Thursday, January 26, 2023
On Monday, January 23rd, a courtesy visit was made to Ryujin Sake Brewery, which brews the sake "Oze no Yukidoke" using the sake rice "Suisei" grown in Hokuryu Town.
- 1 Courtesy visit to Ryujin Sake Brewery (Tatebayashi City, Gunma Prefecture)
- 2 About Ryujin Sake Brewery
- 3 Ryujin Sake Brewery Tour
- 4 A discussion with Isao Kezuka, President and CEO of Ryujin Shuzo Co., Ltd.
- 5 Commemorative photo with everyone
- 6 Enjoy the celebratory sake "Oze no Yukidoke" at the Izakaya "Uokin"
- 7 Other photos
- 8 Related articles
Courtesy visit to Ryujin Sake Brewery (Tatebayashi City, Gunma Prefecture)
Yasunori Watanabe, a resident of Hokuryu Town and producer of the sake rice "Suisei," had proposed this about three years ago, but it was not realized due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This time, the courtesy visit was realized thanks to the coordination of related parties, including Maki Takagi, manager of the Rice Section of the JA Kitasorachi Sales Department, and Katsuji Horimai, chief of the Hokuren Iwamizawa Branch.
Participants in the courtesy visit to Ryujin Sake Brewery
- Mayor Yutaka Sano of Hokuryu Town
- JA Kitasorachi Sake Rice Producers Association, Chairman Yoshio Sasaki (Representative of Kyoei Farm, Hokkaido Agricultural Advisor)
- JA Kitasorachi Sake Rice Producers Association, Auditor Mamoru Hoshiba
- Yasunori Watanabe, JA Kitasorachi Sake Rice Producers Association (Hokkaido Agricultural Advisor)
- JA Kitasorachi Hokuryu District Representative Director, Kitakiyo Hirokuni
- Hokuren Iwamizawa Branch Rice Division, Chief Inspector Katsushi Horimai
- Mr. Koki Kikuchi, Rice Section, Hokuren Tokyo Branch
- Maki Takagi, Manager of the Rice Section, Sales Department, JA Kitasorachi
- Kazuya Matsuda, Rice Section, Sales Department, JA Kitasorachi
Hokuryu Town Community Supporters Noboru Terauchi and Ikuko Terauchi accompanied us as part of the coverage for the Hokuryu Town Portal.
About Ryujin Sake Brewery
Ryujin Sake Brewery was founded in the Edo period in Tatebayashi City (Gunma Prefecture), an area rich in water sources. The brewery was built on top of Ryujin's Well, a famous spring formed by the accumulation of melting snow from Oze.
Ryujin Sake Brewery carefully polishes rice using their own rice polishing machine, which is rare for a small brewery, and practices a meticulous brewing process in which all rice is washed by hand (to completely remove the bran to produce high-quality koji) and then transferred to the mash.
The facility is also equipped with a pasteurizer (a method of pasteurizing bottled sake by showering it with hot water) for instant pasteurization, and a refrigerated warehouse for low temperature control. The raw rice is sourced from rare varieties suitable for sake brewing, including Yamada Nishiki, and each type of rice undergoes a different brewing process.
While preserving the traditions of sake brewing that are unique to Japanese sake, we are constantly incorporating new methods and making generous investments in various facilities.
This is the website of Ryujin Sake Brewery, the brewer of the sake "Oze no Yukidoke" and "Ryujin." It also includes information on the store's hours of operation, the official online shop, and more.
▶ Homepage here >>
Various awards
- Brewing years 2006 and 2007 Gold medal at the National New Sake Tasting Competition Consecutive AwardsSee the results here >>
- Delicious Sake in a Wine Glass Award Main 2022 - Main Category
Grand Gold Award Winner: Oze no Yukidoke Junmai Daiginjo Namazuke(Ryujin Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.)See the results here >> - Delicious Sake in a Wine Glass Award Main 2021 - Main Category
Grand Gold Award Winner: Oze no Yukidoke Junmai Daiginjo Namazuke(Ryujin Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.)See the results here >> - Delicious Sake in a Wine Glass Award Main 2020 - Main Category
Grand Gold Award winners: "Oze no Yukidoke Junmai Daiginjo Yamadanishiki 45%" and "Oze no Yukidoke Junmai Ginjo Omachi 50%"(Ryujin Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.)See the results here >>
Ryujin Sake Brewery's approach to Hokkaido rice
❂ Excerpt from Ryujin Sake Brewery materials distributed during the visit
- In 2017, trial use of Hokkaido-grown rice varieties "Ginpu, Kitashizuku, Suisei" began.
