Sake Nation “Association of Sake Breweries Serious about Cultivating Sake Rice”
By Kosuke Kuji
Companies usually grow grapes fermented to produce wine. While this may seem normal in the world, farmers in Japan have long cultivated sake rice used by sake breweries to brew sake.
Japanese laws in the past posed challenges for sake breweries to own rice paddies to cultivate sake rice. However, the laws recently relaxed to allow sake breweries passionately involved in cultivating sake rice to increase their own company-owned rice fields.
Twenty-two sake breweries enthusiastically cultivating their own sake rice gathered and founded “Farming & Brewing,” an association that cultivates sake rice and brews sake to introduce original sake products to consumers, in 2023.
The association introduces original farm-to-table sake products to consumers through various activities, such as sampling events held at the Aoyama Farmers Market in Tokyo.
Farming & Brewing is garnering attention in Japan as a Japanese sake association that also sells original sake products and merchandise on ELEMINIST, a digital platform that sells sustainable products.
I feel more sake breweries will start growing their own rice to produce sake products in the future, as sustainable sake production will soon become the norm worldwide, with more sake breweries expected to join as members. Please continue to support the activities of this association.
Companies usually grow grapes fermented to produce wine. While this may seem normal in the world, farmers in Japan have long cultivated sake rice used by sake breweries to brew sake.
Japanese laws in the past posed challenges for sake breweries to own rice paddies to cultivate sake rice. However, the laws recently relaxed to allow sake breweries passionately involved in cultivating sake rice to increase their own company-owned rice fields.
Twenty-two sake breweries enthusiastically cultivating their own sake rice gathered and founded “Farming & Brewing,” an association that cultivates sake rice and brews sake to introduce original sake products to consumers, in 2023.
The association introduces original farm-to-table sake products to consumers through various activities, such as sampling events held at the Aoyama Farmers Market in Tokyo.
Farming & Brewing is garnering attention in Japan as a Japanese sake association that also sells original sake products and merchandise on ELEMINIST, a digital platform that sells sustainable products.
I feel more sake breweries will start growing their own rice to produce sake products in the future, as sustainable sake production will soon become the norm worldwide, with more sake breweries expected to join as members. Please continue to support the activities of this association.
酒豪大陸「農業を本気でやる蔵元の会」
ワインではブドウ栽培とワイン醸造が同じ人、会社がやる事が多く、世界では当たり前の感覚ですが、日本では長らく米は農家がつくり、その米で日本酒の蔵元が酒を造る、という流れになっています。
なかなか今までの日本の法律では蔵元自らが田んぼを持つことが難しく、近年緩和され、今までも熱心に農業に関わっていた蔵元達が自社の田んぼを増やしていく傾向になっていました。
そんな農業に強い想いを持つ蔵元が集まり、原料の米作りから酒造りまでを一貫して手掛け、農業と醸造、そして消費者を繋げることを目的に22の酒蔵で構成された「農！と言える酒蔵の会」が2023年に設立されました。
この会では、農業と酒蔵の連携について、広く一般のお客さんに伝えていき、東京・青山ファーマーズマーケットでの試飲販売会などを通して活動を伝え続けています。
また、ELEMINIST のオンラインショップでオリジナル商品等の販売なども行っており、今日本で最も注目されている日本酒の団体となっています。
これからの長い歴史の中で、蔵元が自ら米を栽培して酒にしていく、という当たり前の流れは強まっていくと感じています。また、そういったサスティナブルな酒造りが世界で評価される時代もこれから来ると感じています。加盟蔵はこれからどんどん増えていくと思いますので、この会の活動には注目をしてください。