Sake and food from 26 breweries ~ Kobe Nada-Gogo wal

Nada-Gogo ("The Five Villages of Nada") is known in Kobe for its long history and as the largest of the three major sake breweries in Japan. Nada-Gogo has a variety of conditions, including "soil" suitable for growing delicious rice, good quality "water" and "climate" from the mountains in the hinterland which are essential for making the best sake. In this issue, we will take you on a tour of representative sake breweries, exploring the secrets of Nada-Gogo's delicious sake.

Now let's take a quick tour to the sake brewery. Purchases at the brewery are exempt from liquor tax as well as consumption tax.

■Recommended brewery #1: "Kobe Shushinkan" brewer's "Fukuju", which was served at the Nobel Prize ceremony.

▲Large casks used for sake brewing in a historic "Nagaya-mon" gate and garden. Snapshot spot!

Founded in 1751, Kobe Shushinkan is a brewery that brings innovation while preserving the tradition of sake brewing. Their purpose is to produce delicious sake without burdening nature, and strive to brew environmentally sustainable sake. A tour of the brewery (by appointment only) allows visitors to see the current brewery used for sake production, and to enjoy tasting and shopping.

■'Fukuju Junmai Ginjo'

Ripe cherry peaches-like rich aroma. Fresh fruit and the smoothness of umami rice flavor. Slightly dry with an alcohol content of 15% and a refreshingly light dryness. 720 ml in a decorated box costs \1,862 including tax.

■ Experiences that can be enjoyed at Kobe Shushinkan ... Free tasting of Fukuju sake.

▲ Ms. Mesolella, who came from Italy fascinated by sake, is working as a staff member, you can ask her anything about sake!

　Free tasting of a variety of classic and seasonal sake is available. For those who are not familiar with sake, we recommend the easy to drink."Fukuju Junmai Ginjo" (the blue bottle in the center of the photo). Lightly carbonated sake sold to REVOMAX by volume (white and yellow containers in the picture). REVOMAX is an excellent pressure-resistant bottle with a cooling time of 36 hours.

Junmai Nigori Nama Sake 350ml - \5,730, 590ml - \6,960 (both prices including REVOMAX). Japanese food and soba noodles can be enjoyed along with Fukuju sake at the brewery's restaurant Sakabayashi on the same premises.

■Recommended breweries #2: Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum, from daily to high-end sake brewing.

▲Popular photo spot at the entrance to the Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum.

▲A large wooden vat set up in the brewery show us how sake is made.

　The Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum, built in an old sake brewery, shows ten different processes of sake brewing. The museum shows how the craftspeople work under harsh environmental conditions in each of these processes, and allows visitors to experience the secret of sake's delicious taste from the utmost care with which it is made.

You can also compare the differences between sake brewing in the past and today's sake brewing with a video in the museum. The explanation of sake brewing is also available in 15 languages by holding your mobile phone over the QR code.

　The brewery also offers free junmai nama sake and seasonal sake tastings.

■”Hakutsuru Kura-shu", a special junmai raw sake available only at the Museum.

This junmai sake is made 100% using (Yamadanishiki) rice from Hyogo Prefecture, and is a sharp, rich sake. The sake normally sold here is pasteurized before bottling, but as it is a pure sake, it has a strong flavour and is only sold here. Enjoy the taste of raw sake. 17% alc. 500 ml - ¥1,760.

　■Hakutsuru Tenku Hakutsuru-Nishiki Fukuro-tsuri Junmai-Daiginjo

　 Hakutsuru Sake Brewery has a range of sake that can be enjoyed everyday, but this is a sake that requires the most time and effort to be made, from the traditional manual rice washing to the final Fukuro-tsuri (bag-hanging) process. The aroma is sweet at first, but the more you drink, the spicier it becomes. 720ml - \13,200

　This sake can be tasted for a fee, but it is a must try.

