In a perfect combination of tourism promotion, regional revitalisation and commemoration, Tobu Railways are celebrating 25 years since the shrines and temples of Nikko were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a special sake.
Named Sha-So (車窓, “train window”) it’s made locally from local ingredients–Isehikari rice (said to be a mutant of Koshihikari) grown in Kanuma and polished to 50% and water from Futarasan Shrine–and brewed by Kobayashi Jōzō in Kanuma, Tochigi Prefecture. The sake is made with #1801 yeast, is 15% ABV without dilution and comes in bottles featuring a motif from Kanuma kumiko (traditional woodworking) framing a view of Mt Nantai as seen through the window of a Tobu Spacia X train.
The sake is also made with both white and yellow kōji to enhance acidity, which is then mellowed by pasteurisation. It’s available from selected Tobu ACCESS station shops.
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東武鉄道オリジナル日本酒「車窓」が誕生しました (PR Times, 8 April 2025, Japanese)
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