Located along the Sea of Japan in southern Akita Prefecture, NIKAHO CITY is a northern town rich in nature with a view of the sacred mountain Chokai. Hiraizumi Honpo was founded in 1487, dating back to the Muromachi period (1336-1573). It is the third oldest sake brewery in Japan and the oldest in Tohoku.
Hiraizumi Honpo is characterized by its traditional Yamahai brewing process. Yamahai brewing allows the yeast to propagate over time, making it possible for strong yeast bacteria to ferment the sake. Perhaps this is why Hiraizumi Honpo’s sake has an image of “strong acidity and robustness. This is a robust sake brewed using the Yamahai brewing method, which is the company’s specialty. It is a robust sake with a strong drinking experience, and can be said to be a sake for sake lovers.
Of course, such sake is not bad, but in the future, we want women and young people to enjoy sake in a more casual way. When I thought about it, I decided that our brewery needed to make sake that is easier to drink. Masaaki Saito, the 27th head of the brewery and executive director of the company, said.
After working as a salesman for a broadcasting company in Tokyo for about seven years, Mr. Saito returned to NIKAHO City in 2018, and is now seeking a modern sake quality while understanding the appeal of the traditional Yamahai brewing method.
My wife is not much of a sake drinker, but I want to make sake that even she can enjoy,” he says, adding that he is currently working on a change in brewing methods.
However, Hiraizumi Honpo is no ordinary sake brewery; it is a brewery with a tradition of over 500 years and has already gained a reputation among many sake lovers, so it is quite a challenge to take a new approach to creating a new taste. And although Saito-san had seen sake brewing as part of his daily life, this was the first time he had been involved as a sake brewer. Nevertheless, his passion for “sake for the next generation” moved those around him, and he and the toji started a new sake brewing project.
The sake brewed in the brewery’s new direction is the HITEN HIRAIZUMI series, released for the first time in 2019. The “Hina HINA” series uses an original yeast selected by Mr. Saito himself to bring out a mild aroma and refreshing acidity; the “Hina Hibari” series uses a ginjo yeast from Akita Prefecture to bring out a gorgeous aroma and a pleasant mouthfeel; and the “Kubu Hakucho” series combines white malted rice, No. 77 yeast (malic acid), and the Yamahai yeast (lactic acid) to produce a unique sake that offers a changing acidity. The three varieties are “Kubu HAKUCHO,” which combines white malted rice, No. 77 yeast (malic acid), and Yamahai yeast (lactic acid) to create a unique sake with changing acidity. All of them are made using Yamahai brewing methods, but they are not overly robust, aiming to create new flavors. Saito says, “We made this sake with women and the younger generation in mind, who normally don’t drink sake. Two Junmai Daiginjos, “Kin Konjiki” and “Gin Shirogane,” are also available in the series. It will be interesting to see how this lineup will be accepted in the market.
To create the next generation of sake, while following the good qualities of a brewery with a long history. Mr. Saito’s new approach has just begun. Will he continue to brew using the traditional Yamahai brewing method, or will he try a completely different approach? Either way, we look forward to the future of sake brewing at Tohoku’s longest-established sake brewery.
