Sake is one of the most popular drinks in Japan. Different rice and water are used in different regions, resulting in sake with different flavors depending on regions.
The relationship with the snow country culture can also be seen in the background of sake.
For example, some sake breweries make good use of the heavy snowfall in their brewing process, such as using melt water and Yukimuro (a insulted room that store massive amount of snow to mature and chill sake).
Rice, an important ingredient in sake brewing, also grows well thanks to the melt water from the snow that accumulates in the winter and melts in the spring. Therefore, some sake breweries benefit indirectly from the snow.
Even if snow is not directly involved in sake brewing, some breweries name their sake after snow-related words. Whether directly or indirectly, snow has an impact on sake culture.
Let's take a look at some of the breweries in Murayama area, Yamagata prefecture, Japan.
Where is Murayama area?
Yamagata Prefecture can be divided into four major areas, mainly Shonai Area, Mogami Area, Murayama Area and Okitama Area.
The Murayama area is roughly in the center of the prefecture's land area.
How much snow does it get in the Murayama area?
Basically, all of the Murayama region is designated as a heavy snowfall area.
The northern part of the Murayama area and the western part of the area where Gassan, the mecca of summer mountain skiing in Japan, is located are designated as special heavy snowfall areas, but the center of Yamagata City, the prefectural capital, receives less snowfall.
Learn more about heavy snowfall areras here.
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Japan and Unique Snow Culture - One of the Major Snowest Place in the World
Japan is one of the major snowiest place in the world. In order to survive in this snowy region, various wisdoms have been developed to coexist with the snow since ancient times, and a very unique snow country culture has been formed today. How much does it snow in Japan? Data from JICE shows that compared to the snowfall of cities around the world, Japan has many cities that receive more snowfall. The graph below shows the total depth of snowfall in one year, with Asahikawa City in Hokkaido, Aomori City in Aomori Prefecture, and the Takada district of Joetsu ...
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Nishikawa Town
Nishikawa Town is located at the foot of Mt. In the old days, it flourished as a post town for mountain worship. Nowadays, it is famous for trekking and summer skiing on Mt. Gassan.The area is also famous for sake brewing using water produced from the melting snow of Mt.Gassan.
Shitara Shuzoten (設楽酒造店)
Established in 1896.The brewery brews sake using melt water from the snow of Mt.Gassan.
There is also the "Gassan Material Pavillion" where tools used for sake brewing in the early days of the brewery are on display, a tasting space ,and a sake sales corner according to the website.
Phone: 0237-74-2020
URL : https://www.shitara-syuzou.com
E-mail : info@shitara-syuzou.com
Higashine City
Higashine City is rich in fruits of all four seasons. It is the birthplace of "Sato Nishiki", a top-quality variety of cherries, and is the largest producer of cherries in Japan.
Rokkasen (六歌仙)
Rokkasen was founded in 1972, and like the rokkasen of the Heian period who composed waka poems that gently resonated in people's hearts, the company is dedicated to bringing a gentle taste to people's hearts. (Rokkasen means six representative poets of the Heian period.)
According to the website, as of 2021.9.02, they have stopped accepting visitors to the brewery. Tastings, sake, and goods are still available for purchase at the attached sales floor.
Phone : 0237-42-2777
URL :https://yamagata-rokkasen.co.jp/
Tour : http://yamagata-rokkasen.co.jp/rokkasen-club/
E-mail : r_info@yamagata-rokkasen.co.jp
Kahoku Town
In the Edo period, Kahoku was closely related to the culture of Kyoto.
Rice and safflower production flourished in Kahoku-cho, and the harvested safflower was brought to Kyoto by Kitamae ship and used for women's lipstick and as color in Kyoto culture. (Kitamaebune is a ship that carried goods from ports in the Sea of Japan and Hokkaido to Edo and Osaka.
The Yachi Donga Festival, which has been held for over 350 years, is also held in this area.
Wada Shuzo (和田酒造)
Wada Sake Brewery was established in 1797 and brews sake using subterranean water from the melting snow of Mt.Gassan.
About 80% of its shipments are locally produced and consumed in Yamagata Prefecture, making it a locally-oriented sake brewery.
Phone: 0237-72-3105 URL : https://aratama-wada.com/english.html E-mail : info@aratama-wada.com
Asahikawa Sake Brewery Co.
Established in 1822. The Asahikawa River, a tributary of the Mogami River in Yamagata Prefecture, is the origin of the Asahikawa Sake Brewery's name.
