Harada Shuzo　|　Hida Jizake Gura

Harada Shuzo(Takayama)

history

Sake brewed by the people of Hida, who inherited the traditions and refined their skills

Since its founding in 1855, Harada Sake Brewery has been brewing sake at its brewery in Kamisannomachi, an area with an old streetscape in Hida Takayama. It is said that the first generation Uchieya Chogoro, who noticed the sake brewing in Nada and Fushimi, which are close to Kyoto, started brewing sake in Hida, where Kyoto culture and Edo culture are fused. Since then, sake has been brewed by ten generations from the Edo period to the present day, and all the brewers working at the brewery are from Hida, and they have continued to brew “Hida local sake” to this day. Some breweries welcome Echigo and Nanbu Toji to brew sake, but at Harada Sake Brewery, the people of Hida inherit the tradition, hone their skills, and brew sake. The sake is loved by locals, and was named “Yashira” after the gorgeous festival floats at the Takayama Festival.

Sake brewing

Traditional techniques and new power

Yamasha, the sake brewed by Harada Sake Brewery, is a local Hida sake that has a light taste but also a rich, mellow rice flavor, the result of generations of Hida people honing their brewing techniques. Yamasha’s unique rich flavor is achieved using the “Okuden Hida-ryu harsh winter brewing method,” which makes use of the harsh cold of Hida to brew the sake. Recently, we have also been brewing sake using a special yeast called “flower yeast,” which is made by cultivating wild yeast collected from natural flowers using a special process for sake brewing. It brings out the elegant, fruity aroma and flavor, and depending on the type of flower, it can improve sharpness or broaden the flavor, brewing new flavors that are different from previous sake yeasts, making us feel the infinite possibilities of sake.

Flower yeast

Yeast that gives infinite possibilities to sake

Flower yeast is a yeast that was first created by Professor Nakata Kubo of the Liquor Research Laboratory, Department of Brewing, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Junior College, when he isolated it from flower nectar. Yeast is essential for the alcoholic fermentation of sake, and Harada Sake Brewery cultivates “flower yeast” in-house to brew sake. These naturally occurring, fresh and lively flower yeasts such as “Abelia,” “Nadeshiko,” and “Hibigusa” are used to create new flavors that are different from previous sake yeasts. And these flower yeasts are now used in more than just ginjo brewing, opening up endless possibilities for sake, not only ginjo sake but also junmai ginjo sake, junmai sake, and honjozo sake.

Hida sake

The natural blessings of the Northern Alps

The Hida region is located in the northern part of Gifu Prefecture. Gifu Prefecture is also known as the Land of Mountains and Water, and is located in the center of the Japanese archipelago, with majestic mountains of 3,000 meters above sea level that are called the roof of Japan. The pure water that comes from these mountains nurtures rice and provides various benefits. Water is a key ingredient in sake, and is indispensable in the production process, so huge quantities are required, and the quality of the water is a major factor that determines the taste of the sake. Hida’s water, which is made up of melted snow from the Northern Alps and filtered by the fertile mountains, is characterized by few impurities and is the source of Hida’s sake.