Enjoy Miyagi's Sake Series Vol. 3 - Recommendations for Sake Miyagi is Proud to Produce - [Sanriku Course

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Otokoyama Honten Sotenden Series
There are many places throughout Japan that produce delicious sake, but did you know that Miyagi Prefecture also has many delicious and unique sake products?
Sake from Miyagi has a deep connection to the famous warlords of the Warring States period, and the sake brewed by each sake brewery in this land of rich nature is exquisite!
In this issue, we will introduce a total of 9 tours of Miyagi's sake.
We are also planning tours for limited departure dates, so please visit us and enjoy the environment where Miyagi-style sake is brewed, the marriage of Miyagi-style sake with local products, and meet the people who make it their profession. You will be captivated by Miyagi sake. (Please see the bottom of the page for tour details.)

Sake Brewing in Miyagi

The roots of Miyagi's sake brewing

Miyagi sake is said to have been first brewed in 1604 by Takeda Genzaemon in Watari, an area in southern Miyagi Prefecture, who started brewing sake as a merchant.
A few years later, in 1608, the Sendai clan's official sake brewery was established by Date Masamune, the founder of the Sendai clan, who was a gourmand and a great lover of sake.
Through the mediation of Yagyu Tajima no Kami Munenori, Masamune granted Mataemon, a resident of Kayanomori in Yamato (Nara), the family name "Kayanomori Mataemon", a ten-man support grant, and ten ryo of cut rice, and gave him a brewery and residence south of the San no Maru of Aoba Castle to start his own sake brewery. The sake brewery was built by Lord Masamune. The brewery is said to have been built by Lord Masamune himself.
Along with the development of the domain's sake breweries, town sake breweries also appeared in the Sendai castle area, and as they competed with each other in brewing techniques, Miyagi's sake brewing was refined.

About 90% of the sake is high quality sake

Miyagi sake is one of the highest quality sake in Japan. Since the "Declaration of Miyagi as a Prefecture of Junmai Sake" in November 1986, we have increased the percentage of high-quality "Tokutei Meishu" sake produced, which meets the requirements for rice polishing ratio and ingredients. Currently, approximately 90% of Miyagi's sake is tokutei meishu, which is higher than the national average of approximately 40% and the average of approximately 70% in the Tohoku region.

Miyagi Sake Enjoyment Series Vol. 3 [Sanriku Course in Miyagi Prefecture] (Japanese only)

In this third installment of our series on enjoying Miyagi's sake, we introduce Kakusei and Otokoyama Honten from the Sanriku area of Miyagi Prefecture!
The Sanriku area, with its complex rias coastline dotted with islands, offers beautiful scenery and an abundance of seafood that can only be enjoyed here. Despite being in the Tohoku region, the Sanriku area has a relatively mild climate even in winter. The Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011 dealt a tremendous blow to many people in the Tohoku region's Pacific coast area.
Please try the sake made by the local people who have worked together to overcome such unprecedented hardships.
Junmai Ginjo-shu "Suitori Ki" Photo courtesy of Kakusei Co.

Kakusei - Sake that brings people together in harmony

Kesennuma City is located on the northeastern edge of Miyagi Prefecture. It is a bustling port town facing Sanriku, one of the world's three largest fishing grounds. In 1906, when Tahei Saito, the head of the Saito family, prayed for the safety of sake brewing, he saw the bright star of dawn reflected in the sake-filled Masu through a sacred mirror. The trade name "Kakusei" was born from this auspicious event, which has been handed down to this day. Kesennuma is located in Miyagi Prefecture, a major rice-producing area, but is blessed with rice and water essential for sake brewing, as it collects melted snow water from the Murone Mountains in neighboring Iwate Prefecture.
Mizutoriki" and "Kinmon Ryogoku" were created as Kakusei's main brands in this rich natural environment. We have been pursuing flavors that go well with bonito, shark, and swordfish from Kesennuma, a fishing town, as well as seaweed, oysters, and ascidians from Sanriku.
Kakusei Exterior (registered tangible cultural property)Photo courtesy of Kakusei Co.