The brewing water is from the underground stream of Mt.Gassan
Phone: 0237-72-2022
URL : https://www.asahikawa-sakebrewing.jp/
E-mail: asahikawa@hinanet.ne.jp
Sagae City
Sagae is known as a city with a rich history, where the Sagae Hachimangu Shrine Yabusame (horseback archery) and the Sagae Festival of portable shrines are held.
Chiyokotobuki Toraya (千代寿虎屋)
Established in 1922, Chiyokotobuki Toraya began test production of cherry wine as a local specialty in 1972.
Phone: 0237-86-6133
URL : http://www.chiyokotobuki.com/
E-mail: info@chiyokotobuki.com
Furusawa Shuzo (古澤酒造)
Established in 1836. The Furusawa Sake Brewery Museum was built to display the tools used in the brewing process.
There is also a tasting corner and an izakaya (Japanese style pub) run by Furusawa Shuzo.
Phone: 0237-86-5322 URL : https://furusawa.co.jp/en/ E-mail: sake@furusawa.co.jp
Gassan Shuzo (月山酒造)
Established in 1972. The company uses melt water from the perennial snow of Mt.Gassan.
Phone: 0237-86-5322 URL : https://furusawa.co.jp/en/ E-mail: sake@furusawa.co.jp
Tendo City
Tendo city [roduces the largest amount of shogi pieces and La France in Japan. (Shogi is the Japanese version of chess).
The "Tendo Cherry Blossom Festival Human Shogi", a shogi event where people become pawns, is a major event in Tendo City in spring.
The city is also known for its Tendo hot springs.
Dewazakura Shuzo (出羽桜酒造)
Founded in 1892, Dewazakura Shuzo is a pioneer in the field of commercial "ginjo-shu"(Type of sake), having introduced "Sakurahana Ginjo-shu" in 1980.
(The name "Ginjo-shu" is currently used as a classification of the sake production process, but the term "Ginjo-shu" was not commonly used in the past, as the sake was classified differently by grade, such as special grade, first grade, and second grade. The term "ginjo-shu" was not commonly used. Ginjo-shu was also expensive due to its special production method, so it was not widely available.)
In 2011, Sake from Dewazakura Sake Brewery was selected as the first sake to be sold by BB & R, the oldest wine merchant in the UK and a royal warrant holder.
Phone: 023-653-5121
URL: https://www.dewazakura.co.jp/en/
E-mail: dwz@dewazakura.co.jp
Mitobe Shuzo (水戸部酒造)
Founded in 1891. The brewery uses subterranean water from the Ou mountain range.
Since 2004, the brewery has also been growing its own sake rice. In 2018, the company established an agricultural production corporation, Mizutobe Inazo Corporation, which grows sake rice in the Kuramasu and Tamugino districts of Tendo City, aiming to produce sake that clearly expresses the individuality of each district.
As part of its vision for the future, the brewery also hopes to play a role in preserving paddy fields, as the number of abandoned farmland is increasing every year.
Mitobe Shuzo is also particular about their brewery and koji room. The koji room is made of natural wood, using knotless wood from Yamagata's famous Kanayama cedar tree. In the koji room, they use natural wood with no joints of Yamagata's famous "Kanayama cedar" to create the optimum humidity for koji to grow.
Phone: 023-653-2131
URL : http://www.mitobesake.com/?page_id=523&lang=en
E-mail : info@mitobesake.com
Yamagata City
As the prefectural capital, Yamagata City is home to a variety of urban functions. Visitors can also enjoy nature such as hiking around Zao National Park, hot springs and skiing in Zao Onsen.
Kotobukitoraya Shuzo (寿虎屋酒造)
Established in 1715. The company uses snow water from Mount Zao as brewing water. It is also the setting for the Ghibli film "Only Yesterday".
Phone: 023-687-2626 URL : http://kotobukitoraya.co.jp/ E-mail: postmaster@kotobukitoraya.co.jp
Otokoyama Shuzo (男山酒造)
Established in 1789. The name "Otokoyama" is said to be derived from the name of Otokoyama Hachiman Shrine in Kyoto.
The company also offers tours of its brewery.
Phone: 023-641-0141 URL : http://www.otokoyama.co.jp/ Tour : http://www.otokoyama.co.jp/html/kenbutu.html E-mail : koten@otokoyama.co.jp
Shuho Shuzo (秀鳳酒造場)
Established in 1890. The brewery uses more than ten kinds of sake rice to make sake.
Phone: 023-641-0026
URL : https://shuhosyuzo.com/en/home/
E-mail : shuho@shuhosyuzo.com
