During the Edo period, much of the sake produced in Nada (present-day Kobe and Nishinomiya cities in Hyogo Prefecture) was transported across the sea to Edo as "kudari-zake." The sake arriving from Nada was mainly collected in an area known as "Kanda Kamakura-gashi" and sold in that area.

Toshimaya not only sells alcohol, but also serves dishes such as tofu dengaku. The style of tasting and snacks was popular in the Edo period, and is said to be the roots of today's izakayas. Toshimaya has also shaped sake culture, such as "soba and sake," "kagamibiraki (breaking sake barrels) at weddings," and "shirozake (white sake) for Hinamatsuri (Girl's Day)."

Entering the family business after his mother's poor health

-How did you come to return to the family business?

Kimura (omitted): "In 2015, my mother's health began to deteriorate, which led me to take over the family business. Before that, I had studied business management and worked in sales and planning in the construction industry."

- President Kimura, how many generations have you been in the company since it was founded?

"I am the fifth generation owner of Kanda Toshimaya. Currently, our company is divided into three companies: Toshimaya Honten, Toshimaya Sake Brewery, and Kanda Toshimaya. Toshimaya Honten, which has the longest history, is currently in its 16th generation."

-What difficulties did you face when you first entered the sake brewing industry?

"Rather than overcoming it, it felt like I had no choice but to do it. I did go to the brewery to study a little, but because of my mother's situation, I spent most of my time at the company. Even so, I would occasionally go to the brewery (*1) and help out with the work."

*1: Toshimaya's sake brewery is located in Higashimurayama City, Tokyo.

"Rita" sake, available only in Kanda

-Please tell us about Toshimaya.

“We are now also involved in sake brewing, but originally we started out as a sake purchasing and sales business. I heard that our business was supported by brands from Nada, Hyogo Prefecture, such as Kenbishi. After that, we started making Hinamatsuri shirozake (*2), and that’s how we ended up being involved in sake production as well.
As mentioned earlier, the company has now been split into three separate companies, each of which handles different brands: "Kinkon" at "Toshimaya Honten," "Okunokami" at "Toshimaya Sake Brewery," and "Rita" at "Kanda Toshimaya."
To put it simply, we have three producers, each with their own unique personality."

*2: A cloudy white sake made by mixing steamed rice and rice koji with mirin or shochu.

-I heard that the "Rita" product your company sells can only be purchased in Kanda.

"It has been over 420 years since Toshimaya was founded in Kanda. Originally, Kanda was an area where many different people gathered, with samurai residences, merchants, and hardware store craftsmen. However, this area was burned to the ground during World War II, and very few of the buildings from that time remain.
Although there are still people who have lived here for generations, it has become an office-based area with a lot of foot traffic. In this environment, we wanted to create a product that would liven up the local area and encourage people to love Kanda, so we decided to limit our "Rita" to Kanda."

Image source:Kanda Toshimaya website

-What happens if I purchase "Rita" online?

"Even if you purchase online, you can come and collect it from our store in Kanda.
Kanda is an office district and not a popular tourist destination. We hope that this will encourage such people to visit Kanda."

-Do people visit your store from all over the country?

"Some people come to the shop because they've come all the way to Tokyo. There's also demand for it when people are on business trips or as a souvenir."

Another pillar: mirin

-Toshimaya also puts effort into mirin.

"Toshimaya Honten ships mirin for use as a seasoning both domestically and internationally. Kanda Toshimaya sells mirin under the brand name "Me," which is intended for bartenders to use as a liqueur in cocktails."

-What are the challenges in popularizing mirin as a beverage?

"In fact, the demand for mirin has not fallen at all in the last few decades. Production volume is lower than that of sake, and shipments have remained flat, but this is because we live in a world of price competition.
On the other hand, the number of manufacturers has halved, making it difficult to differentiate based on craftsmanship. As a result, I feel that people are no longer thinking about what mirin is.
Given the current situation, it's difficult to convey our commitment to quality, but the best thing is for people to try it once. I think that this will help them understand that mirin is made from rice and koji."

Drinking mirin for cocktails "Me"

-I've also heard that mirin is used as an ingredient in cocktails.

"That's right. In our case, most of our products are consumed domestically, but we are currently selling them to Singapore and the UK as 'cocktail drinks.'"

