Award Ceremony! Grand Prix Award! 100% Comet produced in Hokuryu-cho! Japanese Sake Made with Hokkaido Rice Award 2023 [Ryujin Special Junmai] Ryujin Shuzo Co.

Friday, October 13, 2023

The "Hokkaido Rice Sake Award 2023" award ceremony was held on Tuesday, October 10, from 11:00 a.m. at the Sapporo View Hotel Odori Koen, Via Ridge Hall (B2F).

Sake made with Hokkaido Rice Award 2023, Theme: Tsumugu Sake

Ryujin Shuzo K.K. (Gunma Prefecture; Isao Kezuka, President), which uses 100% "Comet from Hokuryu Town," won the grand prize for its "Ryujin Special Junmai!

• Sponsored by:Hokkaido (northernmost of the four main islands of Japan)
• Sponsored by:Hokkaido Brewers Association, Hokuren Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives
• Management:Secretariat of the Consortium for the Promotion of Rice and Sake Production and Sales Expansion of Hokkaido Sake in 2023 "Sake Made with Hokkaido Rice - Sake Award 2023".

The "Sake Made with Hokkaido Rice Award 2023" is a contest that aims to improve the brand power and recognition of and stimulate demand for sake produced in Hokkaido, and focuses on the consumer's perspective by putting Hokkaido sake rice front and center and strengthening its appeal to young people and women. This year marks the third year of the contest.

The theme is "Tsumugu Sake. It expresses the wish to weave relationships between people and the history of the brewery through sake.

The judging was held on September 12 (25 judges from the expert, distribution, and restaurant categories) and September 18 (general public). A total of 293 Hokkaido residents judged the 19 sake entries (15 production sites in Hokkaido and 4 outside Hokkaido), and 7 award-winning sake products including the Grand Prix were selected.

• Click here for the Provincial Government Press Release "Determination of Award-winning Sake (dated September 29)" >>
• Click here for the Provincial Government Press Release "Holding of Award Ceremony (dated October 4)" >>

terms and conditions (e.g. of sale)

1. Junmai-shu (excluding junmai-shu with a milling ratio of 50% or less) made entirely from rice of a variety bred in Hokkaido and grown in Hokkaido.
2. The cost should be no more than 2,500 yen without tax for a 4-goupe bottle. However, the secretariat will pay up to 2,000 yen without tax.
3. Sake that can continue to be sold in Hokkaido for a certain period of time after the award ends (online stores of the company are also acceptable)
4. Efforts should be made to disseminate information from the brewery via website, SNS, etc. at a time to be notified by the secretariat.

(in Japanese history)Citation: 2023 Hokkaido Sake Promotion Proposal(See Section 2.1.2.).

19 items on display (Sake breweries in Hokkaido: 14 breweries, 16 production sites)

Currently (as of September 2023), there are a total of 14 sake breweries and 16 production facilities in Hokkaido.

Hokkaido is proud of its "sake brewing rice

Hokkaido's pride, "sake brewing rice" is characterized by its heart white, low protein and fat content, large and tough grains, and comes in three varieties: Ginpu, Comet, and Kitashizuku, each with different characteristics and flavors.

7Winning Sake

Grand Prix: "Ryujin Special Junmai" by Ryujin Shuzo Co.

🌾 Rice used: "Comet from Hokuryu Town

Youth Award: "Junmai Ginjo Kamikawa", Midorigaoka Brewery, Kamikawa Taisetsu Shuzo Co.

🌾 Rice used "Hokkaido Ginpu

Female Award: "Sugata Junmai Ginjo-shu" Iinuma Meijo Co.

🌾 Rice used: "Kitsushizuku" produced in Asahikawa City

Gaijin Prize: "Junmai-shu" Usui Katsusaburo Shoten (Nemuro City)

🌾 Rice used "Hokkaido Ginpu

Specialist/Distributor/Restaurant Category Award: "Chitosekuru Hatsushikomi Junmai Ginjyo Kitashizuku," Nihon Seisake Co.

🌾 Rice used: "Kitsushizuku produced in Shintotsukawa Town

Label Design Award: "Tokachi Junmai Ginjo", Hekiun Kura (Obihiro City), Kamikawa Taisetsu Shuzo Co.

🌾 Rice used "Hokkaido Ginpu

Sake to give as a gift to celebrate turning 20: "Tokusen Junmai Mizuho no Shizuku" Kobayashi Shuzo Co.

