[Tsushima/Kawachi Sake Brewery] Introducing Chief Brewer Shintaro Ito!

About “Kawachi Sake Brewery”

This is a small sake brewery on a small island with a population of just under 28,000 people.

Because there is little plain land, they set up a brewery in a residential area and produce about 400 koku of sake and shochu a year, most of which is consumed on the island.

Kawachi Sake Brewery itself was founded in 1919, but I heard that my great-grandfather, Tatsuji Kawachi, inherited it from Mr. Takahashi, who had been brewing it before then, so I think it has a much longer history as a sake brewery.

In 1933, we were incorporated as a Kawachi Sake Brewery LLC, and in 2019 we were able to celebrate our 100th anniversary.

This is also thanks to the continued support of the people of the island.
We would like to continue to have sake that will always be by your side as a source of comfort and encouragement in your daily important activities.

Characteristics of the border island “Tsushima”

In addition to Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and the main island of Okinawa, Japan has approximately 6,800 remote islands with a circumference of more than 100 meters, and if you include small ones, it is said to number in the tens of thousands.

There are over 500 remote islands that border the island, and Tsushima is one of 148 islands in 29 areas designated as ``inhabited border remote island regions.''

Located in the northwestern part of the Sea of ​​Japan, at the northernmost tip of the Kyushu area, and being closer to Korea than the main island of Japan, it has prospered as a base for trade and exchange with the continent since ancient times, and has been designated as a Japanese heritage site as the "Border Islands: A Bridge from Ancient Times to Iki, Tsushima, and Goto."

The island is made up of two islands, the upper and lower, and in between is a beautiful ria coastline with calm waves throughout the year.The untouched virgin forest is home to the Tsushima leopard cat, a natural monument, and is full of nature and history.

In terms of latitude, it is the northernmost region of Kyushu, with a cold climate, and sake brewing takes advantage of the abundant underground water stored in the mountain forests that make up just under 90% of the island.

How I started getting involved in sake brewing

Since the house and the factory are located next to each other on the same site, I was forced to help from an early age.

During the winter break, everyone was so busy making sake that they even needed help from the cats, so it felt like they had no choice but to do it (lol).

Having said that, it wasn't like I didn't want to do it; I was the eldest son, and I was planning to take over eventually, so many things came naturally to me.

I was asked to come back immediately after graduating from university, so I joined the company.

What made me happiest about sake brewing?

``Hakutake Junmai Daiginjo'' won the Gold Award at the 2018 (H29BY) National New Sake Awards.
This won the Gold Award at the Fukuoka Regional Taxation Bureau Liquor Awards last year 2021 (R2BY).

This time we will give you a taste of it, so please look forward to it!

Another Hakutake brand, “Hakutake Daiginjo,” won a gold medal at the 2021 (R2BY) National New Sake Appraisal.
This is the first time in three years that we have won a national gold award, and the word "three years" really hit home for us.

The reason is in the next section! (lol)

The hardest thing about making sake

Regarding sake brewing, all the trial and error that I did with the sake in 2019 (H30BY) and 2020 (R1BY) backfired. Details are available online! (lol)

In recent years, Tsushima has been crowded with inbound tourists.

It has steadily increased since 1996, when a regular route between Busan and South Korea began, and it is estimated that 75% of the number of tourists in 2018 were Koreans.

However, due to the impact of Boycott Japan in 2019, the number of people entering the country in the second half of the year sharply decreased, and then in 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic, all international routes were suspended and the number of people entering the country dropped to zero.

As a border island, exchanges with other countries have been disrupted, and within the country, tourist islands have also been hit hard due to travel restrictions and restrictions on restaurant operations.

Regarding sake brewery management, sales have decreased due to the prolonged coronavirus pandemic.

Thoughts and future vision behind sake brewing

We would like to expand our sales channels outside the island, help spread the appeal of Tsushima, and create sake that will make those who drink it think, ``I want to go to Tsushima!''

Finally

From 19:00 on Saturday, February 19, 2022, we will be hosting an online sake brewery study abroad program with Shintaro Ito, the brewer we introduced this time!

We will deliver a set of 3 types: "Hakutake Junmai Daiginjo", which won the Gold Award in the Ginjo Sake category of the Fukuoka Regional Taxation Bureau Liquor Appraisal Association, Hakutake Junmai Sake Tsushima, and Hakutake Namazake, and toast online with sake brewery students from all over the country.♪

Furthermore, as a special project this time, we will develop a Tsushima alcohol and snack set that will be chosen by the participants.

Premium set available for a limited time! Of course, I got a reward for participating. .
Other things like that and things like this happen. Don't miss out on that special offer! !

Enjoy the terroage of Tsushima♪

Please join us!