Events and brewery openings more exciting than last year

The Fushimi Sake Brewers Association has been holding a "Sake Festival" every March, with the aim of encouraging people to "visit the sake breweries and historic town of Fushimi, Kyoto, and experience its charm for themselves."

In 2024, the scale of the traditional "Sake Festival" will be expanded to the "Fushimi Sake Festival" with Fushimi Port Park as the main venue. This year, the second time the festival has been held, the main venue was changed to Gekkeikan Showagura.

The event was held in Fushimi, Kyoto, one of the nation's leading sake producing regions, and around the area, 11 sake breweries simultaneously held their own brewery openings.

It was a large-scale event involving the entire town, with participants touring Fushimi whilst enjoying sake, mainly from Gekkeikan Showagura.

Compare and taste four different types of sake at the main venue, Gekkeikan Showagura!

The main venue, Gekkeikan Showagura, is located almost in the center of the breweries and was bustling with visitors from the morning onwards.

The event will be held in four parts instead of three last year, and efforts were made to reduce crowding by reducing the number of people per part and setting up waiting lines for each brewery.

There are 18 types of sake available for tasting (fees apply). Starting with Fushimi, you can compare four types of famous Kyoto sake. Additional tickets in a set of three are also available for 4 yen, allowing you to sample as many as you like within the time limit.

The brands of sake offered at the main venue from each brewery are as follows:
(Brewery name, brand, and rice used)

• ●Kizakura Kashofu Daiginjo Kizakura (Yamada Nishiki)
• ●Kitagawa Honke Tomiou Junmai Daiginjo Sasanigori Nama Genshu (Japanese rice)
• ●Kyohime Shuzo Yamada Nishiki Daiginjo Takumi (Yamada Nishiki)
• ●Kinshi Masamune Kinshi Masamune Junmai Daiginjo (celebration)
• ● Gekkeikan Hourin Junmai Daiginjo (not open to the public)
• ●Saito Sake Brewery Eikun Junmai Daiginjo Genshu (Congratulations, Shining of Kyoto)
• ●Shotoku Sake Brewery Junmai Daiginjo Enju Sennen (Yamada Nishiki from Hyogo Prefecture)
• ●Joyo Sake Brewery Joyo Junmai Daiginjo 40 (XNUMX million koku) (XNUMX million koku produced in Kyoto Prefecture)
• Takara Shuzo Shochikubai Fushimi Limited Edition ＜Daiginjo＞ (Yamada Nishiki from Hyogo Prefecture)
• ● Tamanohikari Sake Brewery Junmai Daiginjo Made with organic fertilizer 100% Miyamanishiki (Miyamanishiki)
• ●Toyosawa Honten Toyoiwai Junmai Daiginjo (Celebration)
• Higashiyama Sake Brewery Daiginjo Kundeki (Yamada Nishiki)
• Heiwa Shuzo Junmai Daiginjo Keicho Fushimi Sake (Yamada Nishiki)
• ● Masuda Tokubei Shoten Tsuki no Katsura Yanagi Junmai Ginjo Sake (Yamada Nishiki)
• Matsumoto Sake Brewery's Momo no Shizuku Junmai Ginjo (Yamada Nishiki from Hyogo Prefecture)
• Matsuyama Sake Brewery, Jyukoku, Junmai Daiginjo (Congratulations)
• ●Tsuru Shuzo Tsuru Junmai Daiginjo Unfiltered Unfiltered Sake (Gohyakumangoku/Kyoto Shine)
• ●Yamamoto Honke Shinsei Kyoto Prefecture Junmai Daiginjo (Congratulations)

We tried four types of sake from Tamanohikari, Kizakura, Kyohime Shuzo, and Higashiyama Shuzo. It was a luxurious tasting comparison with the refreshing taste and subtle sweetness that is typical of Fushimi sake.

The tray, which allows you to carry four sake bottles in one hand, is a great addition. Many customers were seen placing snacks in the free space and enjoying their sake while chatting.

At the exit of the venue, the 18 breweries also sold their various brands (with some exceptions). During the changeover times, many visitors crowded the venue to purchase their favorite sake.

Popular restaurants in the Fushimi area will be exhibiting food

Popular local Fushimi restaurants set up special booths at the main venue, offering a variety of gourmet dishes, with a focus on menus that matched well with sake.

The stores exhibited at the main venue are as follows:

• ● [Niku-sho Moritsuru] Tongue stew, yakiniku rice bowl, etc.
• ● [Teppan Kushiyaki Sakuzo] Assortment of 3 types of snacks
• ● [Fushimizu Sake Brewery Alley] Stewed beef tendon, Kyoto-style rolled omelet, etc.
• ● [Local chicken, grilled chicken, chicken] Fried chicken, chicken skin with ponzu sauce, etc.
• ● [Uotami Nakashojima North Exit Store] Sauce fried noodles, stewed offal, oden, etc.
• ● [Foods bar Shiori-ya] Kujo green onion thickened dashi rolls, etc.
• ● [Vegetables/Kitchen] Salt-grilled salmon and side dishes lunch box, etc.

