Hiroshima Sake University

While Niigata University is doing all kinds of interesting things in its Sakeology project, the southern sake centre of Higashi-Hiroshima has started its own “Higashihiroshima Sake University” (市立日本酒大学, shiritsu nihonshu daigaku) to give people an opportunity to learn about the area’s tradition of sake brewing through lectures and tastings.

A session on 17 October 2022 was held in Saijo Sakaemachi, close to the Sakagura-dori street lined with sake breweries, and featured lectures by Miho Imada of Imada Shuzo (Fukucho, Seafood) on making Fukucho and developments for sake outside of Japan, and by Tatsuya Ishikawa, head of the Hiroshima Toji Association, speaking about traditional sake brewing. 150 people attended either in person or online.

Two more events are scheduled:
31 October

• “The charms of sake brewing” by Muneyoshi Kanai, Principal Researcher, National Research Institute of Brewing (NRIB)
• “Michi-no-eki” and sake sales” by Satoshi Yanagisawa, Station Master, Saijo Nonta-no-Sakagura Rest Area

 14 November

• “The technical support and R&D behind Hiroshima sake brewing” by Risa Yamazaki, Principal Researcher, Hiroshima Food Technology Research Center
• “Enjoying food and appreciating jizake” by the Kishimoto Shokudo restaurant

The events cost JPY 5,000 for the in-person tasting (application required, limited to 50 people), or can be viewed online for free (application required, limited to 300 people). Recordings of the talks will also be provided (possibly for a limited time as some from an earlier series of events in March 2023 are no longer available).

(Chugoku Shinbun Digital, 21 Oct 2023, Hiroshima City site 21 Aug 2023)