42nd Online Sake Brewery Study Abroad Report
【Hirokatsu Sakurada, Chairman of the Ishikawa Prefecture Hoju Sake Brewery Association and 4th generation brewer of Sakurada Sake Brewery】
Founded in 1914 (Taisho 3)Sakurada Sake Breweryis a small sake brewery run by a family of four, located in Takojima-cho, Suzu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, a hunting town in Oku-Noto. There are two brands that we handle. Pure rice sake <Daqing(Taikei)> and the Honjozo-chosen <first cherry blossoms(Hatsuzakura)>. Both are alcoholic beverages that have been loved and enjoyed by local people.They sent us the precious ``First Cherry Blossoms'' that miraculously remained and talked about their feelings towards rebuilding the sake brewery and the current situation in Suzu City.
February 18th-21st, Hands-onRepresentative Masuda and online moderator KokadoTo Hokuriku. Chairman Nanami, who was on stage last time, drove himself to visit Sakurada Sake Brewery. I witnessed a situation that was much more than what I saw in the media. We will also share with you some of the current conditions in Noto-Suzu City and Takojima Town, which have not yet reached the point of recovery, let alone reconstruction.
This is an opportunity to think about what we can do in the future.
What is the online sake brewery study abroad report?
Online Sake Brewery Study Abroad is a sake mail order service that allows you to connect directly with local alcohol makers and toast together from the comfort of your own home.You can also taste the thoughts and personality of the sake brewer, and through sake you can learn about life and create new connections.. Having fun learning with friends who live far away will make your regular drinks even more delicious and flavorful.
This article will be held on Saturday, April 27, 2024 as part of the second installment of the Noto earthquake disaster area support series. We spoke with Hirokatsu Sakurada, the fourth generation brewer of Sakurada Sake Brewery in Suzu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, who is aiming to revive the sake brewery. In this difficult situation, we received the last valuable honjozo (Hatsuzakura) left in the brewery with a special version label, and we talked about the current situation in Noto and how we can help in the future.
As a result of studying abroad this time,Formed Team Sakurada Familia, which is made up mainly of international students.Sakurada Sake Brewery is aiming to rebuild its sake brewery in 2026, two years from now, and Sagrada Familia is scheduled to be completed in 2026.We will all continue to support Sakurada Kuramoto and Sakurada Sake Brewery, who say with a smile, ``Maybe we should make a sake called Gaudi''!
A toast with the only valuable Japanese sake left in the brewery, Hatsuzakura
After the earthquake, every morning I went from the back of the sake brewery through a narrow passageway that led through the rubble to retrieve every single bottle of sake that had survived.There are only a few bottles left of the
Sake breweries in Noto have a long history of using sticky rice for sake brewing.. Although this manufacturing method has become less common in recent years, Sakurada Sake Brewery has continued to use it traditionally since the beginning of sake brewing.
When adding the steamed glutinous rice to make the 4-tiered rice, it is interesting to let it cool before adding it gently so as not to touch it too much and turn it into mochi. Glutinous rice is easily saccharified and dissolves quickly, giving it a unique sweetness and richness.
Sakurada-san direct pairing
We have introduced dishes that go well with
The hometown of Takojima-cho in Suzu City is a fishing town. The interaction with the fishermen is deep, and the sashimi is a must.。
Among them, white fish and octopus are recommended. It also goes well with takoyaki!
More than 90% of the fish caught in Suzu City are landed at the Takojima Fisheries Cooperative. It was common for fishermen to bring us fish and crabs, so we would hand out sake lees as a thank you.
4 signature products of Sakurada Sake Brewery
Taikei
The name comes from the fact that one of his ancestors was a fisherman, and when the locals caught a big catch, they would say, ``Daikei yayada, Taikei yaitata!'' This is an auspicious drink that was named after the locals.
I was making it while imagining, "I want to drink this kind of alcohol."
A blend of Yamada Nishiki and Hyakumangoku Nojiro, a sake rice produced in Ishikawa Prefecture.
55% polished rice pure rice sake
first cherry blossoms
Sake rice from Ishikawa Prefecture, Gohyakumangoku
Ishikawa prefecture's unique sake rice Ishikawamon
sticky rice
All 65% polished rice, Honjozo
Gentle rice scent
Features a unique subtle sweetness and flavor made using sticky rice in 4-tiered rice.
Popular as a night drink in the local Takoshima town, it has a taste that you won't get tired of even if you drink it every day.
We also recommend drinking 2 cups of sake while watching TV, even hot sake.