This event is unique in that it allows you to enjoy sake from each of Fushimi's breweries while tasting snacks from local restaurants.

11 breweries in the Fushimi area open at the same time!

There was also a simultaneous opening of 11 breweries in the Fushimi area, with each venue hosting events that made the most of the breweries' unique characteristics.

Tamanohikari Sake Brewery (Tamanohikari) and Matsuyama Sake Brewery (Jikkoku) held their second joint brewery opening. The venue was bigger than last year's and the events entertained the visitors.

▲ On the right is Tamanohikari, and on the left is Tokoku sake brewery.

The road between the two breweries is turned into a pedestrian zone, and visitors come to enjoy the sake and food of each brewery. The recognition of "Tamakoku", which combines Tamanohikari and Tokoku, is higher than last year, and it seems to be gaining more attention every year.

In addition to the same venue as last year, Tamanohikari Sake Brewery (Tamanohikari) added a parking space on the north side of the brewery. In addition to offering sake cocktails and a variety of sake tastings, visitors were entertained with a variety of events, including "Snack Tamanohikari," where they could talk directly with the brewers.

Matsuyama Sake Brewery (Jikkoku) held a sake tasting and sales event for the Junmai Daiginjo sake that was brewed for the brewery opening. This event was also crowded with many people as it was a limited edition sake at a special price.

Breweries such as Shotoku Brewery (Shotoku) and Kitagawa Honke (Tomoe) sold limited edition sake on the day, and many visitors came to the event to purchase and sample the limited quantities of sake available.

In addition to sake, Kizakura also served Kyoto's first local beer, "Kyoto Beer," as well as whiskey and gin from the Tamba Distillery. They promoted the appeal of Fushimi's sake breweries, which goes beyond sake.

Gekkeikan opened the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum to the public free of charge for the brewery opening. Various events were held, including free servings of barrel sake and sweet sake, a demonstration of wrapping sake barrels in straw, and a performance of sake brewing songs.

Unfortunately, it started raining in the afternoon, but the breweries were bustling with visitors, more than in the morning. Unfortunately, some events were canceled due to the rain, but visitors spent their time in various ways, such as wandering around the breweries or settling down at their favorite breweries.

There will also be simultaneous events such as stamp rallies!

With the cooperation of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, a stamp rally will also be held to commemorate the registration of "traditional sake brewing" as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Stamp stands were set up at 18 venues, including the main venue, and a campaign was run in which anyone who collected stamps from three or more brewery opening venues and one or more concurrently held events could enter to win a bottle of sake from each brewery (the prizes were sent to the 3 winners at a later date). Many people enjoyed the event, learning about sake brewing in a fun way while touring the Fushimi area.

At the nearby "Community Bank Kyoshin Wakuwaku Hiroba" (Gekkeikan Showagura), a market event based on the image of a festival is held, which can be enjoyed by small children and people who cannot drink alcohol.

Visitors were entertained with a variety of stalls and events, including sales of kasu soup and sweets.

Spreading the charm of Fushimi's history and sake culture to more people

Although it unfortunately started raining in the afternoon, the venue was bustling throughout the day. This year's event was another opportunity to fully experience the charm of Fushimi's sake culture.

When the events ended in the evening, many participants went to the izakayas around Fushimi Ote-suji Shopping Arcade, and the whole town was enlivened with sake as its centerpiece. This event, like last year's, was a great success in revitalizing the town as a whole.

Fushimi has a variety of attractions, including Fushimi Castle built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Teradaya, which is associated with Sakamoto Ryoma, and the historic streets lined with sake breweries. However, most tourists visit the area to see Fushimi Inari Taisha, so the reality is that only a limited number of people make the journey to the area lined with sake breweries.

With the growing popularity of sake overseas and the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage registration of "traditional sake brewing," the spotlight on sake is increasing year by year. We hope that the Fushimi area will continue to use sake as a hook to generate excitement throughout the region.

Writer: Yuki Arai
Born in Shiga Prefecture, living in Kyoto City / Sake Master, SAKE DIPLOMA, SAKE certification instructor, Wine expert
Due to his love of alcohol, after graduating from university he got a job at a liquor store in Kyoto. After that he worked in sales for a food manufacturer before becoming a freelance writer. His specialties are traditional cuisine and alcohol. He will continue to work hard to spread the appeal of Japanese sake through his articles.

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Fushimi Sake Brewery Association
https://www.fushimi.or.jp/

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