This time, I was asked to attend to three guests from California, USA.
They are alcohol lovers who have visited wineries and bourbon whiskey distilleries in their home countries and around the world to experience local drinking culture.
He has visited Japan seven or eight times, visiting sake breweries all over the country and enjoying sake, but this was his first time in Kyushu. He began his journey to experience a new sake culture in this "unexplored sake region."

Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture: The heartbeat and century-old scent of a city open to Asia

Their first visit to Kyushu began in Hakata Ward, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture. Walking through Nakasu Kawabata Shopping Arcade in the center of the city, you can feel the historical charm of this merchant town and the lively local atmosphere.
We arrived at Kushida Shrine at the end of a 400m long shopping street. The huge decorated Yamakasa floats towering over the shrine grounds are used in the Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival, which is held every year from July 1st to 15th. When we told them that the men who carry the Yamakasa abstain from alcohol during the festival, they became interested in this ascetic custom.

After your stroll, your first dinner in Kyushu will be at a long-established restaurant where you can savour the bounty of the Genkai Sea. Enjoy seasonal sashimi and grilled dishes along with local Kyushu sake.

"Hakata Hyakunengura" (Ishigura Sake Brewery)

Fukuoka City, which boasts a population of 167 million, has only one sake brewery, Ishikura Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.
Hakata Hyakunengura, a nationally registered tangible cultural property, is a large, 155-year-old stone storehouse standing in the midst of a modern cityscape, with a tall, traditional red brick chimney towering behind it.
Ishikura Sake Brewery originally began as "Ishikuraya," a merchant purveyor to the Kuroda family, and entered the shipping business during the Edo period, before moving into sake brewing in the latter half of the Edo period. It is also interesting to note that at the end of the Edo period, it was the site of secret agreements between Takasugi Shinsaku and Saigo Takamori.

Passing through the large noren curtain, the aroma of wood and the soft scent of fermentation fill the air. On the wall of the walkway to the courtyard where an old well is located, there are signs explaining the brewery's history and commitment to the rice and brewing process, and the staff reads each one carefully.

Further inside, you can sample a variety of sake brewed throughout the year. A guest described the freshly pressed Junmai Namashu, made in small batches using sake rice from Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture, and Chiyonomatsubara water, as "fresh and pure! Rich in flavor."
He carefully savored the umami and sweetness of each variety.

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Founded in the Edo period, the only sake brewery in Hakata, Fukuoka Prefecture [Ishikura Shuzo] - Hear about the history of tradition and evolution

♯Fukuoka

Okagaki Town, Fukuoka Prefecture: The intersection of three types of sake brewing

Heading towards Kitakyushu from Hakata in 40 minutes, get off at JR Ebitsu Station and drive for about 15 minutes to the seaside, you will come to Okagaki Town in Fukuoka Prefecture, a "holy land of brewed sake" nurtured by its renowned water and natural environment.
This quiet town of about 3 people is home to wine, craft beer, and sake breweries all within a 250m radius. Each brewery is unique, and the passion for sake brewing lives on, fueled by the famous spring water and fertile soil mentioned below.

Shichiyo Sake Brewery: A sake brewery that continues to thrive thanks to its water

After walking up the slope of Mt. Yuuma, you will find Shichiyo Sake Brewery, which sits quietly at the foot of the mountain.
Mt. Momanoma is an elegant mountain that has been featured in ancient Man'yoshu poems. Its blue ridges flow directly into the sea, forming the sea boundary separating the Genkai Sea and the Hibiki Sea. In the grounds of a temple on the mountainside stands a stone monument bearing the haiku, "The blue ridge soars in the light of the sea boundary."

So why is Shichiyo Brewery located at the foot of this mountain? Sake has been made in Miyama City, Fukuoka Prefecture, since 1855, when Keijiro Hoshikuma, who made his living from wax and essential oils, started his sake brewing business. However, while the current brewers were searching for even purer brewing water, they came across Okagaki's famous "Shimizu Spring Water," and moved the brewery there. According to Kishikawa, president of Shichiyo Brewery Co., Ltd., the brewery's owner, rainwater that has percolated deep underground over the course of many years through the granite strata of Mt. Watamama is naturally filtered groundwater, which contains just the right amount of minerals such as calcium and magnesium, making the sake soft and clear.

