Making Sake by the Sea: A Story of Rebirth

Yuriage, a lively fishing town over nine centuries old overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Miyagi Prefecture. 


On March 11, 2011, it underwent a drastic change: swallowed up by the 8-meter-high tsunami triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake, more than a tenth of the Yuriage’s population was killed in the disaster.

Ten years after the tragedy, Yuriage is starting afresh. At the center of this story of rebirth is Sasaki Shuzo, a seaside sake brewery established in 1871 and known by locals by its trade name "Nami-no-Oto” (“the sound of the waves”). 

It is common in Yuriage to see the brewery’s sake lined up for rituals and celebrations.

“Sake breweries have long also played a part in sustainable community development. They are directly involved with local rice farmers and restaurants and are integral to local business activities.
For example, to meet the needs of the town, we have been running a kindergarten since the end of World War II; I think that sake breweries consider their local community more broadly, independently of profits.”

When he first took over the business, Sasaki says he was not one to innovate. “I valued stability so that I could keep doing what I did yesterday tomorrow. That is, until the earthquake hit.”

Ever since Sasaki was a child, his grandmother had warned him, "When there is an earthquake, there will be a tsunami. The brewery building has been rebuilt with reinforced concrete -it’s very strong.If you want to escape, head to the roof!” 
The Sasaki Shuzo Brewery had been rebuilt after a strong earthquake 43 years previously.

The damage Sasaki's business was also devastating. Equipment was destroyed, and there was nothing left of use that could be used for making sake. However, Sasaki chose not give up.

  “After losing everything, I thought about the meaning of sake. The very taste and the way it is made has always transformed with the times. 
However, we decided that our priority should be to preserve the name "Nami-no-Oto," which is beloved by locals, even if the form or taste was to change. We thought that continuing to make sake would be a source of hope for the region.”

 “It is likely that there will be more breweries like ours hit by disasters in future in Japan. 
 If that happens, our record of the challenges we have faced in setting up a temporary brewery in a warehouse will help protect the livelihood of the community, I believe. 
It doesn't matter if we fail; if we can leave some sort of documentation of our experience and an expression of hope to the next generation, I think it would be of significance.”

“It is a delicious sake that I would not be ashamed to serve up anywhere. I was very impressed with what we achieved. The locals told me that they were happy to be able to drink Nami-no-oto sake again. 

It wasn’t so much about the taste; it was also about the pride felt in the town, that the only sake brewery in the area was again making sake and had not giving up.”

 “The past ten years since the earthquake have been really tough, filled with many challenges, starting with our temporary brewery, the inability to move forward with reconstruction plans due to the failure for residents to reach a consensus, wondering what part we could play in the midst of it all. We’ve been through a lot.

But, now that we have finally been able to resume sake brewing in our own brewery, we are determined to work hand in hand with local people here to make the town the lively place it once was again. Sake breweries are the hub of the local community, after all. 

At Yuriage's Japanese-style restaurant, Gyotei Hamaya, you can enjoy pairing Nami-no-Oto sake with local ingredients and compare different types of sake. 

Ryo Ikeda, Sasaki's classmate since kindergarten and restaurant manager, describes the appeal of "Nami-no-Oto as the sake of the seaside.”

“Sake from mountainous regions is easy to pair with preserved foods, but Nami-no-Oto, made by the sea, makes for a refreshing sake that is easy to pair with fresh seafood. 

I use Yuri usually, but also their Nama Genshu for the new-season sake, and Junmai Daiginjo for celebrations. I used to think that it was a classic regional brewery, but now its fans are increasing across a wider area.”

Ten years on from the earthquake, the quaint old port town has undergone quite a transformation. 


People are beginning to flock to the area for activities like surfing, standup paddleboarding, and cycling, as well as for the abundant seafood. However, the population, once over 5,000, has dwindled to 2,000, and the city remains in danger of survival.

What will Yuriage look like in 10 to 20 years? One thing that can be said is that the history of Sasaki Brewery's sake production will be seen as a spiritual support and a symbol of the town. Sasaki says, "Our role is to tell the story of the recovery.”

“Yuriage has been in the international spotlight since the disaster, and many people have come to its aid. It is our role to tell the next generation what happened. I intend to pass on the story of this place to them over a good cup of sake.”

Yuriage is a place that has been both blessed by the richness of the sea, but also threatened by it. The terroir that nurtures the sake brewed here represents the story of the struggle and rebirth of the people who live by the sea.