Sake from Shiga

How do water, climate and rice shape Shiga sake?

Japan's oldest and largest lake, Lake Biwa, lies in the middle of the prefecture, ringed by the Hira, Hiei, Ibuki and Suzuka mountains. According to the National Tax Agency's GI document, about 460 rivers flow into the lake, and their underflow has supported rice growing in the Omi basin. The basin's deep winter chill slows fermentation. Sake rice such as Ginfubuki, Tamasakae and Yamada Nishiki is grown, and in 2004 an old recommended variety, Shiga Watafune No. 6, was revived.

What does Shiga sake taste like?

The GI document describes gentle sweetness and umami that swell in the mouth, with clear acidity. Junmai is reserved in aroma, with rice notes and fruity hints, and junmai ginjo has a showier ginjo aroma; both are described as easy to keep drinking. Each brewery adds its own character.

A short history of Shiga sake

In the Muromachi period the temple sake of Hyakusaiji is on record. In the Edo period brewing grew along highways such as the Tokaido and Nakasendo, and Omi merchants, who worked across Japan, included many who also brewed sake. In the Meiji era an agency for Noto toji opened in Otsu, and many Noto toji worked in Shiga breweries. The document says that in the Taisho era there were more than 200 breweries in the prefecture.

What is the GI "Shiga"?

It was designated for sake on 13 April 2022. Rice for both the sake and the koji must be harvested in Shiga (grade 3 or better), and the water must be taken in the prefecture. The sake is made only from rice, rice koji and water, and is brewed, stored and bottled in Shiga. The Shiga Sake Brewers Cooperative checks it before shipment.

Where are the breweries?

The brewers' association groups its breweries by area: Otsu and Kosei, Konan, Koto, Koka and Kohoku. About 30 breweries belong to the association. Some stand along old highways and in former post towns.

Visiting and what to eat with it

The association's official site has a page for each brewery and virtual 360-degree tours of two of them. Tours and sales differ by brewery, so check their official sites. Local dishes with sourness and umami, such as fish from Lake Biwa and fermented funazushi, suit a full-bodied sake.