Sake brewery visit: Nihonizumi in Gifu prefecture
I visited Nihon Izumi Sake Brewery and had a sake brewery tour last week.
It is located 1 minute walk from Gifu Station so you can also see it from the station.
The company name 'Nippon Izumi’ was chosen by the founder, who was confident that if brewed with underground water from the clear Nagara River, one of the top 100 famous waters, and especially with water from Shimizu-cho, they would be able to produce sake that Japan would be proud of.
The company was forced to relocate about 20 years ago due to redevelopment in front of JR Gifu Station, but they could not give up the underground water of the clear Nagara River, which is the key to the taste of sake, and so they rebuilt it in the basement of the building in order to continue making sake here.
Taking advantage of having the well controlled temperature environment, the brewery began the four season brewing method which allows sake to be brewed all year around. New sake is made every month. You can always enjoy the freshly squeezed namazake from the brewery.
Funakuchitori Series is popular overseas as well.
A series of warlords related to Gifu, such as Oda Nobunaga, Nohime, and Hideyoshi, are also popular.
History of the brewery:
Founded in the late Edo period in Chaya Shinden, Atsumi District, Mino Province (currently Chaya Shinden, Gifu City)
2002 (Heisei 14) New office building and underground storage established due to urban redevelopment
Since the founding, they have respected the traditions of sake brewing with great care.
They produce sake in a new style that combines an underground sake brewery, which is rare in Japan, with state-of-the-art equipment.
Their characteristics are:
Special seasonal brewing
Small quantity preparation
Wooden sake press (Kifune shibori)
Tasting room
Thank you for the warm welcoming at the sake brewery!
