The Art of Sake Brewing (vol.3)_English

From the Azuchi-Momoyama period to the Edo period, the town of Fushimi flourished as a key transportation hub and post town connecting Osaka and Kyoto. It has long been blessed with traditional sake brewing techniques and abundant underground water. By 1657, there were eighty-three sake breweries in this bustling area, frequented by travelers and goods. One of the most historic sake breweries in Kyoto, Gekkeikan Co., Ltd., was founded in 1637 and has been a leading force in the sake industry's innovation while carrying forward the legacy of Fushimi's sake.

According to Mitsuru Sakamoto, the Group Leader of the Ote 1st Brewery at Gekkeikan's Brewing Department, Fushimi's sake is characterized by its "mild, subtly sweet flavor." The brewing water is medium-hard, with 50–60 ppm hardness, which "allows the yeast to ferment well, producing a refined finish."

Another unique feature of Fushimi's sake is the "yondan-jikomi (four-stage mashing process)". At the end of the fermentation process (at the fourth stage), they add steamed rice to the mash to impart a natural sweetness. "Perhaps due to its development alongside Kyoto's court cuisine, it has a clean, refined taste that goes well with Kyoto-style dishes," says Sakamoto.

"If the quality control team is the conductor, then the brewing team is the performer, " Sakamoto says. To achieve the quality the "conductor" seeks, the company adopts a collaborative approach: "If we can achieve the desired quality through the current blending, we proceed. If not, we try brewing it within the brewing group, and the research institute works on development. Once it’s developed, the brewing group works on ensuring reproducibility," utilizing both analytical and technical capabilities for product development.

"Our brewing group has the skill to achieve the desired quality, even though there are variations in raw materials. While I understand that designing and creating toji(master brewer)’s own sake is appealing, I find it pretty interesting and satisfying to always hit the goal no matter what kind of ball comes our way."

In Gekkeikan’s Ote 2nd Brewery, fourteen soaking tanks, each capable of processing five tons of rice, are lined up, and the production site boasts an impressive 160 fermentation tanks. The scale of the machinery is extraordinary, with two steam rice machines capable of steaming four tons of rice per hour and six koji production machines capable of handling six tons each.

"Because of the size of the brewery, safety is our top priority," says Sakamoto. "If used correctly, machines will always produce ideal results. However, the larger the scale, the greater the impact of any troubles that occur. I always make sure that our workers aren’t taking unnecessary risks and that they’re working safely."

The brewing leader's role differs somewhat from that of a traditional toji who oversees the entire process from design to execution. In large companies like Gekkeikan, the designing process and the brewing process are separated, and various departments work together to create sake. However, Sakamoto emphasizes that "both toji and brewing leaders share the same careful attention to raw materials, mash, and the finished sake." By sensing the characteristics of the machine and the state of the material, they make various adjustments.

Both toji and brewing leaders require strong observational skills. "Since we're working with microorganisms, observing every step of the process is critical. It’s not just 'seeing' but 'observing,'" says Sakamoto. "Yoshinori Otaki, who was recognized as a ‘Kyoto Master Craftsman (Kyo-no-Meisho)’ in 2017, also said, 'Observe and gain insight into the koji and the mash.' The important thing is whether you can notice slightest things by observing the target. This applies not just to sake brewing, but to any profession."

While the brewing team’s keen observation is vital, the company’s strength cannot be fully explained without mentioning the quality control team. "When the brewing group brings koji to the analysis department, they have the data ready by the next week. If improvements are necessary, we make adjustments based on the vast amounts of data accumulated. We are blessed with a wonderful environment to aim for the goal," says Sakamoto.

Despite the company's advanced analytical capabilities, Sakamoto notes that there’s still unknown elements of sake. "There are countless elements and brewing components that don’t show up in analysis results, and there are infinite variables. Even when the analytical values are the same, the taste can vary. It's fun to think, 'what could be causing this?' while reviewing the processes with my colleagues and engaging in trial and error," he says with a smile.

"Ichi-koji, Ni-moto, San-tsukuri (First Koji, Second Seed mash, Third Brewing; three important steps in sake brewing) ", is one of the deep factors that do not easily appear in analytical data but have a significant influence on the quality of the final product. Currently, Sakamoto is deliberately fixing the yeast and trying to refine the foundation of the steps.

The foundation of the steps lies in processing raw materials and koji-making. And throughout the important steps, Gekkeikan makes good use of the machines manufactured by Fujiwara Techno-Art.

 "As I get older, I find sake more and more delicious. It's comforting and soothing. Sake is a drink born and developed in Japan, so it probably suits my body. Even though the domestic market is shrinking, I believe sake will never disappear from Japanese people’s ordinary lives," said Sakamoto.

When asked what kind of sake he wants to create in the future, he replied, "I want to make a sake that everyone loves. Ideally, people would say, 'I've always drank this sake thinking it was delicious. I didn't know which company made it, but it was Gekkeikan.'"