A Traditional Sake Brewery in Kyoto

Inherited ways and traditional flavours cultivated from excellent natural water

By Kyoto Women's University, Lifestyle Design Laboratory

Kyoto Women's University, Lifestyle Design Laboratory

Frontal view of Sasaki Sake Brewery, A sake brewery preserving Kyoto’s tradition (2018) by Sasaki Sake BreweryKyoto Women's University, Lifestyle Design Laboratory

Site of Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s
mansion

Located five minutes on foot north of Nijo Castle, Sasaki Sake Brewery was built over the former site of Jurakudai, the mansion of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598) who was a warrior in the Azuchi-Momoyama period.

Drying process of steamed rice,A sake brewery preserving Kyoto’s tradition (2018) by Sasaki Sake BreweryKyoto Women's University, Lifestyle Design Laboratory

Sake-making season begins around autumn, during which time sake makers begin preparing before sunrise. As the sunlight enters the brewery, the entire place is filled with white steam from steaming rice and a rich aroma.

koji, A sake brewery preserving Kyoto’s tradition (2018) by Sasaki Sake BreweryKyoto Women's University, Lifestyle Design Laboratory

Kyoto – a city of
quality ingredients

Water and sake rice are vital ingredients for sake brewing. Kyoto has enjoyed an abundance of quality water suited for making sake since ancient times. Not only that, the city was also located at the centre of commerce, making it easy to procure large amounts of rice. During Kyoto’s sake-making heyday, there were over 300 sake breweries in the city, but that number has dropped to just three — including Sasaki Brewery — today.

Sasaki Sake Brewery: A sake brewery preserving Kyoto’s tradition (2018-12) by Sasaki Sake Brewery and Kengo Takayama (A-Project)Kyoto Women's University, Lifestyle Design Laboratory

Sake Tanks, A sake brewery preserving Kyoto’s tradition (2018) by Sasaki Sake BreweryKyoto Women's University, Lifestyle Design Laboratory

How sake is made

Steaming process, A sake brewery preserving Kyoto’s tradition (2018) by Sasaki Sake BreweryKyoto Women's University, Lifestyle Design Laboratory

Steaming the rice

The rice is washed, soaked and then steamed in a special tub called koshiki. On the day the photograph was taken 500 kg of rice was steamed for about forty minutes, but the amount of rice and duration for steaming depend will depend on the type of sake to be brewed.

Transferring rice to the cooling machine,A sake brewery preserving Kyoto’s tradition (2018) by Sasaki Sake BreweryKyoto Women's University, Lifestyle Design Laboratory

Transferring rice to the cooling
machine

The steamed rice is raised using a crane and transferred to the cooling machine. This process is repeated about three times.

The cooling process of steamed rice, A sake brewery preserving Kyoto’s tradition (2018) by Sasaki Sake BreweryKyoto Women's University, Lifestyle Design Laboratory

Adding koji mold, A sake brewery preserving Kyoto’s tradition (2018) by Sasaki Sake BreweryKyoto Women's University, Lifestyle Design Laboratory

Adding koji mold

The steamed rice is transferred on a belt conveyor and koji mold spores are sprinkled over the rice. This will turn into koji, a type of yeast prepared from rice.

Koji for brewing sake, A sake brewery preserving Kyoto’s tradition (2018) by Sasaki Sake BreweryKyoto Women's University, Lifestyle Design Laboratory

Mixing, A sake brewery preserving Kyoto’s tradition (2018) by Sasaki Sake BreweryKyoto Women's University, Lifestyle Design Laboratory

Mixing

Steamed rice without koji mold is then hosed into a tank filled with koji, water and yeast. To prevent the steamed rice sticking to the bottom of the tank, a rod is used to stir the rice as it fills the tank. Next, the fermenting mixture (moromi) is allowed to fully ferment while the temperature is constantly monitored.

Filling sake tank with steamed rice, A sake brewery preserving Kyoto’s tradition (2018) by Sasaki Sake BreweryKyoto Women's University, Lifestyle Design Laboratory

New brew of sake, A sake brewery preserving Kyoto’s tradition (2018) by Sasaki Sake BreweryKyoto Women's University, Lifestyle Design Laboratory

Pressing

A presser is used to press out the newly brewed alcohol (in a cloudy form containing unfermented rice solids) to separate the alcohol from unfermented rice solids. It takes about one day to press out one tank of this liquid.

Bottling, A sake brewery preserving Kyoto’s tradition (2018) by Sasaki Sake BreweryKyoto Women's University, Lifestyle Design Laboratory

Bottling

The pressed sake is then filtered and pasteurized before being stored away. Next, the sake is bottled and packed.

Sake waiting to be shipped, A sake brewery preserving Kyoto’s tradition (2018) by Sasaki Sake BreweryKyoto Women's University, Lifestyle Design Laboratory

Shop of Sasaki Brewery’ A sake brewery preserving Kyoto’s tradition (2018) by Sasaki Sake BreweryKyoto Women's University, Lifestyle Design Laboratory

Sasaki Brewery’s sakes

Jurakudai, A sake brewery preserving Kyoto’s tradition (2018) by Sasaki Sake BreweryKyoto Women's University, Lifestyle Design Laboratory

Jurakudai

This is Sasaki Brewery’s superior sake made from the most refined Yamada Nishiki rice which is perfect for sake making. Jurakudai is the name of the mansion of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598) who was a warrior in the Azuchi-Momoyama period.

Nishijin, A sake brewery preserving Kyoto’s tradition (2018) by Sasaki Sake BreweryKyoto Women's University, Lifestyle Design Laboratory

Nishijin

This refreshing dry sake has a generous taste unique to pure-rice sake and goes well with Japanese cuisine. The fabric covering the bottle top is called kinran, a type of Nishijin fabric woven locally.

Heian Shishin (four sacred beasts of ancient Kyoto), A sake brewery preserving Kyoto’s tradition (2018) by Sasaki Sake BreweryKyoto Women's University, Lifestyle Design Laboratory

Heian Shishin - Four Sacred Beasts of Ancient Capital

This refreshing sake comes with a fruity aroma unique to ginjoshu (quality sake brewed from thoroughly polished rice fermented under low temperature). The label is designed by the artist Hideki Kimura who is renowned for his murals.

Koto (old capital), A sake brewery preserving Kyoto’s tradition (2018) by Sasaki Sake BreweryKyoto Women's University, Lifestyle Design Laboratory

Koto - Old Capital

This slightly sour, pure-rice sake brewed from carefully selected sake rice has a lasting taste.

Sasaki Sake Brewery, A sake brewery preserving Kyoto’s tradition (2018) by Sasaki Sake BreweryKyoto Women's University, Lifestyle Design Laboratory

Finally…

Mr. Akira Sasaki, fourth-generation president of the brewery, says he has no intention of making big changes to the traditional ways he has inherited. Sasaki Sake Brewery will continue to stay true to traditional flavours without any compromise.

Credits: Story

Supported by: Sasaki Sake Brewery

Movie by: Kengo Takayama

Photography by: Dr. Shinya Maezaki

Text by: Chisato Inoue and Sayako Yamauchi

Translation by: Eddy Y.L. Chang

This exhibition was created by: Chisato Inoue and Sayako Yamauchi

Project Directors:
Dr. Shinya Maezaki, Associate Professor, Kyoto Women's University

Credits: All media

The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.

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