Murayusyu Brewery” Breathing New Life into the Market

Located in central to northern Niigata Prefecture, the Echigo Plain is a beautiful expanse of rice paddies, and in a small town along the Shinano River, which flows through the center of the plain, lies the Murayusyu Brewery. The company was founded in 1943, starting with the production of wine during the war. The company uses 100% Niigata rice and draws soft spring water from a side well dug in the mountains about 2 km away. The brewery produces about 300 koku (1 koku = 180 liters). Although not a large brewery, it has many strong fans both within and outside of Niigata Prefecture, including the long-loved “Hanakoshiji” series and the “Murayuke” series of limited distribution sake.

A major topic when discussing the Murayuke Sake Brewery is the fact that it dared to try a sweet sake, bringing a breath of fresh air to the market during the local sake boom, when “light and dry” was the norm for Niigata sake. The “Murayu” series, brewed with the image of the fine, clear, elegant sweetness of wasanbon sugar used in high-class Japanese confectionaries, was well received for its sweetness and crisp taste, and greatly changed the image of Niigata sake, which at the time was all about light, dry sake. The series is also a popular brand among locals at izakayas (Japanese-style pubs) in Niigata Prefecture.

We want people to enjoy sake freely.

Kensuke Murayama, the third generation toji (master brewer) of the brewery, has been working at the brewery for one year since he graduated from school. At the age of 22, his first brew, “Hanakoshiji,” won a gold medal at the National New Sake Competition and attracted a lot of attention at a young age. However, not everything was smooth sailing after that. There were times when he almost lost confidence in his sake brewing skills because of the lack of success. At one point, however, Mr. Murayama decided to stop focusing on the sake’s reputation at sake competitions. He realized that the quality of sake is not determined by the judges, but by the customers. He also questioned the tendency to judge the value of sake by looking at the specifications on the label. When people drink sake based on their knowledge and preconceived notions, they tend to look for rough edges, no matter how good the sake is. He believes that sake should be enjoyed more freely and happily, and has decided to follow his own path of sake brewing with confidence, keeping everything but the alcohol content private.

Sake made by his own hands is the only sake he sends out.

With the exception of shipping, Mr. Murayama is directly involved in all aspects of sake brewing. Since the retirement of the previous toji, Mr. Murayama has taken over the role of toji and is in charge of the brewery. Therefore, no matter how popular a product may be, the amount that can be produced is limited. This is because they want to send out only sake that has been carefully and deliberately brewed under the watchful eye of Mr. Murayama. There are times when he is unable to meet delivery deadlines, causing liquor stores to wait. However, Mr. Murayama is not interested in mass production. He does not seek a uniform taste like that of industrial products. Even if customers always want the same taste, he says, the taste of sake will change slightly when the tanks are changed, even if the sake is brewed the same way on the same day. He wants his customers to accept this. Instead, Mr. Murayama never cuts corners. He sharpens his own senses and is dedicated to producing high quality sake in small quantities. This is the Murayu Sake Brewery’s way of making sake. When asked about his future as a sake brewer, Mr. Murayama smiles calmly and says, “I want to live a quiet life from now on, and I’m getting a little tired of making sake. He says he doesn’t like to fly and doesn’t travel far for business. He is aloof, happy to live in the moment, and friendly. His personality is the same as that of the sake he makes.

The “good sake” that Mr. Murayama makes

The most important thing is how you feel when you drink the sake, whether it is sweet or spicy,” says Murayama. I value the softness on the palate, the sharpness, and the clean feeling when you drink it because it is something you put into your body,” says Murayama.

The sweetness of the “Murayu” series differs depending on the label. The balance between sugar and alcohol is adjusted by controlling the fermentation speed. The more sugar in the same amount of alcohol, the higher the cost, a difference that is easy for drinkers to understand.

Hanakoshiji,” which has been a local favorite since its establishment, is a little less sweet than the Murayu series. Aiming for what is considered “good sake” in the traditional sense, it is characterized by its clean, soft, and refreshing aftertaste. It is like a treasured child that Mr. Murayama has been brewing with great care since the time he started sake brewing.

What is the true way to enjoy sake?

Not to worry about some kind of evaluation, and moreover, not to rank sake or to drink it as if you were trying to determine the quality of the product. It is to enjoy the food you eat together and the conversations you have with the people you spend time with. Instead, it is about letting the time go by while feeling the joy of drinking sake, purely, freely, and in accordance with the atmosphere of the moment. Enjoying such a natural and exquisite time is the secret to enjoying Murayu’s sake. We hope that you will once enjoy the space created by such unpretentious sake.

