Kuwabara Sakaba (Brewery) [Nakanoshima-cho, Masuda]

A long-established brewery, where sake Shoki was blended with prayers for beating the plague

Kuwabara Sakaba is located just outside the center of Masuda. The historic brewery was founded in 1903. At the request of Miwa Ishihara, who loves the famous sake “Fuso-Zuru” produced here, the brewery gave her a special tour.
(*Normally the brewery does not give tours to visitors.)

A while after entering the brewery, she found some household Shinto altars set up high on the wall.

Miwa said, “There are household Shinto altars everywhere, aren't there?”

“Yes, sake is deeply related to the gods, so we always hold ceremonies to pray for the brewing of the sake before we start,” said Mr.

Ohata, president of Kuwabara Sakaba. Traditionally, sake breweries in various parts of Japan pray to the gods before starting the brewing process, “so that we can make sake safely, and so that we can make delicious sake,” he added.

He then gave us a detailed explanation of the sake production process, including steaming rice, koji (malted rice) making, shubo (yeast starter) making, and three-stage brewing.

“I really want you to try Fuso-Zuru at room temperature or warmed. Then, you can really enjoy the rich aroma of the rice.”

At the time of the interview, the world was in a depressed mood due to the Coronavirus disaster. In an effort to bring back the vitality of the world as soon as possible, they have released a junmai ginjo sake “Shoki,” a blend of sake from six breweries in Shimane Prefecture. The label on the bottle depicts Shoki, the god who wards off plagues and is also famous from Iwami Kagura performances. Kuwabara Sakaba’s Fuso-Zuru is also part of the blend.

“We went through a lot of trial and error in the balancing of the blend. Finally, the good parts of each of the six sake were well balanced and we ended up with a good sake.”

“Shoki” can be found at any liquor store in Shimane prefecture, but if you want to make sure you can get it, please visit “Kaneyoshiya Shoten” in Masuda. The owner of this store is the originator of Shoki and the initiator of this project.

The store is a wonderland of alcoholic beverages, with all kinds of sake, shochu, wine, and other liquors on the shelves. It is a must-visit for people who enjoy drinking.

The sake, “Shoki,” is filled with the wishes of the brewers and sellers to overcome the plague and bring back a bright future. This is a testament to the positive efforts made by the local sake breweries, born out of the Coronavirus disaster.