A "mission" discovered overseas

"I hated my hometown."

The first thing that came out of the mouth of the mouth, Fujii Yoshihiro (Norihiro) Fujii, the sixth generation head of Fujii Sake Brewery, made was a surprising confession.
Although he is the heir to a long-established sake brewery located in a traditional buildings preservation district in Takehara City, Hiroshima Prefecture, he says that he was unable to fit in with the local area from an early age.

Takehara was once a wealthy town that prospered from the salt industry, but the charms of the town were not available to young Fujii, who grew up in Tokyo until the age of three and attended school in Hiroshima City from junior high school onwards, as he reached adolescence.

"I felt like there was nothing to be proud of in my hometown. I just wanted to get out of town."

Looking back on that time, the turning point for young Fujii was studying abroad in Singapore during his first year of high school.

"At first it was a culture shock. I thought, 'Cilantro tastes like stink bugs!' (laughs)"
*Both cilantro and stink bugs contain aldehydes

However, this cross-cultural experience changed young Fujii's interest to "the world."
Later, while studying finance at a university in California, Fujii witnessed students from around the world proudly speaking about their own country's culture.

"Japanese students all suddenly become quiet when it comes to talking about culture."

That sense of discomfort soon turned into regret.
Why can't Japanese people be more proud of their culture? This led him to recall the culture and traditions of the sake brewery where he was born.

"I want to be someone who can spread Japanese culture. I want to make sake that will make as many people as possible think, 'Japan is a great country.'"

That thought led him back to Takehara.

After returning to Japan, Fujii worked for a company in Tokyo involved in sales support and advertising, but he had made up his mind to return to Takehara when he turned 30.
Then in 2013, Fujii returned to Takehara and started his family business, Fujii Sake Brewery.

The Rise and Resurgence of the Dragon

Fujii Sake Brewery's flagship brand, Ryusei, is a long-established brand that has been around since the brewery was founded in 1863. In 1907, it won first place at Japan's first national sake tasting competition, making it the best in Japan.
However, after the war, it became difficult to maintain quality, and the brewery decided that "this kind of sake cannot be called 'Ryusei'" and temporarily withdrew from the name.

It was revived in 1989 under the fifth-generation owner, Yoshifumi, and has since received acclaim both domestically and internationally, including at the National New Sake Tasting Competition and the IWC (International Wine Challenge).

but.

Behind his brilliant achievements, Fujii felt a certain sense of crisis.

"Sake brewing that relies solely on specifications, grades, and the appearance of labels eventually reaches its limits. It becomes difficult to see the consistency of flavor and the core of sake brewing."

When Fujii returned to the brewery in 2013, he spent a year observing the brewery's operations. His first task was to rebrand the kimoto aged sake "Bekketsuhin."

"The Omachi Kimoto sake they were making at the time was very impressive. I had a hunch that this was the style that would allow us to express the individuality of our current brewery on a deeper level."

Taking this opportunity, they completely revamped their limited distribution products in 2017. At the same time, they gradually increased the proportion of kimoto sake, and established the direction of the brewery.

All brewed with kimoto mash – a decision made amid the adversity of flood damage and the COVID-19 pandemic

Fujii Sake Brewery decided to move towards "all kimoto brewing" in 2021. Behind this was a fundamental question asked by Mr. Fujii.

"Why do we make sake at this brewery? What kind of sake brewing can only be done at this brewery?"

Kimoto brewing is a traditional method of cultivating yeast starter using natural lactic acid bacteria that live in the brewery. Compared to the modern mainstream fast-brewing method, it takes twice as long to prepare and requires more manpower.
However, Fujii believed that this "inefficiency" itself had value.

"I put my faith in the power of nature and work hard to create it. I've come to think of the sake that's born this way as something that's been given to me rather than something that I've made."

Kimoto brewing, which has been used on a trial basis in some areas since 2008, will require great determination to be expanded to all sake.
Moreover, 2021 was the year in which Fujii faced his greatest management challenges to date.

