[Fushimi, Kyoto] Sake is becoming more and more popular in the future. Masuda Tokubee Shoten continues to make cutting-edge sake.

Founded in the Edo Period

There are currently over 20 sake breweries in Fushimi, but the one we would like to introduce is Masuda Tokubee Shoten, which has been in business for about 350 years since its founding in the Edo period.

The location is near Tanbabashi Station and Nakashojima Station on the Keihan Electric Railway.

During our visit, we spoke with Tokubei Masuda, the 14th generation owner of the company, whose trademark is a bow tie inherited from his predecessor. In 2022, his eldest son became president, and now, as chairman, he is involved in various activities to promote not only sake brewing but also the culture of sake.

The 14th generation, Tokubei Masuda

Always a pioneer of the times, they were the first in Japan to make "sparkling nigori sake."

One sake from Masuda Tokubei Shoten that I would like to introduce is the "Sparkling Nigori Sake," which was the first to be made in Japan by our predecessor in 1964. As the sake is bottled while still in the fermenting stage, fermentation continues even in the bottle, resulting in a bubbly, cloudy sake.

Because it is a cloudy sake, many people would shake the bottle before opening it if there was something at the bottom, causing the sake to gush out of the bottle, so when it was released, there was a storm of complaints. It was a sake that was ahead of its time, and there was even a bitter episode in which they had to travel around the country apologizing.

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The green bottle is "Sparkling Nigori Sake"

At the same time, they also started making aged sake, using the recipe from "Honcho Shokan," said to be the first cookbook in Japan, published in 1697 during the mid-Edo period, as a reference.

There is an image that this sake should be drunk quickly, but it develops color in 3 to 5 years and becomes even more delicious after 8 to 10 years. They are particular about the ceramic containers they use to store the sake, and currently have up to 59-year-old sake in stock.

"Tsuki no Katsura Yanagi" has long been used by Germany's Lufthansa Airlines.

Furthermore, when Masuda was president, they produced a low-alcohol (8%) sake called "Kashigagoroshi." It was jointly developed about 35 years ago by four companies: Ichinokura in Miyagi Prefecture, Fukunishiki in Hyogo Prefecture, Yuushin Shuzo in Kagawa, and Masuda Tokubei Honten. Low-alcohol sake is popular now, but at the time ginjo sake was all the rage, so there was apparently no interest in it at all. They have always been pioneers of the times, just like their predecessors.

The flagship brand, Tsuki no Katsura, focused on branding and created a new logo (right).

Involved in various projects to cultivate sake rice and promote sake

We are currently working on rice cultivation. When it comes to sake rice, Hyogo Prefecture's Yamada Nishiki is famous, but Kyoto originally had a sake rice called "Iwai," which was difficult to grow and had fallen out of use. About 35 years ago, the sake brewing association worked to get it cultivated again.

Masuda Tokubei Shoten also owns 30 hectares of rice fields, where they grow sake rice such as Shukumai without any pesticides.

Compared to rice for eating (right), celebration rice (left) has longer ears and is more difficult to grow because it tends to fall over.

Masuda is also involved in various activities to promote Japanese sake, including serving as an advisor to MissSAKE, a general incorporated association that selects ambassadors to promote Japanese sake around the world, and as a director of the Toki SAKE Association, an association for aged sake.

Once sake brewing begins, there are some things you absolutely cannot eat.

Our visit was in mid-October, just before sake brewing was about to begin.

The sake brewing process starts with polishing, washing and steaming the rice. After that, spores are sprinkled on the steamed rice in a container called a kojibuta, and the koji is made in a room at about 38℃. The rice koji, steamed rice, water and yeast are then combined and left in a tank for two weeks to make the yeast starter.

The yeast starter, rice koji, steamed rice, and water are then combined in a preparation tank. On the fourth day, the bacteria are increased and the mixture is pressed after about a month to produce the sake.

During this period, people involved in sake brewing cannot eat anything that interferes with the fermentation of the sake, including natto.

Japanese sake is set to become even more popular in the future. Masuda Tokubee Shoten is one to watch!

The other day, there was a report in the news that Japan's "traditional sake brewing" such as sake, shochu, and awamori is expected to be registered as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. "It's impossible to know what's going to happen 10 steps ahead, one step ahead will catch up, so I want to create products that are three steps ahead," said Masuda. Sake is likely to attract more attention from both within Japan and overseas in the future. I'm looking forward to seeing what new sake will be created while still cherishing tradition.

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Masuda Tokubei Shoten

Website: https://tsukinokatsura.co.jp/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tsukinokatsura_sake

Address: 135 Shimotori Nagatacho, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City, 612-8471

Phone: 0120-333-632 / 075-611-5151 (9:00-17:00)

Business hours: 9:00 to 17:00

Closed: Sundays, public holidays (Saturdays from April to September)

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