🌾 Rice used: "Comet from Ebetsu City
Sake selected by DJ Heidi, the leader of the 🌾 Cheering Squad (advertising manager of Pasake Port Hokkaido).

Nineteen brands of sake are available!

Hokkaido Rice Ambassadors: Ms. Yui Takaoka and Ms. Moe Kobayashi

commendation or awards ceremony

The overall host is freelance announcer Misa Kunii.Misa Kunii Official HP & SNS is here >>(See Section 2.1.2.).

The purpose of the "Sake Made with Hokkaido Rice Awards 2023" is to raise awareness of the brand power of Hokkaido sake and Hokkaido sake rice, and to help restore demand for sake.

The theme for this year is "Tsumugu Sake". It expresses our hope that we will continue to weave together the relationships between people who did not meet at the Corona Disaster and the history of the brewery for many years to come.

This year, we have established a new award for foreigners. We will now move on to the award ceremony.

Greetings from the Organizer: Mr. Yu Mitobe, Director General, Hokkaido Agricultural Administration Department

I would like to thank all the sake breweries and rice growers for taking time out of their busy schedules to attend today's award ceremony for the "Sake Made with Hokkaido Rice Award 2023.

Hokkaido is now one of the leading rice-producing regions in Japan. Producers, with the improved "Nanatsuboshi" and "Yumepirika" at the top of the list, are very highly regarded and have firmly established themselves as one of Japan's rice producers.

In addition, Hokkaido sake rice varieties "Ginpu", "Comet", and "Kitashizuku" have been introduced and are now used and loved by more than 50 sake breweries, including those outside Hokkaido. We believe that the reputation of sake rice produced in Hokkaido is increasing every day.

The Sake Awards, which will be held for the third time this year in 2023, is held with the aim of attracting as many fans of sake made with rice produced in Hokkaido as possible.

This year, too, there were excellent sake entries, which we highly evaluated. This year's awards will focus on sake rice, including the producers from Hokuryu-cho, who are here today.

I actually had the opportunity to judge 19 brands. I was impressed by the characteristics and craftsmanship of each sake brewery, including the aroma, taste, and appearance. I would like to share these impressions with as many people as possible, including myself.

A total of 293 people judged this year, including beginners who do not usually drink much sake, sake tasters, and buyers. I will now present each of the awards, which I believe reflect the great skills of all of the sake breweries, which are hard to match.

We will continue to promote sake made from Hokkaido rice not only within Hokkaido, but also throughout Japan and the world.

I would like to open my speech by wishing all of you here today good health and continued success in your endeavors, and that sake made from Hokkaido rice will spread its wings throughout the world. Thank you very much for your kind attention today.

Greetings from Guest of Honor: Mr. Tetsuo Kawamura, Chairman of Hokkaido Sake Brewers Association

Today marks the third year of the Hokkaido-sponsored "Sake Made with Hokkaido Rice Word 2023," an award ceremony for sake made with Hokkaido rice, the quality of which is improving year by year.

In Hokkaido, the quality of wine is improving year by year. Governor Suzuki has said, "Hokkaido will be the second Napa Valley," and the quality of Hokkaido itself is high.

I am a Hokkaido-resident, so I would like the brewers of Hokkaido Brewery to use good rice from Hokkaido to make good sake from Hokkaido.

We are very pleased that the sake brewers from Honshu, who are being honored today, like Hokkaido rice and have produced good sake.

Thank you very much for inviting me to this very auspicious occasion. I will continue to do my best for the development of Hokkaido. I look forward to your continued support.

Guest Speech: Mr. Akiya Minami, General Manager, Rice Business Division, Hokuren Agricultural Cooperative Union

I congratulate you on the grand ceremony of the "Sake Made with Hokkaido Rice Award 2023". Congratulations to the winners of the "Hokkaido Rice-based Sake Award 2023".

When this sake award was launched, we were in the midst of the Korona crisis, and I think everyone involved, including sake breweries, were in a really difficult situation. We, on the production side, had to somehow overcome this crisis, so we shared the pain with everyone and worked together.

This year we have reduced our crop area by 40% and have had to deal with demand on several occasions. Thanks to your help, we are finally getting back to our daily routine. This year, about 90% of the pre-Corona crop has returned. I believe this will be an important year for us to move forward from here.

