Updated November 12, 2024
It's said that long ago, in the Edo period, there were around 27,000 sake breweries across Japan. Today there are still breweries that maintain the splendid reputation of the sake breweries of old, but did you know that there are even breweries to be found within the Tokyo metropolitan area? At present there are around 10 such breweries, and each one preserves the flavour, quality, and traditions of sake.
The traditional sake brewery that's been producing sake since 1702, Ozawa Shuzo brewery and its Sawanoi sake.
SOURCE : http://www.kenkodojo.com/
Located alongside the Mitake Valley in Ome City, the Sawanoi sake brewery is owned by Ozawa Shuzo brewery. The brewery is easily accessible, as it's located just a 5 minute walk from Sawai Station on the Okutama-bound JR Ome Line. The brewing water bubbles up in the heart of caves hollowed out in the bedrock of the Chichibu Palaeozoic Strata. The brewery is surrounded by the rich natural environment of the Tama area, with its rows of mountains and lush greenery. At Sawanoi-en, the garden established at the brewery, you can enjoy a delicious meal while admiring the beauty of the nature around you.
Take a trip around the brewery and learn the fundamentals of sake brewing.
SOURCE : http://blog.livedoor.jp/masaakionaka/archives/3939248.html
SOURCE : http://yamaro.asablo.jp/blog/2013/02/23/6728785
At Sawanoi there are 3 cellars (kura in Japanese) - one built in the Genroku era, one built in the Meiji era, and one built in the Heisei era. Once you pass through the hefty door and make your way into the cellar, you'll find that it's refreshingly cool. The sweet smell of the nigori mould used to produce Japanese sake drifts through the air. Inside there are rows of enamelled wine casks - apparently thanks to their massive size, they hold enough sake that if you drank one cup every day it would take you 40 years to empty the cask! Nowadays, enamelled and stainless steel casks are the most common, but at Sawanoi efforts are being made to return to the wooden casks of old. Thanks to these efforts, visitors can take a look at a wine cask made from the wood of a 300 year old Japanese cedar tree. If you want to take part in the brewery tour, you'll need to make a reservation. You can reserve a place either online or by telephone.
Sawanoi has long been blessed by its two wells.
SOURCE : http://dankg3.g.dgdg.jp/index.php?2015-03-31%E3%80%80%E6%BE%A4%E4%B9%83%E4%BA%95
The sake brewed at Sawanoi is made using two different types of spring water - the medium-hard water from the Brewery Well, and the soft water from the Mountain Well. The Brewery Well is a 140 metre deep horizontal well, and it was excavated using a single chisel 170 years ago. It's said that its water, which permeates through the rock of the Chichibu Palaeozoic Strata, was once known as fuzoushirazu, meaning "the water that doesn't spoil". The water of each well contains very few impurities like iron and manganese, and its high quality makes it perfect as a brewing water for sake. It seems that using these two waters, each with its own unique properties, broadens the scope of sake brewing. You can also sample the brewing water itself at Sawanoi-en.
Before you head home, make sure you take part in some wine tasting and enjoy learning about the different types of sake.
SOURCE : http://tabica.jp/blog/2073
Once you've learned about sake, you definitely won't want to miss the opportunity to take part in a little wine tasting and compare some different varieties of sake. At Sawanoi-en's sake tasting corner, visitors can sample around 10 different varieties of sake at the reasonable price of between 200 to 500 per ochoko, the small cup used when drinking sake. Refills are available with a 100 discount. It's a great opportunity to compare the tone, aroma, and taste of a variety of different sake.
Established in 1863, Ishikawa Shuzo brewery is home to the famous sake Tamajiman as well as craft beers.
SOURCE : http://blog.jizake.com/
Ishikawa Shuzo is located in Kumagawa, Fussa City. Located just a 15 minute walk from JR Hajima Station, this brewery is also easy to get to. The brewery's three-storey dozou cellar with its thick earthen walls was built in 1880 (the 13th year of the Meiji era), and it's designated as a Tangible Cultural Property. The manufacture and storage of sake both take place within this cellar. The brewery's main building retains its traditional appearance, with its Nagaya-mon Gate and twin 400 year old Japanese zelkova trees. Visitors can enjoy Japanese cuisine at the Zougura restaurant, or Italian cuisine at Fussa no Birugoya. It's the perfect chance to enjoy both sake and craft-beers!
The oldest existing brew kettle in Japan:
SOURCE : http://blog.jizake.com/
It's said that in the Meiji era (1868-1912), there was a Japanese craft beer brewery that had been brewing for around 100 to 150 years, but Ishikawa Shuzo first began brewing in 1888. However, as methods of sealing the bottles and refrigeration techniques weren't yet adequately developed, after just 1 year the company decided that it wasn't ready yet and stopped brewing beer. In 1998, Ishikawa Shuzo once again began brewing beer, and it currently produces Tama no Megumi Pale Ale (meaning "the blessing of Tama"). The beer kettle that was used to boil the wort (beer before yeast is added) when the brewery first attempted to brew beer is believed to be the oldest existing brew kettle in Japan.
At Ishikawa Shuzo, visitors can enjoy a tour of the cellar in English.
SOURCE : http://blog.goo.ne.jp/y54akio
In the past, sake was brewed at Ishikawa Shuzo by an Echigo Toji guild sake master from the city of Matsudai in Niigata. An employee who studied zymurgy (the study of fermentation, including winemaking and brewing) at Tokyo University of Agriculture learned the skills of brewing from their predecessor, and took part in Nanbu Toji guild seminars, thus inheriting the role of brewing sake at Ishikawa Shuzo. The fact that visitors can go inside a sake cellar that's been designated as a Tangible Cultural Property is truly incredible! You'll need to make a reservation to be able to join the cellar tour. What's more, at Ishikawa Shuzo cellar tours are available in both Japanese and English, so even foreign visitors who aren't able to speak Japanese can take part without any worry. Reservations are available via telephone.
So,
what did you think about made-in-Tokyo sake? By actually visiting a brewery, you have the chance to truly experience the history of sake and the feelings of the people who brew it. Consequently, you may feel much more of a connection with sake itself. Depending on the brewery, when you visit you can sample some freshly brewed sake, or taste sake that aren't available to buy at any shops - there are so many things to enjoy! And since these breweries are just a train ride away, you can put worries like "What about the drive home?" out of your mind!