without any major injury or illness affecting my business, and for all the many customers who supported my business this year. I look forward to another year of sake fans consuming a lot of sake in 2024. 
 

 

 

東京地酒散歩（目まぐるしい師走）

 

　忙しい日々に疲弊している師走だが、休んでいる場合ではなく正月まで突っ走るしかないと身体に鞭を打ち続けている。そんな中、まずは、群馬県近藤酒造の店頭販売会。ちょうど、搾りたての新酒がでたタイミングだったので、新酒とニューヨーク・ワールド・ワイン＆スピリッツ・コンペティションで金賞を受賞した遠心分離機を使用した純米大吟醸の「黒檜（くろび）」を中心に2日間、寒空の中で店頭販売を行った。この近藤酒造、「赤城山」という銘柄を醸しており、フラッグシップとなる商品は「赤城山・男の酒辛口」という本醸造酒で、群馬では何処でも買えるといった印象の酒である。コンビニやドラッグストアなど生活に密着した場所で気軽に買えるので、群馬での地元消費が七～八割くらいとのこと。その為、他県に季節商品や特別酒があまり出てこない。東京でも酒蔵と直接取引を行っているのは、当店を含め2か所くらいしかないらしい。当店では群馬出身のお客様がまとめ買いをするくらいである。１日目は販売会からの夜は酒蔵を囲んでの宴会も開催し、日本酒、オーディオ、車の話で大いに盛り上がった。翌週は、以前も何度か記事に書いた「イタリアンと日本酒の夕べ」というイベントを下北沢のイタリア料理店「かりべ亭」にて開催。なんと、参加者が過去最高人数で、食材もオマール海老、白子、仔牛、生牡蠣など豪華食材の料理が並んだ。日本酒も過去最高9種類を2本ずつ計1８本が空になった。締めは吹き出すシャンパンとリゾットが映えるシャンパンリゾット。皆がカメラを手に吹き出すシャンパンを動画や写真に収めていた。結果、過去最高に大盛り上がりの今年最後のイタリア料理とのコラボイベントとなった。その翌週は持ち寄りのおつまみと当店が用意する鍋の時間無制限忘年会イベントを行い、最終週の2８日は新潟県金升酒造、２９日は新潟県柏露酒造、３０日は兵庫県日本盛の店頭販売会と続く。そして一年で一番忙しい大晦日の大販売会と繋がっていく。この記事を書いている時はまだ１２月の中盤なので、まだ大きいトラブルも無いが、無事に年内業務を終わらせたい気持ちでいっぱいだ。既に２０２４年のイベントや地方出張予定も決まり始めていている。とにかく大きなケガや病気も無く無事に1年商売が出来たことと、沢山のお客様に支えられて1年が過ごせたことに心から感謝したい。２０２４年も日本酒が多くの人に好まれ飲まれる事に期待したい。

 

By Kosuke Kuji

This series introduces the sake representative of each season. This report introduces the winter “draft sake.” 
Hot sake is delicious during the frigid winter season. Production starts with a new crop of sake rice harvested in the fall. New sake is first squeezed fresh from November into December. 
Many sake breweries release new freshly squeezed sake from sake rice harvested that year as a winter limited edition draft sake.    
New sake is fresh in aroma and flavor, with some slightly carbonated from the gas in the mash. New sake is a winter limited edition sake commonly enjoyed in the frigid winter season from December to March.
The fresh flavor of new sake is highly compatible with white fish sashimi or oden steeped in dashi broth.   
Also, many sake breweries also release rich, freshly squeezed “unprocessed sake.” 
In Iwate prefecture where snow falls heavily, chilled unprocessed sake is enjoyed with a hot pot seated below the kotatsu (Japanese table with a heater underneath), one of the best ways to enjoy the frigid winter season.    

 

 

酒豪大陸「季節の日本酒③しぼりたて生」

日本酒の季節を代表するお酒を紹介していますが、今回は冬の「しぼりたて生」です。

冬の寒い時期、日本では燗酒も最高の冬のアイテムなのですが、日本酒の製造は秋に収穫した新米で仕込みが始まり、その新酒の一番しぼりが出てくるのが11月から12月にかけてです。

その、今年の新米で仕込んだしぼりたての生酒を冬の季節限定商品として出す蔵が多くあります。

新酒ならではのフレッシュな香りと味わい、若々しく、中には少しもろみのガスを受け継ぎ微発砲しているものもあります。12月から3月くらいの寒い時期に楽しむことが出来る冬の季節限定酒です。

とても若々しいので、白身のお刺身や出汁をたっぷりときかせたおでんなどと楽しむと最高に美味しいです。

また、しぼりたて生は「原酒」で出す蔵も多く、原酒ならではの力強さも楽しむことが出来ます。

外は津々と雪が降りしきり、家の中はとても暖かい岩手では、暖かい家の中でキーンと冷やしたしぼりたて生をこたつに入りながらアツアツの鍋をつつきつつ飲むのが最高の冬の楽しみです。