--Sweet alcoholic beverages like mirin seem to be highly rated overseas.

"The reason I decided to make mirin for drinking was because I visited Paris for a sake event. At the time, I thought it would be difficult to expand into Europe, and there were already many sake breweries participating. Taking into account the costs of travel and other expenses, I felt it would be quite difficult to capture this market.
During a business trip to Paris, I went to a bar and noticed that both men and women were drinking sweet alcohol. I thought that expressing sweetness through koji, rather than using liqueurs that have sugar added later, would be more in line with the health-conscious society of the future, so after returning to Japan, I spoke to the production staff and we came up with the product "Me."

Image source:First ever. "Drinkable Mirin" "Me" wins silver medal at SFWSC2022, the largest alcoholic beverage competition in the United States.

-What does the name "Me" mean?

"It's a contrast to the sake brand name 'Rita'. Rita means 'devote yourself to the benefit of others,' but 'Me' was chosen to convey the image of 'for yourself.' Mirin was also consumed during the Edo period for its health and beauty benefits."

-What's the recommended way to drink "Me" at home?

"I would like you to try it straight first, and then enjoy it with a shochu mixer called 'Yanagikage.' This mixer is made by mixing mirin and shochu in a 1:1 ratio, and is like a cocktail from the Edo period, and is said to be a drinking style that common people aspired to at the time.
The expression "willow shade" originated in the Kansai region, and in Edo it was called "honnaoshi," and both refer to the same way of drinking. It means "drinking in the cool shade of a willow tree," and it also appears in rakugo stories.

-What kind of shochu do you recommend for mixing?

"Personally, I think sweet potato shochu is the most delicious. Most of the shochu available during the Edo period was made from rice or sake lees, but the sweetness of mirin combined with the richness of sweet potatoes creates a sweet potato-like aroma."

All we can do is continue to convey our message quietly

-What about exports overseas?

"It accounts for about 1% of the total. Kanda is not a place that many foreign tourists pass through, but some people still visit our store."

-Regarding the recent rise in the price of raw rice

"Because it is fundamental to sake brewing, it is difficult to improve. After the COVID-19 pandemic, I think the industry will shift to quality over quantity, but we are faced with the dilemma that if we don't have quantity, we can't lower our costs."

-Please tell us about your future plans and outlook.

"We think it's important for customers to have a clear image of the individuality and uses of each brand.
For example, in the case of "Rita," since it is only available in Kanda, I would like people to use it as a souvenir from Tokyo. In the case of "Me," it is important to convey the value that cannot be replicated by other brands, such as by using it in cocktails as a "Japanese liqueur." In this regard, I think the only thing we can do is to continue to quietly promote our current products to everyone."

Refining tradition through the spirit of learning from the past

-What do sake and mirin mean to you, President Kimura?

"Sake and mirin have one thing in common: they both nourish the soul of the drinker, but I feel they are polar opposites in terms of restrictions and freedom.
I think there is beauty in how sake can be expressed in a certain form despite legal restrictions on the ingredients used, etc. On the other hand, the cocktails we are working on at "Me" have an improvisational quality that can be created on the spot.
Because we deal with two things that are polar opposites, we hope to be able to convey the wonders of both sake and cocktail fans through our activities."

Even in this age of advanced mail order, the sake "Rita," which can only be purchased in Kanda, Tokyo, offers an opportunity to take a fresh look at the existence of local sake.
"Me," born from his experiences in Paris, shows new possibilities for mirin and is sure to paint a new picture for cocktail culture both in Japan and abroad.

This Edo sake brewery, which was founded over 400 years ago, is refining its traditions with a spirit of learning from the past and creating something new, paving the way for the future of Japanese sake culture. We'd like to keep an eye on the challenges and achievements of Kanda Toshimaya.

[Rita Brand Website]

[Me Brand Website]

Writer: Yuki Arai
A freelance writer who conveys the culture and stories of sake. After graduating from university, he got a job at a liquor store in Kyoto City, and then worked in sales at a food manufacturer before going independent.WEB SITE）
Qualifications: JSA SAKE DIPLOMA, Wine Expert, SSI Sake Master, Sake Studies Instructor