That year, the brewery was hit by a second flood, following the one in 2018, and a small irrigation canal overflowed, causing the drainage pump to break down. The water did not subside for more than six hours, causing serious damage to the brewing equipment.
To make matters worse, tourism demand dropped sharply due to the COVID-19 pandemic that began last year. Shipments fell, events were canceled, and sales plummeted.

However, it was in the face of such headwinds that Fujii strengthened his resolve.

"If you want to face what you really want to do, now is the time."

Fujii made up his mind to completely switch to kimoto brewing, and then took the challenge one step further by creating "no yeast-additive kimoto" brewing, which does not use any yeast at all.

A unique blend of 89 varieties of brewery yeast

The first brewing without adding yeast was a major challenge.

"The first yeast starter didn't ferment at all. Even after 40 days, the alcohol content of the mash was less than 5%."

Feeling anxious, he sent the mash he had prepared to a brewing support organization in the prefecture and requested an analysis.
The results were a shocking discovery: 89 different types of yeast were living within the brewery.

"There was too much diversity, so no single one could predominate. That's why fermentation didn't progress."

However, the yeast density was sufficient, so they proceeded to the main fermentation and successfully completed the sake. The taste was a fruity sake with a strong acidity, with a blend of lactic acid and malic acid.
Because it was so experimental, the name "Ryusei" was not given to it, but this experience gave Fujii some confidence in his thinking.

"If we just create the right environment, our yeast will grow on its own."

Rather than "selecting" yeast, we "adjust" it.
This philosophy remains the foundation of Fujii Sake Brewery's sake brewing today.

Expanding possibilities with "sake assemblage"

Fujii Sake Brewery has been collaborating with the sake project "Sake World" since 2023.
The theme is "Assemblage (Blend)," the idea of ​​blending different types of sake to create a single harmony. At My Sake World, an original sake-making experience facility, Ryusei Black Label Junmai Daiginjo has been selected as the sake to be used in the blend.

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This is a rare attempt in the sake industry, but it is actually a method that Fujii Sake Brewery has been practicing for over 30 years.
The seasonal limited edition "Bangaihin" blends various sakes produced in the brewery without specifying the rice polishing ratio or brand of sake rice. It is a long-selling product that is released with a different flavor every year. "I think that all sake breweries have the mindset of 'mixing things together,' to some extent." The collaboration with Sake World is also an experiment to open up the innate sensibilities of sake breweries to society in a new way. The flavors born from the blend tell a story in themselves - this is the kind of sake that will be delivered to the world as an experience.
This also overlaps with Fujii's advocacy of "sake for communication."

The blank 80 years and the future 100 years from now

Ryusei was crowned number one in Japan in 1907. At the time, the sake entered was made with Omachi rice, brewery-specific yeast, and the traditional kimoto method. Since then, for nearly 80 years after the war, no one has been able to recreate its flavor and tradition.

"I believe my role is to build the foundation to fill in those 80 years. If Ryusei had continued on as it was, what kind of sake would it have become today? My mission is to make that fictional history a reality."

Fujii has his own philosophy about the sustainability of business.

"I believe there are two types of permanence. One is permanence as a profitable business. The other is permanence that preserves and passes on culture. Both are important, but we would rather be the latter."

By redefining the essence of tradition in a modern way, Ryusei is preparing to live for the next 100 years.

writer:
Yamaguchi Goko
Graduated from the Faculty of Law, Kyoto University in 1995. Passed the English Guide-Interpreter exam in February 2010. His love of sake led him to become a sake sommelier, an international sake sommelier, and an FBO-certified sake studies instructor. He is also certified by the Sake Educational Council as a Certified Advanced Sake Professional (ASP). Since 2017, he has been writing articles for both Japanese and English media, reporting on trends in sake both domestically and internationally. In addition, since May 2019, he has been teaching WSET sake courses in Shinsaibashi, Osaka as a WSET sake educator.