- 2018 (Heisei 30)cometRecruitment
- Reiwa 1 (2019)comet80 bales
- Reiwa 2 (2020)Hokuryu Town Rice CometDesignated and fully used (720 bales)
- Reiwa 3 (2021)Hokuryu Town Rice Comet(Reduced rice) was designated and 960 bales were used.
- Reiwa 4 (2022)Hokuryu Town Rice Comet(Reduced rice) was designated and 960 bales were used.
Comet Quality
❂ Excerpt from Ryujin Sake Brewery materials distributed during the visit
- Good polishing ability: High polishing of up to 50% is possible
- Raw material processing: The water absorption time is longer than rice suitable for sake brewing in other prefectures. After water absorption and steaming, the rice is very easy to handle (something that could be said to be unique). It can also be used as koji rice.
- Moromi: Final assimilation is good, and quality can be improved by improving the blending and fermentation management.
- Taste: A refreshing and easy-to-drink flavor that pairs well with fragrant, mild ginjo sake.
- This limited edition sake is made using 100% Suisei and is very popular.
- Mainly used as topping for products that do not advertise the rice used
Ryujin Sake Brewery Tour
We were given a tour of the sake brewery, filtering plant, bottle storage facility (refrigerated warehouse), rice milling facility, and sales store (photography is prohibited inside the brewery). Hideaki Tabei, section chief of the manufacturing department at Ryujin Sake Brewery Co., Ltd., gave us a tour.
The brown rice is polished, then made into white rice, washed, soaked, steamed, and koji made (steamed rice, koji, and water are placed in a tank to increase the amount of yeast and allow to ferment slowly), the mash is pressed, and the sake and sake lees are separated. The sake is pasteurized and stored, and after several months to several years, the aroma and flavor are adjusted and the sake is bottled.
Sake brewery and filtering plant
Filtration plant
Remains of the famous spring "Ryujin's Well"
Within the brewery facilities, there are remains of the famous spring "Ryujin's Well," which was once used as brewing water, hence the name of the brewery, "Ryujin Sake Brewery."
Bottling facility
Bottle storage (refrigerated warehouse: refrigerated warehouse for low temperature control)
From right: Mayor Yutaka Sano of Hokuryu Town, and Chief Hideaki Tabei of Ryujin Sake Brewery
Yasunori Watanabe, JA Kitasorachi Sake Rice Producers Association, and Hirokuni Kitakiyo, Representative Director of JA Kitasorachi Hokuryu District
A discussion with Isao Kezuka, President and CEO of Ryujin Shuzo Co., Ltd.
At the Ryujin Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. office, a roundtable discussion was held with President Kezuka Isao and the second group of visitors, including Mayor Sano Yutaka of Hokuryu Town, JA Kitasorachi Hokuryu District Representative Director Kitakiyo Hirokuni, JA Kitasorachi sake rice producer Watanabe Yasunori, Hokuren Iwamizawa Branch Rice Division Chief Horimai Katsushi, and JA Kitasorachi Sales Department Rice Division Chief Matsuda Kazuya.
Mayor Yutaka Sano of Hokuryu Town
This visit was made possible at the request of Yasunori Watanabe, a sake rice producer in Hokuryu Town, to accompany him on a courtesy visit to Ryujin Sake Brewery in Tatebayashi City, Gunma Prefecture, which brews sake using "Suisei" rice grown in Hokuryu Town.
Before my visit, I had the opportunity to try "Oze no Yukidoke" and found it to be a very delicious sake.
Hokuryu Town's rice is highly regarded for its safety and security, having won the Japan Agriculture Award Grand Prize in 2017. All farmers in the town grow rice using 50% less pesticides than the Hokkaido standard.
I was very pleased to hear that the reason why Hokuryu Town's sake rice "Suisei" was chosen for the sake brewing is because of the "Dragon-Dragon" connection. Speaking of "Dragon-Dragon" connections, we previously participated in the "Dragon Summit" (participating 17 cities and towns from all over Japan), an exchange event that brings together local governments whose names include the character "Dragon" (dragon), and the summit was held in Hokuryu Town in 1991. Unfortunately, due to the abolition of constituent local governments following the great mergers of the Heisei era, the summit was canceled from 2005 onwards.
I feel a sense of familiarity with the name "Ryujin." I also think that "Oze no Yukidoke" is a wonderful brand that gives off a refreshing feeling.
We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to brew the most delicious sake using "Suisei" rice grown in Hokuryu Town through our relationship with "Ryu-Ryu." Thank you again for providing us with this valuable opportunity to meet with producers. We look forward to your continued support.
