Shitara Town is a small mountain town located in the Okumikawa area of ​​northeastern Aichi Prefecture. It is about 100 km from Nagoya City and about 50 to 60 km from the center of Toyohashi City and Toyota City, so access is not at all good. Despite this, Sekiya Brewery's direct sales store is so popular that people from all over the country come to try out their ``Houraisen.'' The limited-edition Horaisen ``Ku'' and ``Gin'' are available for pre-order at two direct sales locations in the prefecture, but there is a one-year waiting list for both. Its popularity is real, despite the inconvenience of access.

The brewery has a long history, dating back to 1864 (the first year of the Genji era), and is in its seventh generation with current owner Ken Sekiya. Sekiya grew up watching sake brewing up close, helping with bottling and koji making as a child, and went on to study at Tokyo University of Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Brewing. He said he had a vague idea that he would take over the family business. After graduating, he didn't go back to work right away and instead researched rice as a trainee at the Sake Rice Experimental Site in Hyogo Prefecture, which had a great influence on his subsequent sake brewing.

Sekiya Jozo has an agricultural division and also grows its own rice. The turning point was 2006. This meant that the special agricultural entry zone system for joint stock companies could now be used anywhere in the country. Until then, we had been using a lot of local rice, but we noticed that farmers were getting older and were worried about whether we would be able to have a stable supply in the future, so we decided to rent rice fields from retired farmers. So I started growing my own. There are maybe 20 breweries in Japan that even produce rice. This is a sake brewery that also makes you think about local agriculture.

For sake brewing, we are actively introducing mechanization and temperature control using computers. Unlike humans, machines do not cut corners and are not affected by the physical condition of the master brewer. Temperature control is also possible. Mechanization is essential for sake brewing that is not influenced by various factors. Mechanization has also provided an opportunity to improve the working environment, and employees are devoting their time to creative endeavors and pursuing the sensual aspects that only humans can do. Sekiya Brewery has a motto: ``Good Japanese sake.'' They believe that the good teamwork of the brewers makes for good sake. Sekiya himself says that he also uses the term to mean that ``good sake creates harmony among the people who drink it.''

The approach to getting people familiar with sake is also well thought out. In 2004, he opened ``Horaisen Ginjo Kobo'' in Kuroda-cho, Toyota City, where he can brew made-to-order sake. Particularly unique is its use as a wedding gift. Horaisen will be a special memory for couples as they will actually experience the design and preparation of the flavors. They also opened SAKE BAR Marudani in a renovated Edo-period rice warehouse in Nagoya. It consists of a restaurant space and a bar space, with a menu that uses Okumikawa ingredients. Sekiya previously served as the chairman of the Japan Sake Brewery Youth Council, and they are comrades who have worked together to enliven the Sake Samurai movement. He is a brewer who exudes innovation and possibility in sake brewing, as well as a love for his hometown.

Two recommended bottles from Yoshie Hiraide’s “Horaisen” selection

Houraisen Junmai Daiginjo Maya®
A bottle made entirely from local ingredients, using our own cultivated sake rice, Yumesansui. "It has a gorgeous fruity aroma and a clean, pure sweetness that makes it elegant."
Type: Junmai Daiginjo sake
Raw material rice: Own cultivation Yumesansui
Rice polishing rate: 30%
Sake level: Not disclosed
720ml 5,500 yen (excluding tax)

Houraisen Junmai Daiginjo Sora®
A Junmai Daiginjo that harmonizes the flavor and sweetness of Yamada Nishiki. ``It's a deep-tasting sake that brings out the rich aroma of fruit, the flavor of rice, and the sweetness.''
Type: Junmai Daiginjo sake
Raw material rice: Yamada Nishiki grown in-house
Rice polishing rate: 40%
Sake level: Not disclosed
720ml 3,350 yen (excluding tax)

◆Horaisen Sekiya Brewing Co., Ltd.
22 Taguchi, Aza Machiura, Shitara-machi, Kitashitara-gun, Aichi Prefecture
0536-62-0505

Toshie Hiraide

Born in 1962. Representative director of Corpo Kou Co., Ltd., which aims to internationalize sake and attract inbound tourists to regional areas. He is the sake samurai coordinator. IWC Ambassador. Shoryudo Ambassador (Inbound Ambassador for XNUMX prefectures in Chubu and Hokuriku)

Premium X   With pride in sake brewing. Sake and brewery selection recognized by the world

``Sake Samurai'' was started in 2006 by the Japan Sake Brewery Youth Council, a national organization of young brewers, in order to restore the pride of sake and spread the culture of sake not only within Japan but also to the world. Sake Samurai Coordinator Yoshie Hiraide, who is working to realize the dream of turning Sake into a tourism-based nation, will introduce unique sake breweries that Japanese sake lovers should visit at least once, and the sake they want to taste there.

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