Regional Sake - Wakayama Prefecture

Wakayama is the warmest prefecture on Honshu - the place where spring arrives earlier than elsewhere. That does not make it very suitable for sake brewing, for which a colder climate is necessary. On top of that, 80% of the prefecture consists of forests and mountains (my favorite Kumano area in the south, as well as Mt Koya). And finally, Wakayama lies under the heavy shadow of the large producers in Nada and Fushimi...

On the other hand, in the field of fermentation technique and history, Wakayama is famous for being the place where 800 years ago shoyu or soy sauce was invented (in Yuasa, south of Wakayama City). Of the about 20 breweries in the prefecture, most stand in Wakayama, Kainan, or along the Kinokawa River. All are small in size, and they brew some excellent sakes.

Facts:
Sake production volume Wakayama Prefecture in 2006 (figures National Tax Office): 3,981 kiloliters
Sake rice: Fukunohana almost not grown anymore, imports most of the sake rice.

Number of active breweries (Japan Sake Brewers Association website): 23

Wakayama sake is mostly full in taste and sweet. Most of the master brewers are from Tajimi.

Here are some interesting breweries:

• Nate Shuzo (1886; Kuroushi, "Black Cow," and Kikumiyo, "Reign of the Chrysanthemum"). In Kuroe, Kainan City. Owned and operated by the Nate family. Still maintains a traditional brewery. "Kuroushi Junmaishu" received high praise across Japan (also from John Gauntner) and is also exported. Image leader of sake from Wakayama, with an average rice polishing ratio of 57%. The name of "Black Cow" originates from the tradition that there was a rock shaped like a black cow - also appearing in the Manyoshu - on the coast near where the brewery is located. Uses the famous "Manyo Kuroushi" water and has the growing of Miyama Nishiki rice contracted out to local farmers. Interesting brewery museum "Onko Denshokan."
• Sekai Itto (1884; Sekai Itto, The World Unified", a name given by Okuma Shigenobu, statesman and founder of waseda University). Owned and operated by the Minakata family - the eldest son of the founder was Minakata Kumagusu, a renowned naturalist. This relatively large brewery sits right in the middle of Wakayama City (near the Nankai Shieki Station). They are known for their fragrant ginjo. You will find them in many izakaya in Wakayama.
• Kokonoe Saika (1934; Saika). Small brewery from Wakayama city, also known for its vinegar(!). Top-quality, mostly sold in the Tokyo area.

Information from: National Tax Office and Japan Sake Breweries Association
Regional profile gleaned from: Nihonshu no Tekisuto (2): Sanchi no Tokucho to Tsukuritetachi by renowned sake journalist Matsuzaki Haruo (Doyukan, 2005). Some information about individual breweries based on Matsuzaki Haruo, Tastes of 1635 Shinpan Nihonshu Gaidobukku (Shibata Shoten 2003).

Webpage on Wakayama sake (was very helpful for introducing the above three breweries!).