Aiming for new sake brewing at a new brewery

Since its establishment, the brewery has always been committed to the principle of "quality first," pursuing a sake quality that is both elegant and delicious. Kakusei has been in harmony with the food culture of Kesennuma, a town of fishermen, without interfering with the taste of fresh seafood in particular.
Due to the effects of the Great East Japan Earthquake, in August 2021, the brewery was moved from the Ota Factory, which had been used since its establishment, to the Hakusan Factory on the site of the former Kesennuma Hakusan Elementary School, which had already been closed. Although the interior facilities have been almost completely renewed, there are still glimpses of the elementary school in many places.
The brewery's philosophy is to make sake that you will never get tired of drinking, from the first sip to the last drop, and that you will enjoy drinking sake until the very end.
Hakusan production facility built in a closed elementary school Photo courtesy of Kakusei Co.
Kakusei HP

Kakusei × Spirit and skill of the port town of Kesennuma

Kakusei's sake has been nurtured with the blessings of Sanriku. How about having Kakusei's sake and Kesennuma's seasonal sushi for lunch?
Introducing "Asahi Sushi," which has been in Kesennuma for 57 years, purchasing and serving fresh seafood carefully selected mainly from local ingredients. Their specialty is "Ganso Shark Fin Sushi," a special dish made with Kesennuma's shark fins, which are simmered, golden threads, and boiled. Since its establishment, Asahi Sushi's unique seasoning has been well-known.
For this tour, a special original menu was specially prepared for us. Please enjoy not only the famous "Original Shark Fin Sushi" and other sushi, but also seasonal seafood sashimi and "Oyster Tempura," which is hard to find anywhere else, along with "Kakusei" sake.
Exterior view of Asahi Sushi
Asahi Sushi HP

Otokoyama Honten ~Living together with the town of Kesennuma and fostering a new history and culture

Otokoyama Honten was founded in 1912 in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, one of the most famous port towns in Japan. Since then, Otokoyama Honten has continued to make sake for more than 100 years in this area blessed with beautiful nature and abundant foodstuffs. Our signature brand is "Sotenden. It is a deep yet refreshing sake with a crisp aftertaste that emphasizes Kesennuma's unique characteristics.
The water used for sake brewing is drawn from a soft spring called "Aragami Spring" in the Shishiori area, and this soft water gives the sake a soft and refreshing taste. It is our wish that our customers fully enjoy the fresh and clear aroma and taste, which is reminiscent of the beauty of the blue sky and blue sea of Kesennuma, a port town in our hometown.
Otokoyama Sake Brewery Exterior
The Otokoyama Honten Uomachi Store, built in 1930, is a landmark of the port town with its distinctive Western-style architectural design and is a nationally registered tangible cultural property.
However, the building was destroyed by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, leaving only the third floor. In July 2020, nine years and four months after the earthquake, the Otokoyama Honten Uomachi Store was reopened in the same location it was before the disaster, on what is commonly known as "Yagata Dori.
Otokoyama Honten (Uomachi Store) Exterior view
Otokoyama Honten HP

Otokoyama Honten x Fresh seafood landed at Kesennuma fish market

The restaurant purchases fresh seafood landed at the Kesennuma fish market and serves kaisendon (rice bowls with seafood) and set menus. Their specialty, the "Mekajiki Harmonica Set Meal" is made with Kesennuma swordfish, a rare part of swordfish, stewed in a homemade sauce. Please enjoy it with Otokoyama Honten's signature brand "Sotenden". This is a perfect menu item for "sake to be drunk while eating fish dishes.

A marriage of creative Mediterranean cuisine using fresh seafood from Kesennuma and sake

For dinner, you will enjoy creative Mediterranean cuisine using ingredients from Kesennuma.
Here at "nine one" is the gateway to Kesennuma, and the Uchiwan area is being developed as an attractive area where you can experience Kesennuma's port town culture. Fresh seafood from Kesennuma fishing port, which boasts one of the largest catch in Japan, goes perfectly with the creative Mediterranean cuisine. In this tour, we selected local sake from local breweries "Kakusei" and "Otokoyama Honten" to accompany each dish. The sake brewers will be present to explain about their sake, and you will enjoy a pairing that is unique to Kesennuma. Please enjoy Kesennuma's food and sake in a relaxed atmosphere.
nine one (exterior)
nine one HP

The 3rd tour in the Miyagi Sake Enjoyment Series: Limited Departure Day Tour

We will conduct a tour of the sake breweries introduced here, where you will be able to visit and taste the sake and marry it with local ingredients.
This is a rare opportunity to hear the real voices of the sake breweries and to learn and discover!
Departures from Tokyo and Sendai are available.
Please enjoy Miyagi's proud Sanriku area with sightseeing.
Click here to register!
The contents and services in this article are subject to change.
Tour availability is subject to change.
All images are for illustrative purposes only.
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