President Isao Kezuka
Question: Why Hokkaido rice "Suisei"?
❂ President Isao Kezuka:It all started when I found out that a fellow sake brewer I knew was using sake rice from Hokkaido. When I decided to start using Hokkaido sake rice, I approached Hokuren in Sapporo and they introduced me to them.
First, in 2017, the first year, we used three varieties of Hokkaido rice suitable for sake brewing: "Suisei," "Kitashizuku," and "Ginpu." Of these, we intuitively felt that "Suisei" was the best match for our sake brewing. So we decided to use "Suisei" extensively.
Since then, the amount has increased year by year, and currently in 2022, we are trading approximately 960 bales of "Suisei" rice (designated as pesticide-reduced rice) from Hokuryu Town.
It has been very well received by our customers. At Ryujin Sake Brewery, we use "Suisei" rice for about 40 to 50 percent of our sake rice, and it has now become our main rice.
Our sake is fragrant and sweet, and is targeted at young people and many overseas customers.It is easy to drink like wine and has a gentle, refreshing taste.
Question: What is not labeled "Comet" from Hokuryu Town?
❂ President Isao Kezuka:Ryujin Sake Brewery uses rice from its inventory in its brewing operations, and the ratio of rice used varies depending on the time of production. The Sake Brewing Act strictly regulates the labeling of alcohol, and it is illegal if the ratio of rice used does not exactly match the labeling. For this reason, most sake is labeled as "domestic rice."
Our company mainly uses "Suisei," but this is why we only call sake made 100% with "Suisei" the "Suisei" name once a year.
In the future, we would like to take on the challenge of producing high-quality sake that reflects the producers' commitment and added value.
We will also try our hand at high-alcohol sake for overseas markets, where tastes differ from those of domestically distributed sake. We aim to provide as fresh domestic sake as possible. On the other hand, for sake for overseas markets, which take more than two months to ship by sea, we prioritize stabilizing the quality to prevent deterioration and aim for a gorgeous aroma.
Question: What is the origin of the name of the sake "Oze no Yukidoke"?
❂ President Isao Kezuka:The sake brand "Oze no Yukidoke" was named after the image of a cool, clear sake. It was named by my father.
JA Kitasorachi Hokuryu District Representative Director, Kitakiyo Hirokuni
Hokuryu rice is grown with minimal pesticides, using only 11 ingredients, half the amount of pesticides used in Hokkaido agriculture.
Among these pesticides is neonicotinoid, an insecticide that is harmful to the developing nervous system. Starting this year, we have decided to stop using neonicotinoid insecticides and switch to other pesticides to standardize the entire system.
We don't know how the taste of the rice will change, but we aim to produce rice that is healthy for the human body when eaten. We hope that people will appreciate our rice as a value-added product.
Sake rice producer Yasunori Watanabe
The sake rice "Suisei" that I cultivate has been involved in our business with your company from the beginning. I am very grateful that your company is able to brew delicious sake through the "Dragon/Dragon" connection.
We have been proposing this type of project for the past three years, and we are delighted that it has finally come to fruition. We hope that your company will visit Hokuryu Town in August, midsummer, when the sunflowers are in full bloom, and experience the town for itself.
This was a precious moment of heart-to-heart communication between producers and sake brewers through Hokuren and JA!!!
Thank you for the wonderful experience that allowed me to fully appreciate the skill and soul of the artisans who put so much effort into their craftsmanship.
In-house rice milling facility
Ryujin Sake Brewery's rice milling facility is separate from the brewery and is located on the same premises as the sales store.
Sales store
"Oze no Yukidoke Junmai Daiginjo Namazuke" Ryujin Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.
Commemorative photo with everyone
Finally, we all took a commemorative photo in front of the store!
Enjoy the celebratory sake "Oze no Yukidoke" at the Izakaya "Uokin"
Still feeling the excitement, we took the train to Akihabara.
We visited Uokin, an izakaya in Akihabara that sells Ryujin Sake Brewery's famous sake, Oze no Yukidoke, and enjoyed the celebratory sake, Oze no Yukidoke, to our heart's content, and raised a toast. (Reference page here >>）
Delicious drinks and delicious food! Thank you for the meal!!!
Rice and sake are made with love and care, just like raising children!
It is with boundless love, gratitude, and prayer that this precious encounter and fortunate connection between rice producers and sake brewers will lead to the birth and evolution of even more delicious and wonderful sake...
Other photos
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◇ Photography and editing: Noboru Terauchi Interview and text: Ikuko Terauchi
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