Tamanohikari Sake Brewery, which boasts a history of over 350 years since its founding, currently produces only "Junmai Ginjo," which is made with a rice polishing ratio of 60% or less, and "Junmai Daiginjo," which is made with a rice polishing ratio of 50% or less.
Because they are particular about producing pure rice using highly polished rice, the quality of the sake lees that are produced as a by-product of sake production is also high.
Junmai Sake Kasu Tamanohikari, located in the Karasuma area of ​​Kyoto, is an antenna shop where you can enjoy original dishes made with Tamanohikari's pride and joy, "junmai sake lees," along with sake.
The store, which has welcomed many fans to date, will be renovated to mark its third anniversary on March 2025, 3.
We asked President Haba why he decided to introduce new attractions such as comparative tasting and the experience of creating your own blended sake.

I spoke to this person

Yosuke Haba, President and CEO of Tamanohikari Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.

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Born December 1979, 12. After graduating from graduate school, he worked as an accountant before moving into the food and beverage industry. He will be involved in his wife's family business, a sake brewery, as an advisor and will become president in September 12.

An antenna shop where you can enjoy Japanese sake and sake lees dishes

Located near the intersection of Karasuma-dori, which runs north and south through the center of Kyoto City, and Shijo-dori, a street bustling with tourists, the restaurant is housed in a renovated townhouse that is over 100 years old, and while the interior is modern, it also has a design that gives off a sense of history.
Due to its convenient location and interior design, the hotel has become a popular destination with many tourists, but the latest renovation was carried out in response to President Haba's desire for local people to enjoy it as well.

Haba: "Originally, Tamanohikari has a history of expanding its scale through retail store management. Currently, we have directly managed stores in Osaka and Kyoto, but in the past, we increased our recognition by operating restaurants in areas from Hokkaido to Kyushu. I think these brick-and-mortar stores are important in terms of getting the word out to more people. If 1 people visit per day, that's simply 100 people per month, and more than 3,000 people per year."

As Junmai Sake Kasu Tamanohikari offers sake lees dishes, it attracts a lot of attention not only from sake fans but also from those interested in fermented foods. It functions as an antenna shop that provides products and ideas for enjoying sake lees dishes on a daily basis at home, as well as opportunities to learn about them.

A renewal that makes it easier to enjoy sake

President Haba says that this renewal was carried out with a focus on the sake served at Junmai Sake Kasu Tamanohikari.
Haba: "We've changed the first floor into a tasting bar so that customers can enjoy sake as the main focus. The store is located in an office district, so there are a lot of people passing by after work hours, even on weekdays. We hope that local people will feel free to drop in and enjoy some sake. The second floor will continue to be a place where customers can enjoy a leisurely meal, so we hope that people will use the space in different ways."

The tasting bar on the first floor is the highlight of the 1-minute all-you-can-drink tasting of Tamanohikari's signature sake. There is also a wide selection of small dishes, so it is also recommended for those who want to enjoy a light drink of sake.

Tamanohikari is a rare "junmai ginjo brewery" in Japan, and uses only rice that has been polished to at least 60%. They polish their sake rice in-house, and are so particular about it that they use a method called flat polishing, which produces sake with fewer unpleasant flavors.

Generally, ginjo sake is characterized by a fruity aroma, but the ginjo sake brewed by Tamanohikari is a type known as "ajiginjo." It is an excellent ginjo sake to have with meals, pairing well with delicate Kyoto cuisine, and has a timeless flavor that you will never tire of drinking.

The renewal also saw the trial introduction of a blending experience provided by My Sake World, where drinkers can freely blend multiple brands of Tamanohikari to create their own drink of choice.
Haba-san: "This service was only possible because we had our '30 minutes all-you-can-drink for 1,500 yen' offer as a base. We're implementing this as a highlight of our renewal, but if customers respond well to it, we plan to continue offering it in the future."

Recommended menu that goes well with Tamanohikari sake!

The restaurant offers a variety of dishes that use "pure rice sake lees," which is made only from rice and rice koji.
This time, we will introduce the following three recommended dishes from the menu.
・Assorted sashimi (market price)
A plate of recommended fish that changes daily. The mild flavor of Tamanohikari goes perfectly with the fresh sashimi.
・Ufu mayonnaise with sake lees miso (380 yen including tax)
Boiled eggs, which became a hot topic on social media as oeuf mayonnaise, have been remade into a sake lees dish. By combining miso, a fermented food, with sake lees, it becomes an addictive taste.
・Pickled angel shrimp (380 yen including tax)
This dish is called "Oki-zuke" because the seafood caught on the fishing boat is marinated in soy sauce. This fresh snack goes well with sake.

A wide variety of products using sake lees are also available for sale

"Tamanohikari Junmai Sake Lees" also offers a wide variety of products that use sake lees.
A wide range of items are available, including the standard "500g Sheet Kasu" (684 yen including tax), as well as "300g Kneaded Kasu" (648 yen including tax), which is made from matured sake lees, and "Sake Kasu Cream Cheese" (810 yen including tax), which is cream cheese soaked in sake lees.
Additionally, the "Nodoka" series, which uses sake lees made from organic rice, offers products that enrich the mind and skin, such as "Sake Lees Hand Cream" (1,650 yen including tax) and "Sake Lees Facial Mask" (1 yen including tax).

In addition, the store's premium brand "Muku" offers sweets for adults made with high-quality sake lees, including the "Sake Lees Financier 5-piece Set" (1,080 yen including tax) that lets you experience the flavor of sake, and the "Sake Lees Chocolate Sandwich Cookies" made with cookie dough kneaded with sake lees, making them perfect for souvenirs and gifts.

Haba-san: "Many customers come to the store to buy merchandise. Also, we are currently collaborating with the anime "The Apothecary Diaries," so more and more people are looking for collaborative products."

Connecting with many people through sake

Junmai Sake Kasu Tamanohikari is a restaurant where you can enjoy Japanese sake along with dishes made with sake lees. It has functioned as an antenna shop that provides products, ideas, and learning opportunities to help people enjoy sake lees dishes on a daily basis at home.

Haba: "I want people to enjoy delicious alcohol and food. With sake as the core, there's nothing better than having a lot of content to connect with as many people as possible. I think this antenna shop, with its all-you-can-drink and blending experience, is a way to achieve that goal."

It has evolved into a place where tourists and locals alike can casually drop in and enjoy Tamanohikari sake. The store, where you can experience the connections between sake, food, and people, will continue to have a strong presence as a place that will carry the future of sake culture.

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We asked President Haba of Tamanohikari Sake Brewery in Fushimi, Kyoto about how to utilize blended sake, a traditional brewery with 350 years of history!

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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.