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The focus is on delicious food and a stress-free environment

In the middle of the Echigo Plain, a region of rice paddies stretching as far as the eye can see in the central to northern part of Niigata Prefecture, there is a duck farm with a history of more than half a century in a tranquil setting with a distant view of Mt. Fukushima Duck Farm is where Sadakazu Fukushima, a master duck farmer who knows everything about ducks to the extent that he is called a “duck master,” raises “makogamo” ducks, commonly called “aokubi. Originally, he was a rice farmer for five generations. When they were forced to change crops in the 1960s due to production adjustments caused by the rice glut, the previous generation began raising ducks. Ducks have been a familiar creature flying into the rice paddies since the days when people could not eat meat from cows and pigs, and the culture of using ducks as food has existed in this area for a long time.

Having raised ducks for more than 50 years, there is not much that Mr. Fukushima does not know about ducks, but when he was young, it was a process of repeated failures and trial-and-error. It took him a long time before people began to tell him that the ducks he raised were “delicious. After I started raising ducks, I kept a journal in an A4-size notebook every morning, afternoon, and evening without fail, continuing to write down the good results and improving the bad ones. Finally, he arrived at a method of raising ducks that he was satisfied with. Over the years, Mr. Fukushima has made the most careful adjustments to the feed mix and rearing environment. A good duck is only good if it is fed well. This is Mr. Fukushima’s belief. Instead of cheap feed, he uses high-quality feed rice with a particularly high oleic acid content. All the rice he feeds is home-grown with reduced pesticides, and the vegetables are organic and home-grown without the use of pesticides. In addition, lactic acid bacteria, honey, and molasses are added to the feed. In other words, Fukushima-san feeds his ducks natural feed that is the same as what humans eat with peace of mind. The ducks eat safe, high-quality feed, which improves their intestinal environment, and their feces do not smell bad. Another of Mr. Fukushima’s specialties is to keep the ducks in a stress-free environment. Keeping ducks in unsanitary huts or in cramped places where many ducks are crowded together causes unnecessary stress to the precious ducks. He has created a large, clean breeding area where the ducks can move freely, and the water area is always well cleaned. The ducks look happy. Thanks to this, the ducks raised carefully for six months in Mr. Fukushima’s duck farm have beautifully shiny feathers even from a distance, beautifully standing posture, and gentle temperament, and they are healthy and delicious.

Fukushima Duck Farm’s ducks can be enjoyed in all their glory.

Fukushima-san’s ducks, which are known for their taste and safety, are ordered by many repeat customers every year. The shipping season is very short, from November to mid-January, and most of the ducks are sold out before the end of the season. The best season is from November to mid-December, before the snow begins to fall. It has a good amount of fat, and even though it is bird meat, it has sashi. It is also characterized by its low calorie content and high nutritional value. It is delicious both grilled and cooked in a pot. The offal is also tasty and has no peculiar taste. The bones can also be minced and eaten. Except for the feathers, Fukushima-san’s duck has nothing to throw away.

I can’t forget the taste of duck. I can’t forget the taste of duck, and I want to eat duck rice again,” he says. The duck rice prepared by Mr. Fukushima’s wife is exquisite. The duck is cut into bite-sized pieces and lightly simmered in just enough dark soy sauce to soak the duck meat, then mixed into the cooked rice. The flavor of the fat from the duck and the flavor of the cooked soy sauce is in perfect harmony, and you can eat as many servings as you like. The rice used for this dish is “Kamo Rice,” which Mr. Fukushima grows with great care. The rice used for this dish is “Kamo Rice,” which is grown safely without chemical fertilizers or herbicides using the “Kamo Farming Method” with Kamo ducks raised by Mr. Fukushima, and carefully harvested every year. The combination of this Kamo rice and Mr. Fukushima’s delicious Kamo rice is unique.

At over 70 years of age, Mr. Fukushima has finally reached the level of a master. In addition to ducks and rice, he also grows grapes, beans, and other seasonal produce, cherishing the joy of harvesting and tasting the best of the season. He says he is not interested in making a profit, but wants to produce food that his family and loved ones can eat with peace of mind.

Fukushima-san’s duck is a premium seasonal delicacy from late fall to early winter that makes gourmets swoon. I urge you to try it at least once. It will be a taste you will never forget.

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Steps Taken to Make Niigata a Famous Wine-producing Region

About 30 minutes by car west of downtown Niigata on a national highway along the coast, in a quiet area surrounded by pine forests at the foot of Mt.Although there are now vast vineyards, this used to be an undeveloped sandy area that no one paid much attention to.In 1992, the first vines were planted in this area by “Cavedotch Winery.The owner of the winery at that time wanted to realize the traditional European style of winemaking that he had learned in Germany in Japan, and set his sights on producing “100% domestic fresh grapes and 100% European wine grapes.The founder, who wanted to find a place with a climate similar to that of Europe and avoid rainy and hot areas, chose Kakudahama because of its easy access to the Tokyo metropolitan area and other commercial areas, as well as the availability of a site of a certain size at a reasonable price.