A small coffee shop in Noto
About 10 years ago, we obtained a license to manufacture liqueurs. I wanted to do something interesting, so I developed a sake-based plum wine
When I was thinking about the second part, I passed by Nisami Coffee in Suzu City and suddenly I caught a nice smell of coffee. "Bibibi! This is it!" I said. I immediately bought some coffee and tried making a prototype by soaking coffee beans in sake. When I asked Nisami Coffee, ``I want to make this kind of alcohol, is it okay?'', they said ``Yes!'' and decided to sell it.
This alcoholic drink was born from Nisami Coffee's very delicious coffee and my intuition. Also popular as souvenirs.
Noto Bijin (sake lees soap)
Natural soap containing sake lees made during sake brewing
The main ingredient is horse oil, which has a high moisturizing effect and a slightly gentle scent.
Repeat customers from other prefectures say, ``Once I use this, I can't use any other soap.''
Inspired by the sake lees soap that a neighbor gave us, we made use of the abundant sake lees.
We are currently soliciting information on sales channels to help generate reconstruction funds.
We are supporting the rebuilding of our sake brewery through connections between people.
peach flower bird
Source:https://www.makuake.com/project/toukachou/
Sakura Fukuhime (Sake rice grown in Suzu City, Ishikawa Prefecture using agricultural methods that do not use pesticides)
50% polished rice
Even before this earthquake, Suzu City has been one of our business bases.We received a request from Astena Holdings to produce sake using Sakura Fukuhime, a new type of sake rice grown using agricultural methods that do not use pesticides. So we made 700 bottles of Junmai Daiginjo (Momokacho), but 200 of them were broken in the earthquake last May. I predicted that many of the remaining 500 trees would have been broken by this earthquake, but not a single one was broken.
We received a proposal for a project using the crowdfunding service
I am very grateful for the support I received as I worked towards rebuilding the sake brewery.
Image source: Kurumata Sake Brewery Online Shop
We are brewing and selling sake with the cooperation of Kurumata Sake Brewery, a 200-year-old company located in Hakusan City, Ishikawa Prefecture.Miraculously, the Ishikawa Prefecture Liquor Sales Association brought 3,600 liters of ``Hatsuzakura'' Honjozo unblended sake that remained in storage to Kurumata Sake Brewery, where it was blended with Kurumata Sake Brewery's Junmai Sake Tengumai and sold as ``Noto Hatsuzakura''.I was able to. The Ishikawa Prefecture Liquor Sales Association also sold 1,000 1-sho bottles. Kurumata Sake Brewery's online shop is also selling it as a support for Sakurada Sake Brewery's recovery.
Kurumata Sake Brewery Online Shop
Also, out of the 300 bales of sake rice ordered,We also brought the 135 bales of sake rice that we managed to save to Kurumata Sake Brewery, and from around March 20th we stayed overnight and started joint brewing.I did it. It is scheduled to go on sale around September as Junmaishu Daikei. Junmai sake is brewed in an environment with many excellent brewers and good equipment. There is no doubt that it will be delicious. I'm really looking forward to it now. There are about 2,000 bottles per sho bottle, but Nanami, the president of the Hoju Sake Sales Association, told me, ``We'll do our best to sell them!'' ” I received a warm greeting.
Furthermore,We also plan to sell ``Tengumai + Daikei,'' a blend of Junmai Sake Tengumai made from some of the sake rice we brought in and Junmai Sake Daikei that we were able to salvage from the rubble.
Details will be posted on the Kurumata Sake Brewery website from time to time.
At the same time, for the sale of ``Noto Hatsuzakura'', we had our first phone conversation with Hatsuzakura Sake Brewery in Wakayama Prefecture, which has registered ``Hatsuzakura'' as a trademark. He told me, ``I just registered the trademark so it wouldn't be misused, so please feel free to use it.'' I cried.
Thank you for renting this space!
I have hopes of collaborating with Hatsuzakura Sake Brewery someday.
I can do my best because I'm not alone
Repairs to the sake brewery that had been damaged in the earthquake that occurred in May of last year had finally been completed, and the area was inspecting the repaired areas when the latest earthquake occurred. I asked them to repair the wall in time for New Year's, and I was thinking, ``Let's take a rest during New Year's, and then let's make sake!'' Thanks to the fact that there was an air cooler that cooled the rice right where we were squatting, we were able to survive and not be injured when the warehouse collapsed and beams fell.
Mr. Sakurada points to the place where he was squatting.
Fortunately, my family was safe, but I half-thought that it would be easier if I just quit making sake.
As the evacuation continued, I had the opportunity to talk online with other sake breweries in Noto. I also participated from my car. Everyone was confused about the situation, but to my surprise, not a single person said they were going to quit making sake. Everyone was enthusiastic and said, ``I'm definitely going to do it!'' and ``I'm sure I'm going to do it!'' and because we're close in age, I was influenced by them.If someone speaks up, we can all do it together. “It’s nice to not be alone,” I thought.
