Sake from Tochigi

How do water and climate shape Tochigi sake?

According to the Tochigi Sake Brewers Association, mountains run through the north and west of the prefecture, including the Nikko range, the Nasu volcanic belt and the Yamizo hills, and clean water comes down from their forests. Rivers such as the Kinu, Naka and Watarase cross the land, and two springs, Shonin-zawa and Izuruhara Benten Pond, are on the national list of famous waters. Sake is mostly water, so this matters.

What is Yume Sasara?

It is a sake rice bred over 13 years with daiginjo in mind. The association says it is rich in the amino acids that give umami and sweetness and has a high rate of shinpaku, the white starchy core, so it is expected to give a clean, savoury sake.

What does Tochigi sake taste like?

In the prefecture's own newsletter, a head brewer says Tochigi sake has no single regional taste, and that each brewery makes a wide range of sake in its own way. So it is better not to guess from the prefecture name alone. Read the label type and each brewery's notes.

A short history of Tochigi sake and its brewmasters

Breweries in the prefecture have mainly relied on Nanbu toji from Iwate and Echigo toji from Niigata. When these guilds aged and successors became scarce, local brewery workers began to lead the brewing. The Tochigi Sake Brewers Association then set up the Shimotsuke Toji certification with the prefectural technology centre, starting in fiscal 2006. It is described as one of the first schemes in Japan to train and certify local brewers with local resources.

Where are the breweries?

The association says there are about 30 breweries in the prefecture. They are spread over Utsunomiya, Tochigi, Sano, Oyama, Moka, Mashiko, Otawara, Yaita, Sakura, Nikko, Nasukarasuyama, Nakagawa and other places, from valleys to plains.

Visiting and what to eat with it

Two breweries in Nikko offer tours and explanations by reservation only. Check the booking conditions first. Local foods include Utsunomiya gyoza and Nikko yuba.