Its proximity to the coast and its sandy, sandy soil are the most distinctive features of this land.Grapes grown in this sandy soil give the wine a light, delicate, and floral aroma.Drainage is excellent, but nutrients are scarce.In order to find the right variety for the soil, we have spent a lot of time growing many varieties and repeating trial and error.Finally, they found a white variety called “Albariño,” which is native to Spain.It has a gorgeous aroma and a salty taste, and is characterized by medium-sized, small grains and small bunches, with a slightly thick skin.He started growing it 17 years ago, and in the third year, he finally found a good response.Over time, he gradually increased the area under cultivation and gained confidence in “Niigata-grown Albariño.However, no matter how much they produce, without the needs of consumers and the market, there is no business.In parallel, he began a steady effort to spread Albariño seedlings to wineries in various regions.As a result, Albariño is now a variety that has attracted the attention of many wineries, liquor stores, and consumers in Japan.

Niigata Wine Coast” is finally born!

From 2006 to 2024-present, winemaker Fumito Kakegawa’s goal is to create soft, gentle wines.I want to make wines that are light and friendly, that show the nuances of this soil.”Personally, he prefers natural wines to heavy, classic wines.He is not concerned with global standards or awards, but rather with making wines that everyone can enjoy.

There are five other wineries in the vicinity of the Curvedotch Winery: Fermier, Domaine Chao, Cantina Giosetto, and Le Cinq Winery.From the very beginning, Curvedotch did not intend to produce wine on its own.After opening the winery, the company gathered wine-loving comrades and opened a “winery management school” to train winemakers by providing detailed instruction on everything from vineyard management to winemaking techniques.The goal was to increase the number of producers and make the area into a wine-growing region.The desire to make the area a famous wine-producing region gave birth to the “Niigata Wine Coast” and fostered Niigata’s wine culture.

Providing value to the Carved Ditch experience that does not end with the famous wine-producing region

The development of Curved Ditch as a conventional resort facility is another notable feature.

In 2009, the hotel and spa facility “Curvedocci Vine Spa” was launched to provide a place for local residents to relax and enjoy hot springs, and has continued to evolve since then.In 2019, they opened the “Winery Stay Travigne” auberge under the new concept of “staying at a winery.

Rather than selling products outside of the prefecture or to the Tokyo metropolitan area, they wanted to encourage Niigata customers to visit and enjoy local wine here, and found value in the “experience gained from staying in the area.They focused on the “experience that can be gained by staying in the area,” and created a restaurant, bakery, marché, and sausage workshop, as well as a hall that offers hot springs, lodging, and even wedding ceremonies, all of which can be enjoyed along with the wine.The representative of the company, Mr. Taku Imai, says, “Enriching the experience of our guests’ visit makes the wine taste even better.Rather than selling products outside of the prefecture or to the Tokyo metropolitan area, they wanted to encourage Niigata customers to visit and enjoy local wine here, and found value in the “experience gained from staying in the area.They focused on the “experience that can be gained by staying in the area,” and created a restaurant, bakery, marché, and sausage workshop, as well as a hall that offers hot springs, lodging, and even wedding ceremonies, all of which can be enjoyed along with the wine.The representative of the company, Mr. Taku Imai, says, “Enriching the experience of our guests’ visit makes the wine taste even better.

In March 2022, a new book lounge with a collection of about 4,000 books opened in the existing “Vinespa” spa facility.This facility attracted attention because it was designed by Masataka Haba, the creative director of “Children’s Book Forest Nakanoshima” by Tadao Ando, which will open in Osaka in March 2020.It is a space filled with luxury where people who visit for the purpose of wine can satisfy their intellectual curiosity and interest through books, using wine as a touch point.He says that he will continue to aim to provide new values that can be experienced with such wine.

We are committed to making delicious wines that are suited to Niigata’s soil,” he said.We want to continue to offer wines that can only be made here and experiences that can only be had here.”Imai and Kakegawa share the same aspiration.Curvedotch Winery exudes the pride of Japanese craftsmanship that certainly lives on in the European tradition while enriching the multi-layered experience as a winery resort.They are setting a new standard for wineries in Japan.

