Yamahai Junmai Daiginjyo Urakasumi Hirano, 720ml 5,280 Yen (Tax Excluded)

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Taking Pride in Sake Brewing. A Selection of World-Class Sake Brewers.

2020.3.19

Urakasumi, The Renowned Tohoku Sake Brewery’s 13th Generation and President, Koichi Saura, Opens the Door of Sake to the World with his Enterprising Spirit.

Yamahai Junmai Daiginjyo Urakasumi Hirano, 720ml 5,280 Yen (Tax Excluded)

The renowned sake brewery from Tohoku, Urakasumi, started to brew sake in the 9th year of the Kyoho Era (1724), during the time when the eighth Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune was in power. On the orders of the Date clan, Urakasumi was appointed to dedicate omiki (sacred sake) for the Shiogama Shrine, a shrine with a history of more than thousand years. This became the start of sake brewing for Urakasumi. Since then, the long-established sake brewery continues to brew omiki as a omikisakaya (a sake brewery that brews sake for shrines) for the Shiogama Shrine.

 

The 13th generation and president of Urakasumi is Koichi Saura, a man who had made extraordinary contribution for the internationalization of sake and have long served for the industry and sake regions as the vice chairman of Japan Sake and Shochu Maker Association. During the time when Saura served as the chairman for the Japan Sake Brewers Association Junior Council, a nationwide council grouped by young sake brewers below the age of 45, he established a sake ambassador project called the Sake Samurai and also reached out to the IWC (International Wine Challenge) which lead to the establishment of its sake division in 2007.

Extra Daiginjyo Urakasumi 720ml 3,800 Yen (Tax Excluded) Extra Daiginjyo Urakasumi 720ml 3,800 Yen (Tax Excluded)

Extra Daiginjyo Urakasumi 720ml 3,800 Yen (Tax Excluded)

The IWC is held annually every April in London and it is the world’s largest international wine competition. The competition is an opportunity for sake to receive recognition and evaluation by the world-class sommeliers and to also have specialists to frequently visit the breweries to study about sake and its regional cultures. These study trips lead to the beginning of sake tourism in Japan, which was already common in the wine industry. In fact, the age where sake amateurs from overseas visiting sake breweries has already arrived in Japan. The fascination of sake could had been introduced to the world much later without the presence of Saura.

 

The Urakasumi Sake Gallery is based on the concept of “Delivering Sake Culture from Urakasumi”, and it is located right next to the Urakasumi Headquarters. Visitors can receive a guided tour of the brewery and experience the sake tasting at their counter. The gallery is a popular location for tourists who are visiting by Asuka II cruise excursions when stopping at the Ishinomaki Port. The gallery features a wide range of products including a limited edition of Urakasumi sake that can only be purchased and tasted in the Miyagi Prefecture and ceramic and glass vessels for drinking sake that can be purchased at the gallery as well. The Urakasumi Sake Gallery functions as a place for offering information about sake and Shiogama. It is hard not to respect the attitude of Urakasumi towards expressing various ways of their region and culture that nurtured its sake.

 

(Toshie Hiraide Speaking)

When asked for what Urakasumi was aiming for, the 13th generation and president, Koichi Saura answered, “A genuine sake brewed meticulously, delivered with professionalism. The brewing process is made sincerely and with care to provide our customers the highest quality.” When asked for what Urakasumi was aiming for, the 13th generation and president, Koichi Saura answered, “A genuine sake brewed meticulously, delivered with professionalism. The brewing process is made sincerely and with care to provide our customers the highest quality.”

When asked for what Urakasumi was aiming for, the 13th generation and president, Koichi Saura answered, “A genuine sake brewed meticulously, delivered with professionalism. The brewing process is made sincerely and with care to provide our customers the highest quality.”

Toshie Hiraide’s Recommended Selection of Two Urakasumi Sakes

Yamahai Junmai Daiginjyo Urakasumi Hirano
A tribute sake for Urakasumi’s honorary master sake brewer, Shigeichi Hirano. “There is no sake enthusiasts, who doesn’t know Mr. Hirano. He was a sake brewer who represented the Nambu Toji (A group of highly skilled sake brewers in Nanbu Region),” says Hiraide. This sake has a fragrant ginjo aroma of ripe fruits with excellent balance of acidity and umami coming from the rice.

Sake Type: Junmai Daiginjyo
Rice Variety: Yamada-Nishiki
Rice Polishing Ratio: 40%
Sake Meter Value: +1 ~ +2
720ml 5,280 Yen (Tax Excluded)

 

Extra Daiginjyo Urakasumi
The Extra Daiginjyo Urakasumi is a sake which have been brewed at low temperature and aged during the severe cold season. “I will use a wine glass for this sake. From its aromatic flavor, the potential of this sake is brought out when using a wine glass,” says Hirade.

Sake Type: Daiginjyo
Rice Variety: Yamada-Nishiki
Rice Polishing Ratio: 40%
Sake Meter Value: +1
720ml 3,800 Yen (Tax Excluded)

Urakasumi Sake Brewery Saura Co.,Ltd.
2-19 Motomachi, Shiogama, Miyagi
022-362-4165

 

Toshie Hiraide
Born in 1962. President of Co-op Sachi Ltd. a company aiming for the internationalization of sake and inviting overseas guests to the countryside of Japan. Sake Samurai Coordinator. IWC Ambassador. Shoryudo Ambassador (Inbound Ambassador for the 9 Prefectures of Chubu Region and Hokuriku Region).

Photography by Haruko Amagata

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