By Ryuji TakahashiI write a monthly column for a publication specializing in Japanese sake. One day, I received a phone call from the owner of Shiokawa Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. in Niigata prefecture, who read my column and invited me to their brewery to sample their sake products. Simply put, my colum...

By Ryuji Takahashi　 This report is a continuation of our trip to Niigata prefecture since the issue before last. Our final destination was Hakuro Shuzo Brewery in Nagaoka city, Niigata prefecture. To touch on the history of the sake industry, the four-step preparation of fermentation mash was popula...