This year Hokkaido has experienced very high temperatures and heat like we have never experienced before. Today, we have farmers from Hokuryu-machi who are working hard to produce good rice in the hot weather. The rice has already been harvested and is being delivered to the facility.

We have never experienced such heat and there was no precedent for it, so the teachers at the test center are also going to work hard from now on to prepare for the heat.

I have heard that this year's sake rice is in a relatively high protein situation. In that sense, I hope that all the toji will be able to get through this, including their skills.

The hot weather means that there is a little more 'shirata' (white rice). Each facility adjusts the rice well, and it is shipped as first-class rice. I have heard that most of the rice can be shipped as first-grade rice. We will do our best to deliver good rice to consumers.

This year has been so hot outside of the province that it has become a disaster. In that sense, the heat is expected to continue.

As of the latest information, we have done business with 75 breweries nationwide, and the number is steadily increasing. I would like to extend my best wishes for further development with all of you through this sake award. Congratulations on your success today.

Introduction of the attendees: Mr. Naoto Matsuda, Representative Director and Senior Managing Director, Kitasorachi Agricultural Cooperative Association

Announcement and awarding of award-winning warehouses

Explanation of judging method: Ms. Misa Kunii, freelance announcer

I will explain the screening process.
First, "one brand per brewery" must be selected on the condition that it "must be made from Hokkaido rice" and "must be commercially available. In the end, 19 brands were entered from 19 breweries: 15 breweries from 13 Hokkaido breweries and 4 breweries from 4 breweries outside Hokkaido.

These 19 brands were tasted on Tuesday, September 12, by 25 experts and judges from the distribution and food & beverage sections, who gave them an overall evaluation on a four-point scale.

On Monday, September 18, DJ Heidi, the head of the cheering section, and two general judges tasted and judged the entries on four levels.

Seven awards were determined: the "Grand Prix," "Youth Award," "Women's Award," "Foreigner's Award," "Expert, Distributor, and Restaurant Category Award," "Label Design Award," which was determined by popular vote, and "Sake to Give as a Gift for a Celebration of 20 Years Old" chosen by DJ Haiji, the leader of the support group. The seven awards are "Sake to be given in celebration of 20 years of age.

Sake selected by the cheerleader as a gift to celebrate turning 20: "Special Junmai Mizuho no Shizuku" by Kobayashi Shuzo Co.

🌾 Rice used: "Comet from Ebetsu City

Comments by DJ Heidi, head of the cheering section (read on behalf of announcer Kunii)

When I turned 20 years old, I received a bottle of sake to celebrate. I remember carrying it home with great care, being surprised at the change in taste between when I opened the bottle and the next day, and drinking a lot and getting drunk.

This time I was the one celebrating, and although I entered the selection time, I was very confused because all the sakes were delicious. After much deliberation, I selected "Mizuho no Shizuku" from the Kobayashi Sake Brewery as the sake to celebrate my 20th birthday.

The refreshing taste is what I like most about this sake, but it is also a very tasty sake with a strong umami flavor.

We selected this sake because we thought that when one makes his/her sake debut at the age of 20, the balance between the refreshing taste and the umami of rice and sake would be a criterion in choosing a sake.

We hope that the Kobayashi Sake Brewery "Mizuho no Shizuku" will get people interested in Japanese sake and make them fans of Hokkaido sake," he said.

Impression of the Awardee: Mr. Shuji Minami, Executive Officer and General Manager of the Production Department (Toji), Kobayashi Sake Brewery Co.

We are very touched. We are very happy to receive this award because the handmade work we have done has been appreciated by everyone, especially the young 20 year olds who want to give this sake as a gift.

We will continue to work hard and be encouraged by this award. I would like to thank everyone involved for their cooperation. Thank you very much."

Label Design Award: "Tokachi Junmai Ginjo", Hekiun Kura (Obihiro City), Kamikawa Taisetsu Shuzo Co.

🌾 Rice used "Hokkaido Ginpu

Impressions from the Award Winners: Mr. Shinji Kawabata, Executive Vice President, Kamikawa Taisetsu Shuzo Brewery Co.

In our case, we have created a family crest that represents the essence of the character for "Daisetsuzan," which is said to be the roof of Hokkaido, to give an image of Hokkaido's uniqueness, and used it in our label design. We are very happy that this was recognized.

