Comments on: Japanese Regional Sake - Hyogo http://www.japannavigator.com/2008/05/21/japanese-regional-sake-hyogo/ Guide to Japanese culture by Ad Blankestijn. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:21:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Ad Blankestijn http://www.japannavigator.com/2008/05/21/japanese-regional-sake-hyogo/#comment-2187 Ad Blankestijn Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:38:41 +0000 http://www.japannavigator.com/?p=589#comment-2187 Hello Alan, Sakura-Masamune is the second Uozaki company described in my post above! The Yamamura Sake Company is the original name of this company (Sakura-Masamune was their brand). However, in 1992 they discarded the old company name and took Sakura-Masamune as company name. So your bottle must be from before 1992. Another point in time is 1913, for that is when the Yamamura Sake Company became purveyor to the Imperial Household. This system was abolished after WWII, I believe finally in 1954. So we have narrowed down the date such a label could have been printed to between 1913 and 1954. When you follow my link in the post above to the webpage of Sakura-Masamune, you will see a link to an English page that contains an English PDF which gives a good impression of the history and technical prowess of this company! By the way, is it an old bottle you have or a new one with a copy of a historical label, as a sort of special edition? If the bottle is old and still contains sake, please be forwarned that it can not be drunk anymore! Hello Alan,

Sakura-Masamune is the second Uozaki company described in my post above! The Yamamura Sake Company is the original name of this company (Sakura-Masamune was their brand). However, in 1992 they discarded the old company name and took Sakura-Masamune as company name. So your bottle must be from before 1992. Another point in time is 1913, for that is when the Yamamura Sake Company became purveyor to the Imperial Household. This system was abolished after WWII, I believe finally in 1954. So we have narrowed down the date such a label could have been printed to between 1913 and 1954.

When you follow my link in the post above to the webpage of Sakura-Masamune, you will see a link to an English page that contains an English PDF which gives a good impression of the history and technical prowess of this company!

By the way, is it an old bottle you have or a new one with a copy of a historical label, as a sort of special edition? If the bottle is old and still contains sake, please be forwarned that it can not be drunk anymore!

]]> By: Alan Taylor http://www.japannavigator.com/2008/05/21/japanese-regional-sake-hyogo/#comment-2182 Alan Taylor Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:05:26 +0000 http://www.japannavigator.com/?p=589#comment-2182 Hello. I recently aquired a one quart bottle. The label states: THE REFINED JAPANESE SAKE SAKURA-MASAMUNE SUPPLIED BY APPOINTMENT TO THE IMPERIAL HOUSEHOLD BREWED AND BOTTLED BY YAMAMURA SAKE BREWING CO., LTD. UOZAKICHO, NEAR KOBE, JAPAN. Iam trying to date this bottle. I am also trying to find some history on the date of operation of this company. I would greatly appreciate any information you could provide. Thank you, Alan Taylor. Hello. I recently aquired a one quart bottle. The label states: THE REFINED JAPANESE SAKE SAKURA-MASAMUNE SUPPLIED BY APPOINTMENT TO THE IMPERIAL HOUSEHOLD BREWED AND BOTTLED BY YAMAMURA SAKE BREWING CO., LTD. UOZAKICHO, NEAR KOBE, JAPAN. Iam trying to date this bottle. I am also trying to find some history on the date of operation of this company. I would greatly appreciate any information you could provide. Thank you, Alan Taylor.

]]> By: Ad Blankestijn http://www.japannavigator.com/2008/05/21/japanese-regional-sake-hyogo/#comment-1942 Ad Blankestijn Wed, 21 May 2008 10:00:59 +0000 http://www.japannavigator.com/?p=589#comment-1942 Hello Daniel, You are right - the breweries in Tohoku make great sake! The reason Tohoku did not grow into the largest sake center is logistics - in our present highway-and-truck times this is not so relevant anymore, but in the Edo-period when there were only carts and horses, having a good port on your brewery doorstep was crucial. That is how Nada (with the Imazu and Kobe ports) grew so large... shipping their sake to the greatest population center of the time, Edo, which did not have any breweries of its own. By the way, the breweries do not stand inland, as you assume, but right at the coast - it is the cold wind that blows down from the nearby Rokko Mountains in winter that keeps them naturally refrigerated. This is something very real, I can assure you, as I live there myself - and it is cold here in winter! Hello Daniel,
You are right - the breweries in Tohoku make great sake! The reason Tohoku did not grow into the largest sake center is logistics - in our present highway-and-truck times this is not so relevant anymore, but in the Edo-period when there were only carts and horses, having a good port on your brewery doorstep was crucial. That is how Nada (with the Imazu and Kobe ports) grew so large… shipping their sake to the greatest population center of the time, Edo, which did not have any breweries of its own. By the way, the breweries do not stand inland, as you assume, but right at the coast - it is the cold wind that blows down from the nearby Rokko Mountains in winter that keeps them naturally refrigerated. This is something very real, I can assure you, as I live there myself - and it is cold here in winter!

]]> By: Daniel http://www.japannavigator.com/2008/05/21/japanese-regional-sake-hyogo/#comment-1938 Daniel Wed, 21 May 2008 06:53:05 +0000 http://www.japannavigator.com/?p=589#comment-1938 It's surprising to me that the most productive region isn't somewhere in Tohoku, the area that would have the longest brewing season. Although I guess this part of Hyogo is inland, which would keep it nice and chilly. It’s surprising to me that the most productive region isn’t somewhere in Tohoku, the area that would have the longest brewing season. Although I guess this part of Hyogo is inland, which would keep it nice and chilly.

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