Countryside towns in Japan, while short on residents, never seem to be lacking in folklore or legends. Some are so outlandish, one wonders if sake may have been a major influence in their creation. The small town of Agamachi in Niigata, home to some 11,000 or so residents, has one of the more interesting legends…
People have long said that the warm climate of Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s four major islands, is not suitable for making sake, and it is therefore predominantly a shochu-producing region. Geographically, the island of Kyushu can be roughly split into north and south along the prefectural border of Miyazaki and Oita, with that line…
When you visit Japan and look for some good sake to bring back to your home country (or to drink in your hotel room–we surely won’t dissuade you), choosing a single place to buy premium sake from the ridiculous number of quality options can be a daunting task. For this issue we wanted to give…
Imagine for a moment running a family-owned business founded in 1550. What would you feel? Excitement? Honor? Nervousness? Now consider that this business suddenly has to operate in a global market–the alcohol beverage industry–and that this space is fiercely competitive. What then? Pressure? “No, no pressure at all,” says Shintarô Konishi, 15th-generation president of Konishi…
Not every kura can be a rustic reminder of the past. As technology advanced it became more efficient to house a brewery in a modern building that eschews traditional architecture. Surely the romantics among us love that old wooden kura with its elegant, aged beams and signature chimney. But let’s be honest–when it comes down…
Tochigi Prefecture is well-known for the internationally famous tourist spot Nikkô. It is also known in Japan as a region that produces a wide array of vegetables and fruit, in particular, strawberries. In recent years it has been garnering increasing popularity as a key region for sake fans as well. Like its prefectural neighbors of…