We feel that all of our sake is appreciated as it is the design attached to most of our labels. Thank you."

Specialist/Distributor/Restaurant Category Award: "Chitosekuru Hatsushikomi Junmai Ginjyo Kitashizuku," Nihon Seisake Co.

🌾 Rice used: "Kitsushizuku produced in Shintotsukawa Town

Impressions from the Award Winners: Ms. Tomoko Ichisawa, Executive Officer and Chief Brewer of Chitotsuru Brewery, Nippon Seishu Co.

Thank you very much for today's award. Regarding this award, this is a product that we have just made in our new brewery. To receive recognition from experts and from distributors and restaurants is like a boost to all of our employees. Thank you very much."

Gaijin Prize: "Junmai-shu" Usui Katsusaburo Shoten (Nemuro City)

🌾 Rice used "Hokkaido Ginpu

Katsusaburo Usui Shoten comment (read on behalf of announcer Kunii)

Thank you very much for the foreigner's award in the "Hokkaido Rice-Used Japanese Sake Award 2023" today. With the export ratio of sake increasing, we are very happy to receive this recognition for the sake we produce and deliver to people in Japan. We will continue to devote ourselves to this project on a daily basis. Thank you very much for this honor."

Female Award: "Sugata Junmai Ginjo-shu" Iinuma Meijo Co.

🌾 Rice used: "Kitsushizuku" produced in Asahikawa City

Comments from Iinuma Meinjo K.K. (read by announcer Kunii on behalf of the company)

Thank you very much for awarding us the Female Award in the "Sake Using Hokkaido Rice Sake Award 2023". We would like to continue to brew feminine sake that can only be made with Hokkaido rice. Thank you very much.

Youth Award: "Junmai Ginjo Kamikawa", Midorigaoka Brewery, Kamikawa Taisetsu Shuzo Co.

🌾 Rice used "Hokkaido Ginpu

Comments from the Award Winner: Mr. Shinji Kawabata, Executive Vice President and Chief Toji, Kamikawa Taisetsu Shuzo Brewery Co.

The sake "Junmai Ginjo Kamikawa," which won this year's Youth Award, is a type of sake that can be sold in supermarkets and convenience stores so that the general public can drink it more than ever before. The fact that it was accepted by the young people reaffirms that it is a product for a new customer base.

We will continue to do our best to increase the number of Hokkaido sake produced with these types of Hokkaido rice. Thank you very much for your time today.

Grand Prix: "Ryujin Special Junmai" by Ryujin Shuzo Co.

🌾 Rice used: "Comet from Hokuryu Town

Impressions from the Award Winners: Mr. Hideki Horikoshi, Toji / Production Manager, Ryujin Shuzo Brewery Co.

I would like to thank you for this honor. Thank you very much.

We have been using "Comet from Hokuryu-cho" for the past five years. The first year was difficult, but I remember that we started the three years of Corona Disaster two years ago, did what we could, made efforts to improve our techniques, and were able to produce excellent sake in the second year.

Comet" is now our specialty rice for sake brewing. I have been involved in brewing for 26 years, and I personally think that "Comet produced in Hokuryu-cho" is the best. It is a wonderful sake rice.

Sake made with "Comet" has a clear yet tasty flavor, low amino acid content, and a fruity aroma. For the past three years, the sake made with this "Comet" has helped us a lot at Corona Hazama. We have a history of gaining the support of customers all over Japan.

The "Ryujin" sake that won the Grand Prix this year is available in a limited edition of 500 bottles at Yamasho Shoten in Sapporo's Chuo Ward. We hope you will stop by if you are interested. Thank you very much for your kind attention today.

Speakers: Mr. Yasunori Watanabe, Mr. Yoshinobu Deguchi, Mr. Hirokuni Kitakiyo (Representative Director of Hokuryu District, Kitasorachi Agricultural Cooperative Association)

Comment by Mr. Yasunori Watanabe, representative of the producer of "Comet from Hokuryu Town

As a producer, I am very moved to hear the comments of the wonderful Mr. Horikoshi.

We have been making sake rice for 10 years. We are very happy to be able to make sake with the rice we grow.

For several years now, "Comet from Hokuryu-cho" has been used by the Ryujin Sake Brewery. In January of this year, the town mayor, Kitasorachi Agricultural Cooperative Association, and Hokuren visited the brewery of Ryujin Shuzo. We feel a connection between Ryujin Shuzo and Hokuryu Town because of the "Ryu" (dragon) connection.