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Tomatoes are a summer vegetable.
Soga Farm, located in the northern part of Niigata Prefecture, is a farmer specializing in fruit tomatoes, cultivating tomatoes grown in a harsh winter environment that overturns such conventional wisdom.
The farmer is particular about growing tomatoes in a “harsh winter” environment and soil that is highly stressful for tomatoes.
The farm’s tomatoes are small in size but packed with rich sweetness and flavor.

Soga Noen’s special tomatoes

It is not widely known that Niigata Prefecture is one of the top tomato consuming prefectures in Japan. Among these, the Toyoei and Nigorikawa districts in Niigata City’s Kita Ward are the largest producers of tomatoes in the prefecture, although they are not as well known nationwide. The secret lies in the area’s unique fertile soil nurtured by the Shinano and Agano Rivers. Soga Noen, which began producing fruit tomatoes in the 1990s ahead of other farmers as a fruit tomato specialist, has also benefited from this fertile soil.

Tomatoes have a strong image as a summer vegetable. We tend to imagine tomatoes growing bright red in the full sunlight, but Soga Noen’s tomatoes are harvested mainly from April to June. These are “overwintering tomatoes,” meaning that they are cultivated in the fall and survive the snowy winters to become tasty. The term “fruit tomato” does not refer to a specific variety. Fruit tomatoes are simply the same variety as regular tomatoes, but with a higher sugar content. The standard sugar content of tomatoes is said to be 5-6 degrees, but at Soga Farm, tomatoes with a sugar content of 8 or higher are considered fruit tomatoes, and those with a sugar content of 9-10 are sold as “overwintering fruit tomatoes. Tomatoes with a sugar content of 10 degrees are as sweet as watermelon or mandarin oranges. The fertile soil and Niigata’s unique climate produce this rich, mellow sweetness. The use of special soil with rice hulls, as is typical of a rice farm, is also not to be overlooked.

Surprising cultivation method of “overwintering tomatoes

Soga Farm uses a highly acidic variety called “First Series,” which dominated the Showa period (1926-1989) but declined with the advent of “Momotaro,” the variety of most tomatoes on the market today, to slowly bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes over time. Mr. Shinichi Soga (representative of Soga Farm), who has taught himself through trial and error, describes his growing method as follows: “I put stress on the tomatoes to make them store the sweetness firmly. It is like giving muscle training to an athlete,” he describes. Specifically, he limits the amount of water given to the tomatoes during the growing season and allows them to experience cold temperature differences from winter to spring. In winter, the temperature in the greenhouses is kept to the limit of what is possible for growth, and the temperature difference between day and night when spring arrives stimulates and nourishes the tomatoes. This is an unusual method of growing tomatoes. In fact, there was even a year when the tomatoes failed to grow and were completely wiped out. Even so, the desire to “produce the most delicious tomatoes in Japan” led to the birth of fruit tomatoes with distinctive characteristics. Finally, in 2012, the tomatoes won a gold medal at the Vegetable Sommelier Summit. This award, which certifies tomatoes with excellent taste based on “deliciousness,” was the moment when the tomatoes became the best in Japan, both in name and reality.

Although small in size, the sweetness and flavor of these tomatoes is immediately apparent when you hold a bright red fruit tomato in your hand. They were heavier than the tomatoes we usually see. When placed in water, ordinary tomatoes float to the surface, but overwintered fruit tomatoes sink to the bottom. This is the result of the tomatoes’ efforts to protect themselves from drying out by storing nutrients as well as water in their flesh by growing with minimal watering. Mr. Soga also told us that tomatoes with many clear radial stripes, called star marks, which appear on the bottom of the tomato, are the best tomatoes.

Overwintering Tomatoes” Have Numerous Potentialities

Fruit tomatoes are delicious even when eaten as they are, but their potential is also demonstrated when they are processed into tomato juice or ketchup. The sugar content of ketchup is predetermined by JAS standards, but Soga Noen’s “Echigo-Tomato Ketchup Sauce” achieves this without the addition of sugar, but only the natural sweetness of the tomatoes that are boiled down over time. Of course, no coloring or preservatives are used. It can be used in place of pasta sauce, poured over omelets, and goes well with dishes such as caprese. It also makes a great gift for a loved one. Every year, we have many repeat customers at our direct-sale store. I would like to bring growers and consumers closer together,” says Mr. Soga, who is determined to pursue the possibilities of fruit tomatoes even further. The day may not be far off when this area becomes famous for its tomatoes.

Tomatoes that have undergone repeated loading and recovery through Niigata’s harsh winter are densely grown and are like muscles, to use an analogy. In order to always produce the best tomatoes possible, he sometimes resists the forces of nature, and he devotes himself to research day and night, never failing to collect data and observe the fields while deciphering the climate of each year.

