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.
First of all, 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 Tsugaru area, Aomori prefecture, Japan.
Where is Tsugaru area?
Tsugaru area is a regional name that refers to the western part of Aomori Prefecture today.
Aomori Prefecture is divided into three major areas, the Tsugaru area and the Nanbu area.
In the Edo period (1603-1868), a castle town was built around Hirosaki Castle, and Hirosaki prospered as the central city of Tsugaru. Ajigasawa and Fukaura on the Sea of Japan side flourished as a port of call for Kitamae ships, and were especially important as a port for loading Tsugaru rice. (Kitamae ships was a ship that carried rice and fish from ports in the Sea of Japan and Hokkaido to Edo and Osaka, and played an important role in the economy of those days.)
"The Tsugaru area" and the neighboring "Nanbu area" were fiefdoms of different clans for about 260 years during the Edo period (1603-1868), and there was also a big difference in climate between "the Tsugaru area" on the Sea of Japan side and "the Nanbu area" on the Pacific Ocean side, which resulted in cultural differences between the areas.
In the Tsugaru region, one of the largest remains of the Jomon period in Japan has been discovered, and there are traces of people who lived in the heavy snowfall area from long ago.
Aomori Nebuta, Hirosaki Neputa, and other major summer festivals are well known and reflect the unique culture of the region.
The highest snowfall rate in the world
Aomori Prefecture has two distinctly different climates, one on the Sea of Japan side and the other on the Pacific side, due to the Ou Mountains located in the center of the prefecture.
The Tsugaru area on the Sea of Japan side is known as an area where a lot of snow falls. Aomori City, in particular, has the highest snowfall rate in the world, according to AccuWeather in 2016.
7 Sake Breweries in Tsugaru Area
Here's 7 sake breweries in the Tsugaru area.
Rokka Shuzo (六花酒造)
Rokka Shuzo was founded in 1972. Rokka means snowflakes and represents the brewing of sake in snow country.
The brewery uses subterranean water from the Shirakami Mountains.
The word "Joppari" which is the name of Rokka Shuzo's famous sake, means a stubborn person in Tsugaru dialect.
"Joppari (じょっぱり)" was born in the 1960s, when the mainstream sake in the Tohoku region was thick and sweet taste. However, Rokka Shuzo defied the mainstream and stubbornly continued to make dry sake, which is the origin of the word.
Address : 217 Toyoda, Mukaitonose, Hirosaki-shi, Aomori 036-8066
URL: https://www.rokkashuzo.com/
Miura Shuzo (三浦酒造)
Miura Shuzo's signature sake is "Hohai (豊盃)" whose name comes from "Hohai rice," a sake rice developed by the Aomori Prefectural Agricultural Experiment Station in 1976.
The sake is brewed using subterranean water from Mount Iwaki.
Address 5-1-1 Ishiwatari, Hirosaki-shi, Aomori 036-8316
URL : (Japanese Only) https://houhai.co.jp/
Marutake Shuzo (丸竹酒造店)
Founded in 1686.The brewery is located in an environment blessed with nature, with the Iwaki River flowing nearby.
The famous sake is Kikumori and Shirakami Roman Banquet.
Address 49 Sakamoto, Kuniyoshi, Hirosaki-shi, Aomori 036-1433
URL: (Aomori Sake Brewers Association / Japanese only) http://www.aomori-sake.or.jp/kuramoto/kikumori.html
Narumi Jozo (鳴海醸造店)
Established in 1806.
Narumi Jozo-ten is located in a corner of "Nakamachi Komise Dori," a street with many traditional buildings and wooden arcades called "Komise," where the atmosphere of a castle town remains intact.
Its signature sake is Kikunoi. The brewery uses Aomori-grown "Hanahubuki" sake rice and subterranean water from the melting snow of Minami-Hakkoda.
There is also an application section for a brewery tour.
As of August 2021, they are postponing the tour to prevent coronavirus infection.
The latest information on the brewery tour guide is updated on the website in Japanese only.
Address 1-1 Nakamachi, Kuroishi-shi, Aomori 036-0377
URL (Japanese Only) https://narumijozoten.com/
Ozaki Shuzo (尾崎酒造)
Ozaki Shuzo was established in 1860. It is the only sake brewery on the west coast of Aomori Prefecture.
Its most famous sake is "Ando Suigun(安東水軍)".The name comes from the huge naval force(Suigun/水軍) led by the Ando (Ando/安東) clan, a powerful family that built the prosperity of the trading port "Tsugaru Tosa no Minato(津軽十三の湊)" from the late 12th century to the 15th century.
The water used for brewing is spring water from the Shirakami Mountains, a World Natural Heritage Site.
Address 30 Ryoshimachi, Ajigasawa-machi, Nishi-tsugaru, Aomori 038-2744
URL (Japanese only) http://www.ozakishuzo.com
Takenami Shuzo (竹浪酒造店)
This is the oldest sake brewery in Tsugaru, which is said to have started brewing sake between 1644 and 1647.
Its representative sake is Iwaki Masamune. The name "Iwaki Masamune" is derived from the fact that the sake was brewed with subterranean water from Mt. Iwaki
Address 113-1 Doi, Itayanagi, Itayanagi-Machi, Kita-tsugaru, Aomori 038-3662
URL : (Japanese Only) : http://www.takenami-shuzoten.com/history.php
Nishida Shuzo (西田酒造店)
The only sake brewery in Aomori City, founded in 1878.
The sake "Kikusen(喜久泉)", which has been brewed since its establishment, is made with the wish that joy will continue for many years.
Address: 46 Ohama, Yurakawa, Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture
URL: http://www.densyu.co.jp/index.html