■"Nada-Gogo Sakedokoro", where you can drink sake from all 26 breweries in Nada-Gogo and enjoy delicious food at its best.

　　Although you visited each sake brewery to learn how sake is made sampled it, there was no place where you could compare sake from different breweries all at once, so a restaurant was opened to meet the needs of sake lovers. The shop is housed in a renovated old sake brewery and offers dishes made with locally produced seasonal natural ingredients and sake from each brewery to match.

　The interior of the store is designed to resemble the precincts of a shrine, and its world's largest 45-meter-long counter provides a solemn and modern feel, like the approach leading to the shrine's main hall.

■Recommended menu: "Nada-Gogo Sake Set", a set of delicious dishes and sake from each area of Nada-Gogo

■The September-October culinary menu is full of autumn produce such as autumn myoga (Japanese ginger, on the right), red sea bream (middle) and pumpkin (left).

　The dishes rotate every two months and use local seasonal ingredients. Also, the sake is selected from about 40 varieties of Nada- Gogo sake that go well with the dishes. 3 dishes are paired with 5 different types of sake, and the order in which they are eaten is also suggested for enjoyment.

　Drinking sake that goes well with food emphasizes the ingredients in the dish and makes you realize that sake enhances the food.

　If you book online in advance, the price is \3,000 with a limited seasonal dish; for orders at the restaurant on the day, the price is 2,400 yen. Reservations are recommended as dish stocks are limited.

■For those who want to enjoy a little more sake, the 'Gokujo Kenrishi Highball'

For those who are keen to enjoy a different way of drinking sake after having had a food and sake set, we recommend the sake highball, with a wild taste and flavor that remains even when mixed with carbonated water. Knowing the difference from a whisky highball, you'll be hooked. Please enjoy this opportunity. 12.5% alcohol, \800 per glass

　 　　　　　
■There is also a lemonade (right) made with Kobe Water, which is thirst-quenching, refreshing and less sweet (250 ml - \600), and Kobe Water in the shape of Kobe Tower, which can be reused after drinking (\500).

■Message to guests visiting Japan

Sake from Nada Gogo has long enjoyed pairing with food and sake, please enjoy the pairing of sake and non-Japanese international cuisine and sake culture in everyday life.

Here are some of the fun things to do at the restaurant. A 'Toast Hour' is held for all visitors at 55 minutes every hour during opening hours. It's a great way to communicate with people you don't know, have a lot of fun, make friends and be happy!

■Kobe Shu-shin-kan Location　　　　

1-18-17 Mikagezuka-cho, Higashinada-ku, Kobe-shi　　　　　　　

Nearest station: 8 minutes walk from Ishiyagawa Station, Hanshin Railway　　　　　　　

Closed: Kura Shop Tomeikura: January 1-3　　　　　　　　　　　

Storehouse restaurant Sakabayashi: Wednesdays, December 31-January 3　　　　　　　

Business hours: Storehouse Shop Tomeikura: 10:00-18:00　　　　　　　　　　　　

Kura-no-Ryotei Sakabayashi:

Lunch time 11:30-14:30 (L.O. 14:00) 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
Drinking session: 14:30-17:30 (L.O.17:00)

Evening session: 17:30-21:00 (L.O.20:00)

Tours of the brewery are available by advance reservation only.

■Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum Location　　　　

4-5-5 Sumiyoshiminami-cho, Higashinada-ku, Kobe City　　　　　　　

Nearest station: 10 min. walk from Mikage Sta. of Hanshin Railway　　　　　　　

Closed: Open year-round except for year-end and New Year holidays　　　　　　　

Open hours: 09:30-16:30

■Nada Gogo Sake Brewery Location　　　　

3-11-2 Mikage Honmachi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe-shi　　　　　　　

Nearest station: 10 minutes walk from Mikage Station of Hanshin Railway　　　　　　　

Closed: Monday-Thursday　　　　　　　

Hours: 12:00-20:30 (*Open until 19:30 on Sundays)