Rice wine
1. Video
Firstly, let me present to you a YouTube video :
【Prince Aojiru】Sake Tasting in Japan
Prince Aojiru, one of the most famous young millionaires in Japan, enjoys his Japanese rice wine (Saké) in Japanese hotel (Ryokan).
2. Let’s make Koji and enjoy Sake
Secondly, let me introduce a unique program. By participating in it, you can vividly experience the world of Japanese rice wine (Sake) inherited until today.
Koji making
【Nagano / Saku City】
In this program, you stay at a sake brewery hotel, KURABITO STAY and experience making Koji for amazake.
The Saku area of Nagano prefecture is one of Japan’s leading sake breweries. There are 13 sake breweries that have been there since the Edo period.
With the cooperation of Kitsukura Shuzo, one of the oldest brewers, you will be making koji, which is actually sold as a product at one of the brewers. Through this experience, you can learn about Koji, which is very important in Japanese food culture.
Since ancient times, sake brewing has been considered to be a collaboration with God. Therefore, at the first step, you clean the sake brewery before starting work. Next, you receive the Shinto ritual from the priest of the Shinto shrine. Then, you enter the brewery.
KURABITO STAY
The sake brewery hotel, KURABITO STAY, used to be a 100-year-old building where brewers lodged together. However it has been renovated to have many private rooms with a key that even a female can stay with peace of mind.
For dinner on the day of arrival, you will have a special menu with Sake at a nearby Japanese restaurant. The breakfast will be “Kurodo no Kenko Breakfast”.
As for meals other than breakfast on the second day, enjoy the local gourmet food in the shopping district around the sake brewery. Shinshu soba and the roast chicken are popular.