Eiheiji Town in northern Fukui Prefecture is home to the famous Zen temple Eiheiji. Founded here in 1804 (the first year of the Bunka era), Kokuryu Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. has been thoroughly pursuing high-quality, handmade sake since the founding of its founder, Ishidaya Nizaemon, to the present day.
On June 2022, 6, Kokuryu Sake Brewery will open a sake brewery complex called "ESHIKOTO" in front of the Kuzuryu River, which is the origin of the brand name. It has attracted attention from many fans as a place to convey Hokuriku culture, mainly about sake.
On November 2024, 11, "Kanshukuen ESHIKOTO" will open next to "ESHIKOTO". This facility is an auberge that combines a restaurant and accommodation, and is accelerating its promotional activities centered on sake.

I spoke to this person

Naoto Mizuno, CEO of Kokuryu Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.

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Born on October 1964, 10. After graduating from the Department of Brewing at Tokyo University of Agriculture, he joined Kyowa Hakko (now Kyowa Kirin). In June 26, he joined Kokuryu Shuzo, and in 1990, he became the company's president.

"ESHIKOTO" - a tourist facility for adults

The name of the complex, "ESHIKOTO," comes from the word "ESHI" which means "good." If you read it backwards, it becomes "tokoshie," which means something that will not change for a long time, and it also expresses the eternity of "eternity" and "Eiheiji."
At this facility, you can enjoy tasting and purchasing ESHIKOTO limited edition sake brewed by Kuroryu Sake Brewery, as well as dining at the restaurant.

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On November 2024, 11, the auberge "Kanshukuen ESHIKOTO" will open next to "ESHIKOTO".
It has strengthened its role as a "tourist facility for adults," further increasing its popularity both from within Japan and overseas.
"President Mizuno of Kokuryu Sake Brewery fell in love with the view of the Kuzuryu River flowing in front of him, and decided to build this facility. Currently, most of the guests staying at the hotel are fans of Kokuryu Sake Brewery. As for the length of stay, one night is the norm."
These are the words of Yudai Hasegawa of Aquaignis Co., Ltd., which operates "Kanshukuen ESHIKOTO." He says that many people visit the facility not only as part of their sightseeing in Fukui, but also to stay overnight.
Hasegawa-san: "In the restaurant and bar attached to the premises, you can drink not only limited edition sake from Kokuryu Brewery, but also limited edition sake from ESHIKOTO. This is surely another reason why it attracts so many fans."

An auberge born from a winery experience

Naoto Mizuno, representative director of Kuroryu Sake Brewery, had this to say about the concept for this facility:
Mizuno: "My experiences visiting wineries overseas have stayed with me to this day. At wineries, you drink in a rural town, so they often provide accommodation. I think this trend will become more common with sake in the future. I think that in order for customers to enjoy their drink at their own pace and experience the local climate, it is necessary to have a certain level of accommodation. However, this is a matter of each sake brewery's approach, so it would be interesting to see various types, such as opening up the brewery as an auberge."

It is possible to get to Kanshukuen ESHIKOTO by car, but there is also a shuttle service available from the nearest Echizen Railway station, Eiheijiguchi Station.
There are eight accommodation buildings in total, including "JOU" which can accommodate two people, "RYU" which can accommodate four people, and "ZEN", each with a different concept.

Hasegawa-san: "RYU I is based on the concept of Japanese modernity, and features an Art Deco interior with a Japanese feel, including a low table designed by Isamu Noguchi."
Ceramic artist and sculptor Koichi Uchida is in charge of supervising and curating each room, and the furniture was selected by The Conran Shop, an interior design shop based in London, England.
Each room comes with a semi-open-air bath, allowing you to enjoy the natural hot springs in a space surrounded by nature. With a view of the leisurely flowing Kuzuryu River right in front of you, this is truly a luxurious accommodation facility.

A meal that lets you fully experience the food culture and terroir of Hokuriku

The dinner venue, Japanese Cuisine En, will be run by a chef from the Michelin one-star restaurant Chiso En in Fukui City, which has relocated from the restaurant. The basic dinner price is 25,000 yen, but will vary depending on ingredients such as the crab season in winter.
Hasegawa-san: "Many of our regular customers from Chisoen come here, and it's popular with locals as well as tourists. We also have a French restaurant called Cadre open about twice a week, so you can enjoy the pairing of French cuisine with Kuroryu."

At Bar Toki, next to Japanese Restaurant En, the owner of the fruit bar Giorno near Fukui Station serves sake cocktails. They also have barrel-aged spirits that can only be drunk here, so you can enjoy a relaxing moment after your meal.

President Mizuno: "We're currently experimenting with 'Kasutori Shochu', which is made by distilling sake lees. Fukui Prefecture is rich in Mizunara oak and other woods, and aging the shochu in these barrels gives it a beautiful color. In this bar, we mainly serve alcohol that has been prototyped, some of which has been made in a lab, with the aim of hearing customers' opinions directly. By improving the drinks based on customer feedback, we can deliver the Kuroryu brand to fans all over the country. Kuroryu sparkling wine, which is scheduled to go on sale in May 2025, was originally only available at 'ESHIKOTO.'"

In addition to "Japanese Cuisine En," a facility where you can fully experience the food culture and terroir of the Hokuriku region, there is "Bar Toki," where you can enjoy the latest alcoholic beverages that Kuroryu is experimenting with. The experiences that can only be had at Kanshuku En ESHIKOTO are also worth checking out.

Future prospects

With the opening of "Kanshukuen ESHIKOTO", Kokuryu Sake Brewery has become a presence that conveys the charm of Fukui's climate and culture even more deeply. President Mizuno spoke about his plans for the future.
"Overseas, it's common for people to travel to a variety of locations rather than staying at one winery for an extended period of time. To create this environment, we can't rely solely on Kuroryu's sake and facilities. There are currently three sake breweries in Eiheiji Town. We hope to use the breweries as a tool to revitalize tourism in the area.
Last year, we consulted with the town and conducted a test run of a sightseeing bus that would visit five breweries and local roadside stations. I would be happy if we could develop this into a system that would make people think, 'When I come to Fukui, I'll take this bus.'"

One sake brewery can change tourism. Kuroryu Brewery's challenge will be a big step in expanding the possibilities of sake brewery tourism. What kind of story will emerge from "Kanshukuen ESHIKOTO", which weaves together the region, culture, and people? We hope you will visit the place and experience the world of auberge proposed by Kuroryu Brewery.

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Writer: Yuki Arai
Born in Shiga Prefecture, living in Kyoto City / Sake Master, SAKE DIPLOMA, SAKE and Wine 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.