With Kyoko Nagano of Sake Lovers Inc. there to interpret, kuramoto (President) and CEO, Norimichi Goto, guided participants through the brewery while explaining each step of the sake brewing process as well as the brewery’s approach to interweaving old and new sake brewing techniques.

Details participants learned during the tour include:

• In an effort to set itself apart from its peers, reduce waste, and make the sake brewing process more sustainable, Kikkawa Jozo has set itself the challenge of producing so-called “unpolished sake,” which uses rice with a rice polishing ratio of 90%; in other words, brown rice that has had just 10% of its husk (outer portion) polished away. Since the husk contains more fats and proteins than the inner portion of the grain, the full flavor of rice carries over to the finished sake.
• The brewery uses water with a hardness of about 150 mg/L, which is extremely rare in Japan. The water is naturally filtered and clear as a result of trickling down underground from the nearby Mt. Oyama, nicknamed “Afuriyama” or “Mt Rainfall” due to frequent precipitation, and is pumped up from three wells. Hard water promotes yeast fermentation and is suitable for making refreshing and refined sake brewed at low temperatures.
• The brewery is one of only a handful of sake breweries in Japan to follow the Sugiyama style of sake brewing (the philosophy and spirit of the late sake brewing scholar Dr. Shinsaku Sugiyama of Tokyo University).
• They employ the rare mizumoto yeast starter method which originated in the Muromachi period (1336 to 1573) in Japan. The process consists of soaking polished rice in water along with a small amount of cooked rice, then waiting three or four days until lactobacillus populations create a pH level that favors natural yeast. This starter generates powerful acidity and very distinctive sake.
• The brewery used to produce miso and tobacco as well as sake.
• They’ve won numerous awards, including Platinum at the Kura Master 2022 in Paris, France.
• Mr. Goto himself is a first-class registered architect with a Master’s in Architecture from Kyoto University. He designs the sake labels, keeps the essential beauty of the buildings alive, and expertly manages innovation with the introduction of state-of-the-art equipment while maintaining a commitment to the rich tradition and excellence of Kikkawa Jozo.

Even after four hours of enthralling instruction and tastings, we had not even touched on half of what there is to know about the sake-making process.

While tours of Kikkawa Jozo are not available to the general public, you can taste the delicious fruits of their efforts by dropping into the onsite brewery shop or visiting their sister establishment, Bar & Restaurant Coconoma, Tokyo in Roppongi. You can also order this special sake online HERE and stay up to date on what is happening at the brewery by following them on Instagram or Facebook. KAMPAI!

The post SAKE FOR LIFE’S SAKE: Jarman International Visits Kikkawa Jozo on Exclusive Sake Brewery Tour appeared first on Jarman International KK.

Kochi Prefecture is located along the southwest coast of Japan’s Shikoku Island, famous for its crystal clear rivers, dynamic mountains, award-winning sake, freshest seafood, friendly locals and more. To spread the Kochi love, Jarman International helped gather 30 non-Japanese participants to Tosa Shimizu World restaurant in Osaka that serves authentic Kochi cuisine. Simultaneously, John Daub livestreamed the event on his ONLY in JAPAN * GO channel to people across the globe for an afternoon of celebrating and learning about Kochi, Japan’s hidden gem. 

Besides the melt-in-your-mouth seared bonito, delicious local sake and other Kochi delicacies, participants were immersed in the fun of Yosakoi, the representative dance of the region. This Kochi dance has always been about having fun, rather than following strict rules, which is why there are a wide range of costumes, choreography, and music ranging from traditional Japanese folk tunes to pop, rock and salsa-inspired rhythms! It is no surprise that this 70-year-old dance has gained popularity around the world, and also won the hearts of the participants during the event!

Check out John’s livestream of the event HERE.

Kochi is actually easily accessible from Kyoto and Osaka! Discover the route HERE.

Learn more about Kochi HERE.

The post Jarman International hosted an event in Osaka with John Daub to spread the beauty and fun of Kochi’s culture and cuisine! appeared first on Jarman International KK.

The guest speakers were John Gauntner, the world’s leading non-Japanese sake expert, and Alex Kerr, the highly respected Japanologist who has written multiple award-winning books about the nuances of Japan’s culture and history such as “Lost Japan” (1996). The webinar was broadcasted from one of Tohoku’s largest sake warehouses at the over 400-year-old Toko brewery in Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture.

During the innovative webinar, participants located in Japan and New York were able to directly taste Toko sake along with John and Alex, as they were sent a selection of bottles in advance. John introduced the characteristics of Tohoku sake and tips on how to best enjoy this traditional Japanese drink, while Alex offered insights on the region’s landscape and culture that set it apart from other areas of Japan.

The webinar is now available on YouTube for anyone around the world to enjoy. Click HERE to learn all about Tohoku’s sake and culture!

The post Discover Tohoku’s sake and culture with John Gauntner and Alex Kerr (Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture) appeared first on Jarman International KK.

How to Order Japanese Sake

Want to try tasting real Japanese sake together with nice “washoku”(Japanese cuisine) during your trip here? It can be tricky to pick a good one from a variety of Japanese sake offerings. You know what? It is tough for me although I am Japanese. Because there are more than 2,000 kinds!! It’s natural that you are at a loss for what to order. In that case, you can simply ask store staff by saying “Nihonshu osusume please!” meaning “what is your recommended Japanese sake?”. Please just make a note it’s better to use the word “nihonshu” (Japanese sake) instead of “sake”. In Japanese, “sake” refers to alcohol in general.

How to Select Japanese Sake

If you wish to taste real Japanese sake, I recommend you stay away from convenience stores and regular super markets. My recommendation is “junmaishu”, which is sake made without added alcohol or sugar. Their flavor and aroma are remarkably excellent. In my personal opinion, junmaishu features a unique deep flavor and fragrance on top of excellent white wine like taste. I would like you to taste such deliciousness yourself as a sip of really nice sake is worth a thousand words. They go perfect with any kind of washoku so you don’t need to pay attention to matching such as the marriage of wine and food. You should ask store staff for junmaishu or remember Chinese character of junmaishu so that you can recognize them by label, which is 純米酒.

My Recommended Restaurant for Japanese Sake Beginners

There are some restaurants which only offer junmaishu although the number is quite limited. They don’t specify that on their signboard either. Therefore, I would like to share my recommendation for Japanese sake restaurant, Restaurant TAMAGAWA located on Dogenzaka, Shibuya.

Their master welcome overseas visitors anytime as he believe they cheer up the atmosphere of his restaurant. Approximately a third of their customers are foreigners. They of course have English menu and you can relax to order your favorite foods. And going back to the current topic subject, they offer 4 types of Japanese sake and they are all junmaishu. (550 yen per glass). You can call the master “Taisho” and taisho’s recommended junmaishu is “Asabiraki” produced in Iwate prefecture. Asabiraski is the Gold medal winner sake for 19 years (prize winner for past 23 years). When you visit his restaurant, you can just order by saying “asabiraki please!” and I can assure you will have great Japanese sake experience. Enjoy!

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Deep Japan – Experienced Senpais living in and enjoying Japan offer inside-knowledge on how to make your trip real, interesting and above all, unforgettable.

Join the Deep Japan Senpai Team – Anyone currently living in Japan for a year or more who can write tips for visitors in English is welcome to register on Deep Japan as a writer.

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