So, what is the origin of the "Seven Days" in the company name?
According to President Kishikawa, Okagaki, facing the Genkai Sea, is located at 33-34 degrees north latitude, and on autumn nights, when you look up at the starry sky from the nearby coast of Hatsu, you can see the Big Dipper lined up just above the horizon, making it look like a celestial dipper is drawing water from the sea. The place where you can see this is rare in the world and is known as "the place where the Big Dipper draws water." Inspired by the Big Dipper floating in the night sky, the company was named "Shichiyo" (Seven Stars) and the logo design is a Shichiyo crest.

As we sampled the different brands, we came across one with a unique name: "Ton."
The label features only a single black ink stroke. The calligraphy brush strokes are pronounced "Ton, suu, yaa!", with the "Ton" symbolizing determination and a new beginning. The sake brewed with the yeast "Mahoroba Jun" is powerful and vibrant. After tasting, the guests carefully considered which sake to bring back to America, purchased several bottles, and took commemorative photos in the entrance hall.

By the way, the Uchiura district is home to a cluster of breweries producing not only sake but also wine and craft beer. The district is home to a sand-prevention forest, and the seaside just beyond is an area where agriculture and fishing have coexisted since ancient times, where you can enjoy the pairing of seasonal vegetables, seafood, and fine sake. For lovers of sake culture, it is truly a "holy land of intoxication." Guests can enjoy the luxury of walking around the breweries of three types of sake, each staffed by passionate brewers. This paradise, nurtured by renowned water and soil, will satisfy both the senses and the stomach.

Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture: The birthplace of "Kakuuchi" culture

I had previously covered a "Kaku-uchi" liquor store in Kitakyushu City, and my guest had read the English translation of the article before his visit and requested that he try out "KAKU-UCHI." I showed him around this city, which is also my hometown.

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In celebration of "Kakuuchi Day," we take a look at five of the finest restaurants from Kitakyushu, the birthplace of kakuuchi

#Kakuuchi

Hayashida Liquor Store: Antenna shop for the long-established brewery "Hayashi Ryuhei Sake Brewery"

Just a few minutes' walk from Kokura Station, when I opened the door to Hayashida Liquor Store, the owner, Naoko Hayashida, greeted me with a beaming smile.
After graduating from graduate school in the United States, Hayashida worked as a certified public accountant for around 11 years at an auditing firm in Silicon Valley, but returned to Japan after the death of his father, Masayoshi, and decided to take over the family business with his mother, Norie, determined to protect the restaurant. Currently, as the fourth-generation owner, he is promoting local sake culture, focusing on Kyushu Kiku and Zanshin.
After the guest introduced himself as being from California, he immediately began explaining in fluent English about the attention to detail in the brewing process: "We use Yamada Nishiki rice as well as Yume Ikken and Yume Tsukushi to create a pure rice sake that allows you to enjoy the unique characteristics of Fukuoka..." On the counter is an English tasting map listing all of the products from the brewery, and he says it is important to visually show visitors from overseas the variety of sake flavors available.

As we listened to the story that the Japanese word "zanshin" is related to martial arts, a unique and warm exchange unfolded across the counter as we poured more and more drinks.
This is the true essence of "Kakuuchi" culture. The deep human warmth and flavor that transcends borders and nationalities left a lasting impression and was engraved in his heart as a memory of his trip. By coincidence, a television station was filming a program featuring Kakuuchi culture on the day, and the impressive scene of the guest interacting with the owner and mother and daughter was later aired. The final scene was a photo of the smiling mother and daughter taken by the guest on his smartphone.

Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture: The home of "Akazake" culture

With the opening of the Kyushu Shinkansen, Kumamoto Station (Kumamoto Prefecture) can now be reached in just 40 minutes from Hakata Station. About 5km south of the station, or a 20-minute drive, you'll reach the Kawajiri district. This area once had a wharf that served as a logistics hub for the Higo Domain, and flourished as a post town on the Satsuma Kaido road. The stately rows of white-walled buildings still retain a strong resemblance to those days.

Zuiyo Co., Ltd.: The history of Kumamoto's first attempt at sake brewing

Zuiyo Co., Ltd. is located in this area. By chance, I had the opportunity to visit the company.
We were greeted by President Yoshimura Tomoaki at the entrance, where a large cedar ball hangs, and immediately heard about the region and its unique sake culture, as well as the company's history, which began with the founder, Yoshimura Taihachi, who tried to brew the first sake in Kumamoto.

