Making Sake that Brings Joy to People of Many Generations for More Than a Century

“There were the effects of the Pacific War and a two-year drought that made management of the brewery difficult when my grandfather was manager. Sales fell, and my grandfather left a note in his will, saying that that sake production should cease as it wasn’t profitable.”

“Taking over the brewery as the third manager, my father shifted from in-house sake production to joint production with other breweries. 

There was talk of selling the brewery and running a grocery store or hotel during the economic bubble period, but my father decided to keep the brewery and sell the driver’s school he operated.”

“To generate cash, he renovated the brewery into a restaurant and shop, and began managing these. The restaurant opened selling upscale Japanese cuisine, but having her doubts, my mother switched to serving local foods.”

“She said we ought to be showing off local charm instead of competing with the cities, as there are better upscale restaurants in Kyoto or Tokyo. 


The chefs at the time quit, saying, ‘local food isn’t cooking,’ but even still, my parents frantically ran around to keep the brewery going.”

Having grown up while watching his parents work hard, Wataru returned to Iwate in his 30’s after gaining experience as a consultant in Tokyo. He inherited his mother’s philosophy of passing on culture rooted in the local area without conforming to the cities.

“I first worked on rebuilding the beer business my father had set up. When I thought about making beer in Ichinoseki, I came to realize that the local ingredients themselves could be what made us unique.”

“There’s a unique food culture in Ichinoseki, with mochi cuisine and more, and there are so many ingredients. 

There is no reason to not use the fresh and delicious ingredients that we can get cheaply here. If you look at the local area from that viewpoint, you can encounter interesting producers and the job becomes more interesting.”

As the beer business grew, Wataru became involved in the overall management of sake production, the restaurant, and more. And he says that conflict with his father was endless.

“I left the company after having a big argument with my father at a meeting participated in by all employees. 

I thought about getting another job, but the business suffered after I left and other employees also left. I couldn’t let this happen, but just as I returned to the company, the earthquake struck.”

March 11, 2011. The Great East Japan Earthquake struck Japan, the worst natural disaster since the Second World War, with 200,000 dead or missing including related deaths. 

The vertical vibrations that shook for more than four minutes knocked down old warehouses one after the next and tanks holding sake collapsed.

Kentaro Miura, the chief brewer at the Sekino-ichi Brewery, thinks back to what it was like during the earthquake.

“The earthquake struck at 2:46 pm. It was the day of the last sake pressing of the year. This was ten years ago, not long after I had begun working as a brewer in sake production.”

“The other brewers and I had talked about drinking some sake and celebrating later that day after we finished pressing the sake. All we could do was watch the sake that we had finished pressing pour out as the tanks collapsed.”

Wataru talks about how the whole company came together during the disaster. 

“After the earthquake, my father became confined to his bed, and management of the company got passed on to me.

I officially took over the business as the fourth manager the following year, and if I remember correctly, during the disaster, the employees united again and the entire company came together. It was not a time to fight.”

“As a project for our 100 year anniversary, we are moving forward with preparations to restart our own in-house sake production at our on-site brewery. Going back to our roots here, I want the brewery to be a novel presence even with sake production.”

“I consider a sake to be good if it is also good for the body. When you get right down to it, I think that delicious foods are the foods that make the body happy.”

“It is said that there are wars, disasters, and times when sake won’t sell. There have been many crises where we almost gave up on sake production, but my father worked desperately to leave behind the brewery.”

“Since I had my fight with him and left the company, I haven’t officially made peace with my father. 

But we both know that we didn’t say anything that was wrong. That’s because we both have the same desire to create something that brings joy to people of all generations and enlivens the area.”

The “Sekino-ichi” name in Japanese implies a meaning of, “creating the best sake to bring joy to people of all generations.” It is said that the name was given to the brewery by the Imperial family when they visited during the brewery’s early days.

The Sekino-ichi Brewery has recovered from many hardships while inheriting traditions and continuing to take on challenges. The idea of making something to benefit others has been passed down over a century and continues today.