Communicating the potential of horse-grown rice through sake

Horse plowing involves plowing fields using the power of horses, and horse transport involves cutting down trees from mountains. It is a traditional Japanese practice that was practiced in many regions in the days when there were no machines, but today there are only a few ``horse guides'' in the country who have the skills to raise and train horses. The company was founded by Kei Iwama, himself a horseman, and is developing a wide range of businesses that utilize livestock power, hoping to pass on to future generations the skills of horse transport and horse plowing, which are dying out due to the aging of the population and mechanization. [Sanhorsepower Co., Ltd.].In the spring of 2020, we started producing sake rice using horse cultivation in Tokamachi City and Tsunan Town, Niigata Prefecture. Together with the members who received technical guidance from Mr. Iwama, they cultivated Gohyakumangoku, a rice suitable for sake brewing, without pesticides, coexisting with nature, people, and horses. The farm in Tsunan Town is located at an altitude of 600 meters, and is surrounded by clear mountain water from the upper reaches of Mt. Naeba, a place rich in nature. The fields in Tokamachi City are beautiful terraced rice fields spread out in a mountainous area. The terroir unique to this soil creates a cycle in which horses work together with people to cultivate the fields, eat the grass on the land, and the horse manure is returned to the fields as fertilizer.The baton of precious sake rice, produced through the combination of fields, people, and horses, was entrusted to local sake brewing companies [Tsunan Jozo] and Fushimi, Kyoto [Shotoku Sake Brewery], and was brewed, resulting in the birth of two types of ``Tenjinba'': black and white. Since its release in June 2, a new product has been released once a year. Although each type has a different polishing and brewing method, they all attract attention for their deep flavors that convey the strength of the earth. Japanese sake that you want to think about the background to its creation and enjoy the taste of each year like wine. The potential of Umakomai, which utilizes the old to create the new, is likely to expand even further.