Regionality and Sake Brewing

Appreciation and respect for the greatness of nature

Thanks to nature’s blessing—rice and water—and the people here, Kojima Sohonten has continued brewing in the same place since our inauguration in 1597. We appreciate nature and people. Our goal is to make sake that embraces these characteristics.

Kojima Sohonten is the closest brewery to the source of Mogami River and has been blessed with the cleanest soft water. Yonezawa, where the brewery is located, is in a heavy snowfall area where annual snowfall amounts to six meters. The abundant water from melting snow that flows from Mt. Azuma becomes the source of the Mogami River which runs through Yamagata Prefecture.

The headwaters of the Mogami River consist of melted snow-water that filters through the strata, absorbing minerals and turns into groundwater with an elegant mouth feel until it arrives at our brewery. The temperature of the groundwater equals to the annual average temperature of the land. Water from our well is at 11℃, which is Yonezawa’s annual average temperature.

11℃ is the temperature we recommend for drinking Toko. No one knows if it’s just a coincidence. Though, once you drink Toko and feel the soft, delicate texture, you might arrive at a simple conclusion: “the natural temperature brings out the best.”

Snowfall on the mountains starts melting slowly in the spring, and eventually becomes the water that fills the rice fields. One of our important principles is using the same headwater for both sake brewing and rice farming.

To make the most out of this blessed land, Kojima Sohonten founded Yonezawa Sake Rice Society and has worked with contracted rice farmers. Many members are seasonal workers; they farm rice in the summer, and brew sake in the winter. This creates a deep bond between all elements in the making of our sake.

　“Our local rice looks different when rinsing and soaking it in local water.
The rice has been with the water from the beginning."

When the brewers say such things, we can understand exactly what they mean.

We, humans, cannot intervene with the work of microorganisms which can be seen only through a microscope. All we can do is to read the signals they send and promote a good environment for them. It seems primitive, but we feel we can communicate with the microorganisms through nothing but our senses and hands.

In the winter, when everything is covered with snow, the brewery becomes stable at a low temperature and provides the microorganisms the ideal environment for fermentation. Sake brewed slowly in cold air has a fresher and more delicate taste just like fruits in a cold region.

In addition to the rice and the water, microorganisms are also a necessary component for brewing sake in Yonezawa’s environment.