Sakaegawa Shuzo

A traditional brewery with over 200 years of history. A belief in unfailing sake brewing.

Sakaegawa Shuzo boasts a proud tradition of over 200 years. Today, the one carrying this legacy is Jyunichi Ishikawa, the 15th-generation representative. Pulling double duty as the toji (head brewer), the highest authority in brewing, he challenges himself daily to craft sake of an even higher grade, refusing to simply rest on the laurels of that long history.

"I brew with a clear conviction," he says, "to never forget the spirit of my ancestors, who struggled and persevered through trial and error, and to pour my entire soul into unfailing sake brewing."

Though the scale may be small, he is dedicated to "a brewing style where he can take personal responsibility for the outcome," as a vital local industry. He speaks of his desire "to win over even just one or two new fans of Sakaegawa each year, who will say, 'They make good sake there.'" This is why, even now, he resists mechanization as much as possible, brewing his sake with the same traditional, hands-on methods of old.

The most difficult part, he explains, is the temperature control for the koji (molded rice). When the temperature rises, the brewers, the kurabito, must personally bring in outside air, managing the delicate temperature fluctuations with human hands and intuition.

They polish the rice of Aizu. They use the blessed water from the springs at the foot of Mt. Iide. They brew in the depths of the coldest season, guided by the skillful hands of their artisans. Here, in this place, the classic landscape of sake brewing and the timeless figures of the kurabito are still very much alive.