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Kamo Nishiki Brewery, a Local Favorite

Kamo City, located roughly in the center of Niigata Prefecture, an area long from north to south, is blessed with a historical landscape of castle ruins and historic temples and shrines, but in fact much of the city is made up of mountain forests. Kamo Nishiki Sake Brewery has been a longtime local sake brewery since its establishment in 1893, using the spring water of the Kamo River, whose source is the famous Mt. The Kamo Nishiki Brewery has long been a local sake brewery, and while light, dry sake is the standard in Niigata, the brewery has produced a mellow sake that is rare in this region. The Tanaka family, which currently runs Kamo Nishiki Brewery, is related to the owner from the Showa period. As the sake industry was slipping with the times, the Tanaka family, a distant relative who had once been in the food manufacturing business, was chosen to take over the management of the company in the 2000s, hoping to somehow preserve the “Kamo Nishiki” brand. This event led to the relocation of the brewery to Akiba-ku, Niigata City, next to Kamo City. The key person in this new era was his son Yuichi Tanaka, who was still a university student at the time. At first, he had no interest in sake brewing, but somehow he was moved by the sight of his father, who rarely drank alcohol, suddenly buying and tasting sake from all over the country and confronting the process of sake brewing. When he tried “Ottersai” and “Jyushiyo,” which were among them, he was shocked by their taste. After discovering for the first time the deliciousness of sake, Mr. Tanaka overcame his parents’ opposition and became devoted to sake brewing.

The Challenge of the New Kamo Nishiki

The new Kamo Nishiki was an amateur sake brewer, including his father. When he took over the management of the company, he rehired several employees, but due to the aging of the workforce, the only experienced person was the former analyst, and there was no toji (master brewer). With no one with experience to rely on, Mr. Tanaka’s sake brewing challenge began. He was allowed to take a leave of absence from college to work part-time for one year, but his father’s condition was that he must make sake that would satisfy the local sake store, Hasegawa Sake Shop. Hasegawa Sake Shop is a well-known store that has opened stores in Omotesando Hills, Tokyo Station Gransta, and other hot spots. It has a track record of discovering numerous famous local sake breweries, so much so that it is said there is no one in the sake industry who does not know about it.

Mr. Tanaka began by recreating the sake brewing process of a famous brewery he had seen on TV. He began by deciphering the graphs from the video and mimicking the numerical values on the ingredients list. That alone was amazing, but gradually he began to understand the logic behind the numbers. His father had told him to do whatever he wanted to do, and although he was self-taught, he tried everything he could to make the sake he wanted. He came to Tokyo with a bottle filled with the finished sake and a simple label attached to it as a packing slip. It was also his job to secure an appointment with Hasegawa Sake Shop. The sake he made in the first year was approved by Hasegawa, the representative of Hasegawa Sake Brewery, and he fulfilled his promise to his father. This was after only one year of sake brewing. I think it was just momentum at first. Perhaps it was because I was extremely young that I was recognized. Looking back on those days, Mr. Tanaka says. This year marks the eighth year since he entered the world of sake brewing in earnest. The sake produced at that time was named “Kafuda-shu” and became the signature series of Kamo Nishiki Brewery. The “Kafuda-shu” series includes Junmai Daiginjyo Kwangsuisen and Dewa Sanzan. The encounter with Hasegawa Shuten led to various opportunities, and the Kamonishiki Brewery rapidly expanded its capabilities. Today, Kamo Nishiki is one of Niigata’s leading sake breweries, with a strong presence in the region. The “Kafuda-shu” series is based on a fresh, elegant ginjo aroma and restrained sweetness, and is available in a variety of variations, including different types of rice and yeast, filtered or not, and hiya-iro (fire-roasted) or not. The labels, which are designed as packing labels, are still stamped with a seal by hand and affixed to each bottle. The “BRILLIANCE” series, which the company hopes to expand in the future, is also well received. The company uses famous sake rice from all over Japan, including Bizen Yamadanishiki and Banshu Aizan. The rice is polished to the very limit so as not to spoil the original characteristics of the rice, resulting in a fresh, fruity taste that attracts new fans who can also enjoy the umami of the rice.

Everyone has their own tastes, but it would be a great honor for me as a brewer to make a sake that breaks through the barriers of taste,” he said. I would like to challenge myself in various ways for the next 10 years. Personally, I am aiming for a sake that is soft and alcohol-free. Mr. Tanaka’s eyes are shining with the joy of truly enjoying sake brewing. The goal of his own sake brewing is still undecided, and the evolution of Kamo Nishiki Brewery, which continues to take on new challenges, will not stop in the future.

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