VOL.201 MARCH 2025
Traditional knowledge and skills of sake-making with koji mold in Japan Smooth, Light Sake Infused with History and Tradition, Brewed with The Famed Water of Fushimi

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Sake breweries line the bank of the diversion of Uji River (commonly known as Horikawa) in Fushimi Ward in Kyoto City.
Photo: Gekkeikan Sake Company, Limited

Kyoto City’s Fushimi district, one of Japan’s leading sake-brewing areas, is located in Fushimi Ward, in the southernmost tip of the city. Fushimi has a long history of sake brewing, and sake production has developed considerably as an industry there. Here we introduce the history and characteristics of sake-making in Fushimi.

“Fushimi’s sake has a history of development and refinement. It goes well with Kyoto cuisine, which developed and was derived from the cuisine of the Imperial Court¹ and is distinguished by a reserved and refined taste that is described as hannari.²”

So says TANAKA Shinji, public relations manager of Gekkeikan Sake Company, Limited.

“Sake was originally brewed as a precious drink to be offered to the gods from ancient times. Banquets were held at the Imperial Court to taste the sake offered to the gods, and this gradually became an important ritual. Official sake-brewing workshops were also set up within the Imperial Court, and it is said that these techniques formed the basis for the development of sake brewing in Kyoto. Today, we still brew o-miki (sacred sake) for the Imperial rituals and special sake for entertaining invited guests. I think this is because we have inherited a precious tradition rooted in the origins of Japanese sake culture.”

TANAKA says the main reason why sake brewing has developed as an industry in Fushimi is the quality of the water, here so essential to sake-making.

“The rainwater that falls on the mountains that surround Kyoto on three sides seeps into the hills and fields and flows into the Kamogawa River and Katsuragawa Rivers that run through the city. While the river waters flow from the northern part of the city toward Fushimi, there is also an abundance of underground water that springs up here in Fushimi.”

A castle town was built around Fushimi Castle, which was constructed in Fushimi by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a warlord who unified the country in the late 16th century. The town attracted travelers and goods, and the demand for sake increased. Later on, in the early 17th century, Fushimi developed further as a strategic point for water and land transportation between Kyoto and Osaka. More than a few sake breweries from other regions moved to the area in pursuit of its geographical advantages and high-quality water, and Fushimi went on to become one of Japan's foremost sake-producing districts.

“Underneath the Kyoto Basin is a huge reservoir-like basin of underground water called the Kyoto Suibon, which is as large as Lake Biwa,³ and the water source of the Kyoto Suibon, together with Fushimi’s underground water, provides an abundance of water, even within the 2 km square area where the Fushimi’s sake brewing industry is concentrated. Over 20 breweries use this water to brew their sake, and the sight of the sake breweries that line the Horikawa River along one stretch of the area is a well-known scene that symbolizes Fushimi.”

The strata of Fushimi are composed of layers of sand and pebbles called reki.⁴ A fair amount of minerals dissolves into the underground water that springs up at the foothills, making the water moderately hard, with medium amounts of calcium and magnesium.

“This moderately hard water is used for sake brewing, and fermentation takes a relatively long period of time. These conditions give Fushimi’s sake its characteristic low-acidity and its smooth, light taste. This soft, gentle-tasting water contains the ideal hardness properties, which enables slow fermentation and yields sake with a good balance of umami and sweetness. There is a small plant for sake brewing in the Gekkeikan Uchigura Sake Brewery, which is located in a part of the site where Gekkeikan was founded. Currently, the Tajima toji⁵ there brews sake using traditional methods. During the coldest months of the year, when it’s the peak time of traditional kanzukuri cold-brewing, the smells of steamed rice and fermentation waft through the air, enhancing the mood of the area.”

Although this brewery is not open to the public, visitors can learn more about the history of sake brewing and sake production in Fushimi at the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum across the street.

Fushimi’s sake was born from abundant water sources and is a colorful addition to Kyoto’s rich food culture. TANAKA says he wants people from overseas to enjoy it in Kyoto.

“Kyoto’s food culture began with cuisine for court banquets, then expanded and developed into shojin ryori at Buddhist temples,⁷ honzen ryori for samurai families,⁸ kaiseki (会席) ryori for townspeople,⁹ and another kaiseki (懐石) ryori for tea ceremony.¹⁰ In this setting, Fushimi’s refined sake has pursued flavors that complement the taste of Kyoto cuisine.

“If someone asked me the ideal way to enjoy Fushimi’s sake, one answer would be to enjoy it with kyo-kaiseki dishes at Kyoto’s Kagai¹¹ and ryotei (traditional Japanese restaurants). However, not only Fushimi’s, but all Japanese sake is being reacknowledged as a wonderful pairing for a meal, because it goes well with all kinds of dishes. Feel free to enjoy sake with various foods.”

• 1. Also called yusoku ryori, this cuisine is said to have its origins in the visually pleasing dishes enjoyed by the Imperial Court and aristocrats during the Heian period (794 to the late 12th century). See “Carrying on 1,200 Years of Japanese Culinary Tradition” in the June 2022 issue of HIGHLIGHTING Japan.
• 2. A Kyoto term meaning an image of elegance, gentleness, and mellowness without pushiness.
• 3. Japan’s largest freshwater lake, located in Shiga Prefecture. With a history of about 4 million years, it is the oldest lake in Japan.
• 4. Fine stone and pebbles with grain larger than sand.
• 5. Toji is a person in charge of a sake brewery who is the overall supervisor of the brewing process. Tajima toji is based in Tajima in northern Hyogo Prefecture, which neighbors Kyoto Prefecture, and is active in sake production throughout the region.
• 6. A fermentation method in which saccharification and fermentation proceed simultaneously.
• 7. Food made from grains and vegetables, without meat or fish, based on Buddhist teachings. It was developed as a diet for Buddhist monks.
• 8. Authentic Japanese cuisine for entertaining. It began as the cuisine for samurai warriors during the Muromachi period (1336 to 1573; various theories exist), and developed and spread during the Edo period (1603 to 1868; various theories exist). A variety of dishes are served on a zen, small dining table (the most of them are lacquered) in front of each person.
• 9. Food for drinking and feasts developed from the early modern period. It was created through variations and development of honzen ryori and kaiseki ryori, and became the mainstream of current Japanese cuisine. See “Sea Bream Hegi-zukuri: Capturing the Spirit of Kyoto Cuisine” in the May 2023 issue of HIGHLIGHTING Japan.
• 10. It refers to a simple meal served as part of a tea ceremony.
• 11. A generic name for a town with a cluster of o-chaya (“teahouses”) where geiko and maiko entertain their customers with dance, song, and ozashiki asobi games.

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