Making Junmai Sake (pure rice sake)
Created by the climate and people of Harima,
Making pure rice sake that touches your heart.
Harimanokuni, Kasai, Hyogo Prefecture
It is neither a city nor a mountainous backcountry, but a rural area located in the center of the wide open Banshu Plain. This town, where history and the future are woven together in harmony, has a long history and a rich nature that holds dreams for the future.
At the southwestern edge of the town, a beautiful natural area along the Zenpo River at the foot of the mountains is the hometown of Fukunishiki, our brewery. The sake rice grown here and the climate allow us to brew Junmai sake that only our brewery can produce.
Region × Philosophy × Taste = FUKUNISHIKI
The taste of sake comes from the philosophy of how it’s brewed, and this philosophy is closely connected to the region.
One of the charms of locally brewed sake is that it reflects the color of the region.
We believe that local sake is a fusion of ingredients such as rice and water, fermentation suited to the temperature and weather, and flavors that fit in with food and lifestyle, all of which can only be brewed in this region.
We have aimed to do our unique work in a collaboration with the local community to make the blessings of the soil, wind, rain, and sun of Kasai region into sake.
Our mission is to produce sake that only we can brew, with the fresh, clear air and agricultural flavor unique of the countryside, while preserving the idyllic scenery of the Banshu Plain.
Region
Warm and mild climate, the complete natural environment for sake rice
Agriculture unique to the Harima Plain
Sake rice, represented by Yamada-Nishiki, is a unique characteristic of this region, made possible by the mild weather of the Banshu Plain. Kasai, Hyogo Prefecture, is located in the plain rather than in the mountains of the Banshu Plain.
In our area, we take advantage of this location to farm rice in a spacious and windy environment. The rich soil, abundant in calcareous minerals, and the wealth of water and the quality of clean water from the many reservoirs dotted throughout the area allow us to cultivate great sake rice. We aim for sustainable agriculture through our unique contract cultivation system with young farmers, in which sake rice is cultivated over a long period of time in three stages: early, medium, and late maturing.
Philosophy
Based on the characteristics and instincts of microorganisms.
Based on the characteristics and instincts of microorganisms.
Fukunikushiki-style traditional Kimoto sake brewing
In addition to Yamada-Nishiki, we have revived sake rice that was active more than 80 years before Yamadanishiki was created, and added new sake rice created through improvements, growing more than five varieties of sake rice that are suited to the climate of Banshu.
The sake brewing method that makes the most of the characteristics of each of these rice varieties is the "Fukunishiki-style traditional Kimoto sake brewing" that we are currently working on.
This method of sake brewing, which allows the characteristics of the variety to be expressed to the fullest extent, is based on the climate of the region and the use of the traditional Kimoto style, which has been utilized in Hyogo Prefecture since ancient times.
In order to produce sake that expresses this region, we brew sake based on our unique fermentation theory.
Taste
It makes your dishes shine and bring out synergistic effects
Sake that goes well with Banshu cuisine
Hyogo Prefecture has a large land area from south to north with different climates and other environments. We are located in the southern part of Hyogo Prefecture. To the south, it is about 20 km to the Seto Inland Sea, and to the north are mountains and plateaus, with vast plains in between.
The local food in this area comes from both the sea and the mountains, and its soy sauce culture is based on light soy sauce from Tatsuno, a well-known soy sauce producer in the Kansai region. The area is rich in light seafood from the Seto Inland Sea, as well as mushrooms, chicken, and other protein-rich ingredients, and can be said to be a region that makes the most of the flavors of its ingredients in its cuisine.
Our sake is not rich, but has a transparent flavor with a light acidity and a lingering aftertaste that quickly recedes.
Fukunishiki Sake Brewing
Raising Sake Rice that is grown by its climate and the nature there
Rice grows with climate and passion.
We talk with our farmers, sometimes over sake, and work together to cultivate sake rice suitable for our sake brewing.
We are proud to say that our sake, made only with rice from Kasai, is the best sake in the region.
What we can do because we make by hand
The environment in which rice is grown and sake is made differs from year to year.
Sake brewing is a process of repetitive and flexible changes.
We look at each situation one by one and interact with the invisible protagonists.
Brewing beautiful sake could never be done without human senses and sensitivity.
Brewed with only rice
Japanese Sake is originally brewed simply with only rice and water.
We continue this way to make only Junmai Sake (Pure Rice Sake) using techniques and wisdom cultivated over many years.
We only use the finest sake rice grown in Kasai, so that people can experience the unique flavors of the rice in Junmai Sake.
Challenging the wisdom of our predecessors
We were astonished at the depth and grandeur of sake when we learned about the ancient brewing method that has been passed on since the Edo period.
The complex and delicate fermentation technique is unparalleled in the world, and how could people in the past manipulate it without analysis? We will continue to challenge ourselves until we find out.
When there's food, there's Sake
Food enhances the taste of Sake.
Sake and food complement each other.
We consider our sake as the one being loved not only for its showiness and rarity, but also for its timeless appeal.