According to Yoshimura, Kumamoto has a local sake called "Higo no Akazake," which is made by mixing ash into the brewed mash to prevent spoilage. It is not only enjoyed during local ceremonies, such as New Year's toso, but has also long been a beloved local condiment in local cuisine.
"Cooking Akazake," which was improved based on advice from chefs, is now a treasured item for skilled chefs and cooks across the country. Incidentally, in Kumamoto, this "Akazake" is the standard drink to have on New Year's Day, and many Kumamoto residents seem to assume that Akazake is also drunk on New Year's Day in other parts of Japan.

During the Edo period, sake from other domains was called "traveling sake" in Kumamoto and was forbidden to be brought into the prefecture. However, after the Meiji Restoration, the distribution of alcohol was liberalized and sake from outside the prefecture began to flow in. Eventually, people's tastes shifted from traditional red sake to refined sake, and Kumamoto's sake breweries, including Zuiyo, underwent a major turning point.

As calls for further quality improvements were made, the establishment of a sake brewing research institute was proposed. Zuiyo stepped up to the plate and set up a research institute in a corner of their own brewery.
They were prepared to take back all the sake produced. It must have been a risky business decision. The guests looked as if they were reminiscing about that time.

The first director of the institute was Kinichi Nojiro, known as the "god of sake." He is the creator of "Kumamoto yeast," which would later become one of his achievements. Isolated and cultivated from brewery yeast, it is characterized by its gorgeous ginjo aroma and mild acidity, and sparked the ginjo sake boom. It is now also adopted as the Brewing Society of Japan's "Kyokai No. 9 Yeast," and continues to be used as the main yeast at Zuiyo. After hearing this story, the guests became deeply interested in the origins of the yeast behind the ginjo sake they enjoy drinking.

While tasting various Zuiyo sakes, President Yoshimura mentioned the word "YK35," which made the guests look puzzled and ask what it was.
The answer is: Y: Yamada Nishiki sake rice, K: Kumamoto yeast, 35: rice polishing ratio. I thought, "Oh, I see!" and slapped my knee in surprise, which is a memorable moment.

On the day, the guests were also taken to the Zuiyo Sake Brewery Museum across the street. The building, designated as an important scenic landmark in the area, has two floors and displays tools such as wooden barrels and koji lids used in traditional sake brewing, as well as a vast number of photographs and documents that tell the history of Zuiyo from its founding through the Taisho and Showa periods to the present day. The guests stopped to look at each item, and were particularly impressed by the aspirations of the "family precepts" written by Yoshimura Taihachi, the founder who started the sake brewing business.

The company building and many other historic breweries suffered extensive damage in the Kumamoto earthquake that occurred in 2016. The guests were saddened by the photographs, but were also deeply moved when they heard President Yoshimura's words of gratitude for the fact that the company was able to rebuild thanks to the support it received from all over the country, and that sake brewing continues to this day in the area.
As we were leaving, Vice President Kentaro Yoshimura, who is also in charge of exports to the US, came over to greet us and said, "Let's meet in California!"
While adhering to the family motto and traditions that have been passed down since the company's founding, the company is not afraid to embrace necessary innovations. President Yoshimura's ambition to continue producing fragrant, full-bodied local sake rooted in Kumamoto's climate seems to be in sync with the magnificent distant view of Mount Aso that can be seen from the rooftop.

A microcosm of Japan's alcohol culture

They traveled together for a week, sleeping and eating together, and as the days went by, they were amazed at the diversity of Kyushu's sake culture and showed deep respect for the passion of the sake brewers.
Although this article focuses on sake, we also visited Kagoshima Prefecture, as Kyushu is home to a wide variety of alcoholic beverage breweries, including shochu, beer, wine, and whiskey, in addition to sake.

It can truly be called a "microcosm of Japan's alcohol culture," and I would like to introduce a small part of it in the second part.

writer:
Fumiaki Kishihara / Sommelier, HBA cocktail advisor. He loves sake and other alcoholic beverages around the world. He has served as brand manager for the world's three major beer brands and Western alcoholic beverages.
32 years of experience in the alcoholic beverage industry both in Japan and overseas, including running a craft brewery in Kyoto. Supports the global expansion of ambitious Japanese alcoholic beverages. Representative of BOONE LLC. National Licensed Guide-Interpreter. Resides in Tokyo.