There are 7 sake breweries in Takayama and they hold their brewing facility tours for visitors in winter. Today, we would like to introduce one, the Kawashiri sake brewery (founded in 1839) tour in 2016.

Sake brewery tour has ended in 2019.
It will renew and start as Hida Takayama NONBEI Festival in 2020.

When walking along the old street, you will find a sign hung cedar ball. The ball means the brewery has made new sake. Let’s go inside!

The sign with a cedar ball and inside the brewery founded 178 years ago

You will join a tour with a guide in a colorful Happi coat with other tour guests. The Happi coat is the same as Takayama festival’s one.

The guide leads you to the back of the brewery. / Steaming rice / Manuals on the walls

[Process of sake brewing]
Rice polishing→Washing→Steaming→Fermenting→Moromi-shibori(filter press)→Heat sterilizing
Rice polishing rate for sake rice is lower than 90 % for rice for eat, so the special rice “Hidahomare” bred for sake is used.

Moromi is being stocked in these tanks.

The Kawashiri brewery uses the traditional low-volume production method from Edo period, so they use a few tanks to stock as you see.
Therefore, a brand sake named Hida Masamune is supplied only in retailers.

The wooden tub is piled up with bagged Moromi.

Moromi-shibori is one of the process to separate nama-zake (sake without heat sterilization) and sake-kasu (sake lees). Almost breweries use machines such as compressors or separators, but only the Kawashiri brewery uses manual labor. That’s why there is little Zatsumi(unfavorable taste in sake) and people can enjoy the original taste of sake.

A seasoned cedar ball is being suspended from the ceiling.

After the tour, you can try sake: Genshu(undiluted sake) named Hida-masamune in 2010. It is light yellow and its taste is soft.
The Kawashiri brewery keep sticking to the original method and aged sake. Most of people say freshly pressed sake is the best, but aged sake has smooth and savory taste. It is recommended to whom does not like dry sake.

Hida-masamune got a prize overseas

They display their sake and their certificates of achievement in shopping area. Hida-masamune got a silver medal at the International Wine Challenge. People from abroad like aged sake like wine and brandy.
How was the Kawashiri brewery tour?
Takayama has the sake brewery tours every winter, so come and join us!