During the Meiji period, sake brewing in Takehara reached a significant turning point.
Unlike salt, sake brewed in Takehara wasn’t an export during the Edo period. It was primarily consumed within the domain. However, during the Meiji Restoration, regulations regarding the production and sales of alcohol were lifted, and people were free to make and sell sake. As a result, sake from Takehara expanded its distribution across the entire country.
In order to compete on a national level, Takehara needed to produce not only large quantities, but also high-quality sake. The brewers in Takehara decided to work together, and they endeavored to improve the quality of their products.
One of the biggest contributors to this effort was Miura Senzaburō, a chief brewer from a town neighboring Takehara. At the time, sake from Hiroshima was being outshone by sake from Nada in present-day Hyōgo, so the sake-makers of Hiroshima teamed up to innovate their production methods.Taketsuru Keijirō from the Taketsuru family was not only a member of this team, but he was also the father of Taketsuru Masataka, the founder of Nikka Whisky. The Taketsuru Shuzo Sake Brewery was surely overflowing with the passion of various brewers working together to create the best Japanese sake.
Their efforts would eventually bear fruit at the first ever Annual Japan Sake Awards, where Fujii Shuzo Sake Brewery’s flagship sake “Ryusei” beat out over 3000 competitors from the entire country and achieved the highest possible honor of first place. This incredible feat was a significant factor that brought national recognition to sake from Hiroshima.
As salt-making began to decline, the long-standing tradition of sake brewing became the new pillar of Takehara. Takehara’s history is a tale that has been written by two souls: salt and sake. The influence of these artisanal products still lingers within the air of this town, quietly living on today.
