Shimaoka Sake Brewery in Ota City, Gunma Prefecture, was founded in 3 and has been steadily brewing sake using the "kimoto-style yamahai" method since the beginning. In recent years, more and more breweries are using the kimoto-style yeast starter method in order to return to nature, but the brewery has continued to evolve its brewing method, which has remained unchanged since the brewery's founding, without overemphasizing it, while still keeping it simple. We interviewed Shimaoka Toshinobu, the representative of Shimaoka Sake Brewery and the head brewer, to find out his thoughts on the process.

We make only the sake we really want to make, on a scale where we can enjoy the work.

I spoke to this person

Shimaoka Toshinori, Representative Director of Shimaoka Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.

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After graduating from university, he worked as an employee of a general company in Tokyo, then studied sake brewing at the former National Tax Agency Brewing Research Institute in Hiroshima Prefecture, and became the sixth head of the family and chief brewer. He originally liked the carefree lifestyle of a backpacker, and his current hobbies are mountain climbing and food. This year, he and his son climbed the Gendarme in the Hida Mountains, which is said to be the most difficult place in the world. He also enjoys food at home and on trips with his son.

Shimaoka Sake Brewery was founded in 3. It has a history of over 1863 years in Ota City, Gunma Prefecture, an area blessed with quality underground water from the Akagi Mountains. It is a sake brewery that carefully produces delicious sake that will make sake lovers exclaim, "Ahh!" when they hear the brand name "Gunma Izumi."

-First, please tell us about the unique characteristics of Shimaoka Sake Brewery.
Shimaoka-san: "We've continued yamahai brewing since the beginning, we use local rice for almost all of our sake, and we age our regular sake for one to two years before bottling and shipping it. These days, there are more and more breweries like this, but I don't think there were many 1 years ago."

-Speaking of Gunma Izumi, I get the impression that it's very compact, with a limited number of items.
Shimaoka-san: "That's right. We don't use many new or unusual ingredients in our sake brewing process, and we focus on using only the ingredients that we are familiar with. We only want to make sake that we are truly passionate about, so we don't have any plans to increase our product lineup."

-Is there an ideal way to make sake?
Shimaoka: "My grandfather was an appraiser of Japanese swords, so I'm influenced by that, but when it comes to sake brewing, or rather 'manufacturing,' I admire things like crafts, Japanese painting, and pottery. These are traditional Japanese industries. When it comes to sake brewing, I think it's good to have a workplace of a size where you can enjoy the fun and difficulty of the work. Our company produces just under 500 koku, and that's fine. I like manufacturing where you can stare intently at minute changes in numbers, or even changes that can't be measured by numbers, every day."

"A kimoto-style Yamahai sake that warms the soul of those who drink it"

Among what Shimaoka calls the "three pillars," the most distinctive feature of Shimaoka Sake Brewery is the traditional "kimoto-style Yamahai brewing" method that has been continued since the brewery's founding. This is an old-fashioned sake brewing method that uses the power of natural microorganisms to disinfect wild yeast and bacteria.

- Is there a reason or reason why you continue to make Yamahai sake in the same way as in the past?
Shimaoka-san: "One reason is that our well water has a higher hardness than other sake brewers in Japan. Water quality is important for sake brewing. Sake made with hard water is still a little hard and astringent in early spring, but conversely, the quality of the sake does not weaken even if it is left for a while. I felt that the best way to make use of this water is to make aged sake. Furthermore, sake that is suited to aging is one that has a strong base, so the logic is that kimoto and yamahai types are the best. Also, we are grateful that our brewery is home to two types of natural lactic acid bacteria that are essential for kimoto and yamahai. In fact, our brewery burned down once in 2, and we considered closing down for a while, but when we sprayed the bacteria strains that we had been keeping in our new brewery, they took root, so we have been able to continue."

- Kimoto and Yamahai brewing methods give the impression of being "more natural," but do you have any particular preferences, such as using yeast that is in-house at the brewery?
Shimaoka: "I think there's something appealing about catchy-sounding terms like 'no added yeast' or 'brewery yeast', but I'm not particularly interested in explicitly stating those techniques on the label. In fact, I don't think it's necessary to write 'Yamahai' either (laughs). Rather than using that as a selling point to get customers to buy in, I'm happier when the old man in my neighborhood simply says, 'It's cheap, but it's delicious.'
"It's fine if we can make something that tastes good!" is our main theme, and the sake we aim to make is "a sake that will warm the soul of the drinker." It's a sake that really soothes the soul when you're tired, like miso soup at home. There are a lot of trendy, flashy sakes out there, but I feel like there aren't many that have a soothing taste."

--So you didn't want the manufacturing method to take on a life of its own?
Shimaoka-san: "Yes, it's true that in terms of the manufacturing process, Yamahai is more difficult because there are fewer steps that require manual intervention. Instead of using Yamaoroshi, we have to strictly control the temperature to allow the koji to dissolve the rice properly. That being said, I don't think, 'It's a lot of work, so I want people to just drink it.'"

-I can kind of understand what you're saying.
Shimaoka-san: "In the past, I was hesitant because I thought our sake had a country taste, but this sake has a soothing, familiar taste. I make it with the desire to present it as something that is 'a little pretty, without being fancy.'"