Encouraged by this award, we as growers will continue to produce even better rice. Thank you very much for your kind attention today.

Ryujin Shuzo presents "Ryujin Special Junmai" to Comet producers

Comment by representative of the jury: Mr. Karin Kumada, Representative Director and Senior Managing Director of Meishu no Yutaka, commenting and summarizing the overall results

Profile of Ms. Kairin Kumada (introduced by announcer Kunii)

• Born in California, U.S.A., studied mechanical engineering at American University
• He joined the company in 2009 after studying sake before coming to Japan at Meishu no Yutaka, a sake specialty store that carries 500 different types of sake from all over Japan, which celebrates its 122nd anniversary this year. Currently serves as Representative Director and Senior Managing Director.
• He is a certified sake sensory evaluator and a certified instructor of the highest rank of WSET (the world's largest wine education organization).
• He has served as a judge for the International Wine Challenge in the UK, the All Japan Sake Competition, the National New Sake Competition, and the Tohoku New Sake Competition, and has also worked as an English interpreter and translator for sake-related projects.
• In the winter, they spend up to three weeks at a sake brewery, eating and sleeping with the brewers, brewing sake, and sharing their passion for sake making with the brewers.

I feel that Hokkaido sake is getting better and better every year. I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for using Hokkaido rice to make such wonderful sake.

This year's sake was made by a sake brewery that, even though it is located outside of Hokkaido, has created a sake that is uniquely Hokkaido. We are pleased that this year's sake is not flashy in aroma, and that they have continued to make sake that is uniquely Hokkaido, with plenty of the fragrant, sweet, refreshing, muscat-like aroma that is the trend this year.

All types of sake have a clean, sharp taste, and many have a gorgeous, Hokkaido-like melon flavor. As Mr. Kawabata, the toji of Kamikawa Taisetsu Brewery, says, "Sake to be drunk," each sake is so easy to drink that you will find yourself emptying out before you know it.

I just returned from Sendai the other day, where I was allowed to judge the Tohoku New Sake Competition, and the taste of sake has changed greatly there. Last year, many of the sake were highly aromatic and sweet, like pear or pineapple, and not high in acidity, but this year, 60% of the sake were the kind of sake that Hokkaido has worked hard to come up with. There were many sakes that were not flashy and could be drunk in calmer quantities.

I was reminded once again that Hokkaido has succeeded in not following the trend and continuing to produce sake that is calm and suited to Hokkaido for a long time. I think it is the hard work of all the sake breweries in Hokkaido.

I have heard from farmers I know that 'rice farming can only be continued 60 times, no matter how hard you try,' as they have kept up the hard work of rice farming, and I am sure there have been hot and cold years. There are many different tasks in life, but rice farming is one that can only be done 60 times.

Hokkaido rice has a long and wonderful history. Many people, including Mr. Hisazo Nakayama, went to great pains to finally succeed in rice cultivation, and he has passionately devoted himself to the spread of rice cultivation, passing it on to future generations. (Editor's note: Mr. Hisazo Nakayama is the founder of cold-weather rice cultivation in Japan.)
I hope that you will remember the hardships and thoughts of Mr. Hisazo Nakayama and do your best in this difficult weather.

We, the sellers and producers, are truly grateful to you for producing delicious rice. We believe that the future is bright as the appeal of Hokkaido's rice and sake continues to spread throughout the country. Thank you very much for coming today.

Photography of award winners and related parties

Tasting Time

Distributor of "Ryujin Special Junmai", Yamasho Shoten

🍶 Address:10, Minami 3-jo Nishi 3-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo Tel/Fax:011-210-3373
E-mail:info@yamasyo-sake.comRegular holidays:Sunday

Yamashoten Facebook page

We would like to express our infinite love, gratitude, and prayers to the sake growers who lovingly nurture sake rice, the toji who passionately makes sake, and the sellers who serve as a bridge to consumers, all connected by a wonderful relationship, for the sake awards 2023 will be full of vitality and shine brightly.

Youtube Video

More Photos

Award Ceremony! Grand Prix Award! 100% Comet produced in Hokuryu-cho! Click here for 159 photos of Ryujin Tokubetsu Junmai Ryujin Sake Brewing Company (Gunma Prefecture)

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