Inside the collapsed sake brewery
I simply find sake brewing interesting. That's why I want to make sake again.
I don't always get the sake I want every year, but that's what makes it interesting.
Sometimes I can't sleep because I'm worried about how I'm going to make one tank (1,500 sho bottles), but that's also fun. Sometimes I have an idea one day. Sometimes I feel so happy when I get something done exactly as I expected.
Even if I feel like I didn't get it the way I wanted, the customers surprisingly said it was delicious. The taste changes even if you wait for it to ripen after pasteurization, and although humans can't control it, it has a very deep meaning.
And,Even when things are difficult, I have been blessed with the support of the people around me and have been able to manage. That's why I feel confident that things will work out this time too. I'm really grateful for that.
Gunkanjima before and after the earthquake
In recent years, Noto has experienced many earthquakes, and the landscape of Gunkanjima has changed little by little with each earthquake.
It is also a symbol of the local area, so as a Suzu resident, I feel really lonely and sad.
Both Chairman Nanami and my wife were speechless.
Leading the rebuilding of sake breweries for the sake of our friends
Demolition work will finally begin next week, April 29th. The Sakurada Sake Brewery building was deemed to be in an ``urgent demolition project'' and construction began early because it was ``in a situation that poses a danger to the surrounding area.'' However, in Suzu City and the entire Noto Peninsula, demolition work is still not progressing.
Sakurada Sake Brewery collapse situation
Because we are ahead of others in moving toward rebuilding, and because I am also the chairman of the Hoju Sake Brewery Association,We want to ``do whatever it takes to rebuild as quickly as possible,'' so that we can communicate the time and cost estimates to our successors.We consulted with local architects and construction companies in Suzu City, and we were reassured that they would do something about it. Although there is a subsidy for the cost, 100 million yen is required. Although we are considering a two-year plan, there are still many challenges to overcome before recovery and reconstruction.But if you think ``for everyone'', you can tackle all the difficult tasks with a sense of fun.. I have to persuade my wife to give me her savings (lol), but I'm grateful that I can rebuild the house and I want to work on it.
Full view of Sakurada Sake Brewery
Additionally, our family of four (my 90-year-old grandpa, my 81-year-old grandma, and my husband and I) had continued to make sake, but in the wake of the earthquake, my son, who is attending an agricultural university in Tokyo, decided to take over the family business. I started a part-time job at a retail store specializing in sake, drank together on New Year's mornings, and helped out during winter vacation.I'm looking forward to the day when I can make sake while fighting with my son.
My daughter, who previously said ``I like the new house,'' now says cute things like ``I like the old house.''
It's really sad to see it turned into a vacant lot, but beneath the rubble are our battle uniforms, happi coats, cash in the cash register, and usable tools, so we'd like to continue to help little by little. We would like to take the first step toward rebuilding with the cooperation of fixture volunteers.
We appreciate your continued support.
We handed out colored paper with messages written on it from SAKE fans to the brewery.
Team Sakurada Familia formed
This time,Formed Team Sakurada Familia, which is made up mainly of international students.Sakurada Sake Brewery is aiming to rebuild its sake brewery in 2026, two years from now, and Sagrada Familia is scheduled to be completed in 2026.We will all continue to support Sakurada Kuramoto and Sakurada Sake Brewery, who say with a smile, ``Maybe we should make a sake called Gaudi''!
This time, at the request of Sakurada Sake Brewery, international students also shared their ideas for selling sake lees and soap made from sake lees called Noto Bijin.
International students also share ideas about sales channels for sake lees and sake lees soap
◎Sold as a set of Daqing and soap (become beautiful inside and out)
◎Starring in “Mare”Tao Tsuchiya loves Japanese sake →Noto support projectOhPlease support us with sake, amazake, and soap!
◎Sold at antenna shops in Tokyo
◎Reducing the price by reducing the size of the soap by half
◎ Ask a friend who is active in fermentation and beauty to sell it to you!
◎Let's all connect with bubble images on Instagram!
◎Make soap trays and sell them as a set
◎Sake lees castella
◎A French person was interested in sake lees and said, ``I want you to sell it!''
→Sold to foreigners
Impressions from international students (participants)
◎I want to meet Sakurada-san!
◎Obtain the dirty bottle of
◎I'm looking forward to the 3rd generation collaboration sake! Just like the Sakurada family✩
Thank you, Sakurada-san!
Next preview: Haruki Takeda, 10th generation brewer of Niigata Takeda Sake Brewery, will be on stage
When you think of Niigata's local sake, you may think of it as tanrei dry, but we would like to hear more about the sake brewing, which focuses on sweetness.
Looking for participants for online sake brewery study abroad!
With the creator"Connect"
The thoughts of the creator"Peek"
our worldview"Spread"
Cheers with a hands-on pose again next time!