Aging is a process like "carving and polishing a stone"

Shimaoka says that like wine, the final goal of Yamahai brewing is to age the sake.

- I think it probably all comes down to "it has to taste good," but what are your thoughts about aging?
Shimaoka: "Maybe it's because I'm Japanese, but I think that of all alcoholic drinks, sake is the one that gets you drunk the most gently. What's more, I feel that sake that has been aged and has a slightly mellow taste can make you feel like you're in a hot spring. I want the sake that I serve in my brewery to be just that gentle."

-As it ages, it becomes more rounded and smooth.
Shimaoka-san: "Yes. Aging adds off-flavors, but more than that, it removes excess flavor. I think of aging as being like the process of grinding and polishing a stone. The changes that occur with aging in the sake stored in our tanks are like taking a large, rough stone and grinding the edges off it with a chisel to make them more rounded. After about two years, it changes into something that resembles a 'good stone with a nice flavor.'"

-It feels like sharp edges are being smoothed out.
"On the other hand, those that are refrigerated early are like spiky confetti that has been sanded with sandpaper, and as they age, the surface becomes shiny and glossy as they are stored in the refrigerator while retaining their shape. Furthermore, I believe that sake that will be exhibited should have a taste that makes it seem as if the sake was in the shape of a round, sparkling ball at the moment it was pressed."

Sake World: Gunma Izumi recommended for sub-zero storage of NFTs

Among the "Gunma Izumi" sakes, Shimaoka selected two that he thought would be good for sub-zero aging at Sake World NFT. They are scheduled to be exhibited in the future.

Gunma Izumi Premium Junmai
Rice used: Wakamizu
Rice polishing rate: 50%
Alcohol degree: 15.5 degree
Sake degree: +3
Acidity: 1.7
Aged for about two years, this sake has a smooth, elegant, and calm taste. It can be enjoyed at a variety of temperatures, from chilled, and shows off different characteristics depending on the temperature.

Gunma Izumi Light Green Yamahai Junmai Ginjo
Rice used: Wakamizu
Rice polishing rate: 50%
Alcohol degree: 15.5 degree
Sake degree: +3
Acidity: 1.6
This is a Yamahai Junmai Ginjo that can be enjoyed chilled. Although it is made using the Yamahai method, it has a refreshing, light flavor and acidity that gives it a youthful taste, and is made that year.

-Could you tell us about the characteristics of each type of sake and the image of the sake that you have in your mind?
Shimaoka-san: "About 7% of our sake is made using the sake rice "Wakamizushi" from Gunma Prefecture, and these two bottles of sake also use "Wakamizushi". And both are polished to the same degree, 2%. The way the rice is washed, the koji and yeast are all the same. But the Chotokusen sake has been aged to give it the image of a "grandfather". It's a sake that makes you think of a very refined old gentleman or a veteran professor. But it also makes you think, 'This isn't just an old man, is it?' (laughs)"

-It's elegant, but not exactly straightforward, is it?
Shimaoka: "But it makes the food you pair it with taste amazing, and because there's room for more sake, it makes you want to have something to snack on with it. I personally find it boring when the drink is the only thing that completes it."

-What kind of image do you have of the color "light green"?
Shimaoka-san: "The image of Tanryoku is that of a mischievous young man from the countryside. Maybe around high school age? It's a handsome sake with the feel of what used to be called a 'toppoi'."

-What kind of changes do you expect to occur when storing these in Sake World NFT's -5℃ cellar?
Shimaoka-san: "It's like the 'polishing stone' process I mentioned earlier. When you store it below zero, it's not like polishing it with a coarse object, but like sanding it with a very fine file. So the shape of the sake will be almost the same as before storage, but the surface will become smoother, which will change the taste. When we ship it, it's at a point where we think it's at its 'best,' but there's a lot of hope that it might go from 97-98 points to 99 points."

To ensure that Gunma Springs will continue to be enjoyed

-Do you have any vision for the future or any new challenges you would like to try?
Shimaoka-san: "Honestly, the guidelines haven't changed. But because we work with nature every year, we continue to experiment with methods and detailed procedures that can't be seen on the surface. We know that it's no good to keep making the exact same thing without evolving, and sake is becoming more and more refined with the times. So, something that will be drunk forever is not the same as something that stays the same forever. While we keep to the zone that "must not change," we make sake that can shine even more within that zone. It's like we keep searching for the best place within that zone at any given time."

Shimaoka's commitment to "not showing his commitment" and his vivid depiction of the liquid known as sake, which has no correct answer, are like those of a craftsman or artist. Please try drinking Gunma Izumi and experience the image that Shimaoka paints.

Writer: Arika Mito
Living in Tokyo / Sake/Japanese writer, Japanese teacher, Sake taster
A writer and teacher who is active in the "two (Japanese) pillars" of Japanese and sake. Her favorite brand is ``Yamato Shizuku'' and she has a strong love for Akita Prefecture.
Other than alcohol, my hobbies are fashion and perfume. Qualifications: SAKE DIPLOMA, Sake Studies Instructor, Sake Master, Japanese Language Teaching Proficiency Test