Japanese Sake is made from rice.

Tonoike brewery cultivate the rice of raw materials for brewing Japanese Sake.

It is important work introducing Japanese traditional culture into the future.

A lot of people participate in rice-transplanting in spring.

The rice was a good harvest from rice planting five months later.

This rice is exclusive rice to make Japanese Sake.

It's called Gohaku-mangoku.

Harvest of the rice is performed on the autumn day when it was fine well.

It is also Thanksgiving Day to God who brought a good harvest.

Of course we perform the gain by machine by the present age, but the crop work is performed with all hands

 in the same way as time of the rice-transplanting.

After a crop, we enjoy BBQ together.

The folk song celebrating gain is shown.

Splendid Japanese Sake is made from rice that a lot of people brought up.

Tonoike brewery in Mashiko.

Tonoike brewery is makes famous Japanese Sake called SANRAN.

The entrance of the brewery.

You can observe it in a brewery and of course you can taste with liquor in there.

Big black tank (upper right) and Sake barrel (KOMOKABURI in japanese)

About 72 liters liquor is in one sake barrel.

In 1937 Itsugoro Tonoike started a brewery in Mashiko.
This photograph is just that time.

And it is now.

The current president Shigeki Tonoike is the third from the front row right.

You can purchase the liquor of many kinds in their shop.

Sake made from rice polished to 50% or lower is called daiginjō-shu.

Shochu

Liqueur

About Mashiko Town

First of all I explain about Mashiko Town.

Tochigi prefecture is located about 100km North of Tokyo.

Tochigi prefecture has a many tourist resources that is historic and
 cultural attractions,beautiful nature and many hot springs.

And there is only 1hour from Tokyo.

Mashiko Town is located in South East area of Tochigi prefecture.

Masiko is known from it's pottery called Mashiko-yaki.

Kilin called NOBORI-GAMA

Big pottery festival is held twice a year.

Tourists enjoy not only pottery but also nature, foods, life style in Mashiko.


You can choose among three routes if you want to go to Mashiko.
1.

Using Tohoku-Shinkanasen Train from Tokyo to Utsunomiya.

Whether you step on the local bus route for Mashiko or can use the rent-a-car.

It takes about 40 minutes from Utsunomiya.

2.

If you want to take a steam locomotive I recommend that you get off at Oyama-Station.

Moka-Railroad is operating steam locomotive between Moka-Station and Motegi-Station.

3.

If you like driving a car.

You can select Tohoku-Express way or Joban-Express way when you goes to Mashiko.

Tonoike brewery in Mashiko

Have you drunk Japanese Sake?

And Do you know how to make a Japanese Sake?

I visited Tonoike brewery in Mashiko town last Saturday.

It is one of famous Japanese Sake brewery in Tochigi prefecture.

The liquor which they make inherits Japanese tradition and culture.

I learned from President Tonoike about the story of the sake brewing

and traditional culture of Mashiko.

I introduce you how to make Sake and traditional culture of Mashiko

by the article from the next time.

Long time no see.

My friend O sent me my photos.

That is a photos when we went to Flyfishing a couple of weeks ago.

Of course it's me to appear in the photo.

I took my friends photo 〔Ｈｅｒｅ〕