"Onogawa" is a sake brewery located in Yokote City, Akita Prefecture, which is famous for its sake production.
One of the characteristics of ``Onogawa'' is that it brews sake using its own brewed yeast.
What kind of alcohol is it, and what are the creators' ideas behind it?
In this article, in preparation for the upcoming online toast event, we will introduce Bungo Tanaka, president of Onogawa!
President Onogawa
Bungo Tanaka Mr.
Born in Kagoshima Prefecture, raised in Yokohama. He previously worked at Asahi Breweries, and is a unique sake brewery manager who switched from beer to sake brewing.
Table of contents
- About “Onogawa”
- Characteristics of Yokote City, Akita Prefecture
- How President Tanaka got involved in sake making
- The most difficult thing about sake brewing and sake brewery management
- What made me most happy about sake brewing and sake brewery management?
- Thoughts and future vision behind sake brewing
- Finally
About “Onogawa”
We, Onogawa, are a small sake brewery with 6 brewers located in Omori-cho, Yokote City, Akita Prefecture.
Based on our management philosophy of ``brewing sake that intoxicates the soul,'' we approach sake with sincerity every day, led by Yamauchi Brewer Yoshinao Sato.
The brewery has a long history, with its ancestors who were sailors living in the area and doing business there, and starting the sake brewing industry in 1912. Since its founding, it has continued to be loved by people as a local sake from Yokote.
In addition, the company name and brand name, ``Onogawa'', was named after the river that flows through the center of the local area.
Characteristics of Yokote City, Akita Prefecture
Onogawa is brewed using the traditional Akita-style cold brewing method of Yamauchi toji, using pure water suitable for sake brewing from Dewa Hills.
Particular emphasis is placed on raw material processing. The rice is washed using underground water from Mt. Horoha which flows 20 meters directly below the warehouse, and the rice is placed in the koshiki by hand.
Even within the snowy country of Akita, Yokote is a city that experiences particularly heavy snow. The climate and culture of the people living in this area, including the famous ``Kamakura'', have been nurtured together with snow.
Led by master brewer Yoshinao Sato, we have carefully packed the local atmosphere and atmosphere of the brewery into a single bottle, and since the Reiwa 1st year of brewing, we have become a Junmai brewery and are storing all of our sake in bottles.
How President Tanaka got involved in sake making
After hearing about the decline in the Japanese sake industry from Mr. Komai of Mutsu Hassen in Aomori Prefecture, who was my junior at Asahi Breweries, I wanted to revitalize the industry with my own efforts, so I quit Asahi Breweries and started a sake brewery revitalization project.
The most difficult thing about sake brewing and sake brewery management
There are many difficult times in the ups and downs of management (lol), but I try not to think about them as hard as possible.
What made me happiest about sake brewing and sake brewery management?
Local people told me that all the employees and brewers at Onogawa have become cheerful.
Thoughts and future vision behind sake brewing
Our motto for sake brewing is town development, and we hope to revitalize the town through our sake brewery.
I believe that the power of Japanese sake is something like this.
We would like to carry out activities that accurately and brightly convey the appeal of Japanese sake.
Finally
From 19:00 on Sunday, December 19th, we will be holding an online toasting event (online sake brewery study abroad) with Mr. Yoshinao Sato, the chief brewer of Onagawa, in addition to President Tanaka, who was introduced this time!
We will deliver three types of sake, including the first squeeze of Onagawa's representative brand "Tenka", and Akita's specialty "Yamauchi Iburigakko Slice" together, and toast together with sake fans from all over the country.♪
You can learn first-hand the secret behind Akita's delicious sake, as well as the pairing dishes that go well with these alcoholic beverages.♪
Please join us!