Regional sake: Yamagata Prefecture

Yamagata Prefecture is famous for the Mogami River, the mountain temple Yamadera near the capital Yamagata and the mysterious area of the Three Dewa Mountains and its yamabushi. But it also has a large central basin and the Shonai coastal plain where from olden times rice cultivation has been important. Sakai has always been a major trading port for commerce with, for example, the Kansai area. Other important towns are Tsuruoka, the gateway for pilgrims to the Dewa mountains, which used to have more than 30 sake breweries in the past, and the castle town of Yonezawa.

Yamagata's sake breweries are mostly small and traditional, but large in numbers (more than 50) and they all have a good and steady quality. Many of them have a long tradition. In other words, thanks to the presence of so many excellent, small sake houses, the prefecture has become a sure haven for jizake fans.

The brewing system is interesting: instead of working with a toji, many breweries work with teams made up from local farmers, where natural leaders take the lead, instead of having a toji with his brewers come from afar (although there are also some breweries which employ Nanbu toji).

Yamagata's breweries also work together to promote the prefecture's sake, for example by creating common "prefectural" brands, such as "Funamaezake" for unpasteurized Shiboritate sake, or "Yamagata Seisei" for low-alcohol sake. The most famous example is the junmai ginjo "Dewa 33": here not only the local sake rice, Dewa Sansan has been used, but also local Yamagata yeast and even proprietary koji from the prefecture. The prefecture has also developed the KA yeast for ginjo sake and plays an active role in supporting its breweries via its technology and research centers.

Sake rice used is often Miyama Nishiki or the famous but rare Kame no O sake rice. The local sake rice Dewa Sansan took 10 years to develop and was first cultivated in 1996 - it is suited to Yamagata's hot summers and cold winters.

Sake from Yamagata is generally crisp and clean, but with a full depth of flavor and aroma - in other words, it also has  plenty of  "body;" at the same time, each small  brewery has its individual characteristics.

Some Breweries:

• Chiyokotobuki (Chiyokotobuki Toraya Co., Ltd., Sagae). Est. 1696. Sagae (close to Yamagata City) has water of the quality of the famous Miyamizu (underground water of the Sagae River which in its turn consists of the ice water of Mt. Gassan). Uses only local Yamagata rice. Makes Junmai sake with the Yamahai method and also has an interesting Ginjo Koshu in its lineup.
• Dewazakura (Dewazakura Sake Brewery Co., Ltd., Tendo). Est. 1891. "Cherry-blossoms of Dewa" (Dewa is the ancient name for Yamagata). Named after the cherry-blossoms on local Mt. Maizuru. Oka brand is longseller among ginjo sakes, and was instrumental in developing the fledgling ginjo market. The taste is smooth, the fragrance strongly floral. Try this sake if you want to know what "ginjo-ka" is. Much sake unpasteurized (to that purpose, all aging tanks have cooling attached). English website. Active in selling abroad. 
• Eiko Fuji (Fuji Shuzo, Tsuruoka). Est. 1788. The Oyama district of Tsuruoka where this brewery is located, was once called the "Nada of Tohoku." Now only four breweries are left, among which Eiko Fuji is one of the most venerated. Founded by a member of the family of the warlord Kato Kiyomasa. Taste is soft and has at the same time plenty of umami, with some sweetness. Uses No. 10 Yeast which has almost no acidity.
• Fumotoi (Fumotoi Sake Brewery Co., Ltd., Sakata). Name means "Well at the foot of the mountain." Also makes sake with the Kimoto method. One of the many breweries from port city and merchant town Sakata. Small in size, but known for high quality. Owners related to Hatsumago in the same town. 
• Ginrei Gassan (Gassan Shuzo, Sagae). ”Silver ridge of Gassan (Mt. Moon)." Est. 1972 through shared bottling of three breweries which themselves date back to the Edo-period. Although two other brand names are left for the local market, the company has gradually shifted to the shared brand "Ginrei Gassan." One of the breweries making an excellent "Dewa 33." Light mouth-feel thanks to excellent water from Mt. Gassan.
• Hatsumago (Tohoku Meijo, Sakata). Est. 1893. The present brand-name, ”First Grandchild,"  was selected when the first grandson was born to the owner. One of the largest brewers in Yamagata, with two facilities in Sakata. Also makes sake according to the Kimoto method, with a deep taste. 
• Jokigen (Sakata Shuzo Co., Ltd., Sakata). Est. 1946 through merger of 5 breweries. Brandname means "Source of True Joy." Uses subsoil water from Chokai mountain range. In 1998, the toji also became president. Excels in ginjo sake.
• Juyondai (Takagi Shuzo Co., Ltd., Murayama). Est. 1615. "Fourteenth Generation."  Does not pasteurize its sake and therefore only produces a limited quantity. Difficult to find and very popular. Pairs floral fragrance to a fresh taste. Does not press its sake, but uses natural drip method.
• Kikuisami (Kikuisami Co., Ltd., Sakata). Founded in 1973 through the merger of three firms."Strength of the Chrysanthemum."
• Kobai (Kobai Corporation, Yonezawa).　"Fragrant Plum." Handworked sake, wide variety: includes sake made with wine yeast, a super dry sake (+19) and a frozen unpasteurized junmai.
• Kudoki Jozu (Kamenoi Shuzo Co., Ltd., Tsuruoka). Established in 1875. "Good in seducing the heart and mind," a name which does not refer to a pick-up artist, but to the ability of the warlord Hideyoshi to manipulate people to his advantage. More than 70% of total production is junmai ginjo sake. President also acts as the Toji. Labels in easy to recognize ukiyo-e style. Uses Yeast No. 10 for an elegant taste. 
• Oyama (Kato Kihachiro Shuzo Co., Ltd., Tsuruoka). Established in 1972 in the Oyama district of Tsuruoka (where you will also find Eiko Fuji). Computerized production, clean-tasting sake.
• Take no Tsuyu, Hakurosuishu (Take no Tsuyu Sake Brewery, Tsuruoka). Est. 1858. Located in the temple town at the foot of Mt Haguro, one of the Three Sacred Dewa Mountains. Company named "Take no Tsuyu" because the brewery stands in a bamboo forest. The name for the junmai ginjo of the company, "Hakurosuishu" compares the white dew to pearls. Uses only locally grown rice.  In this company, too, the owner also works as toji.   
• Taruhei (Taruhei Shuzo, ). Ages its sake in wooden kegs, which adds a deep cedar-wood flavor; also rather high in acidity. Does not filter the sake with charcoal, so amber colored. Uses Sumiyoshi brand for dry junmai sake, and the Taruhei name for more richly flavored sake. Junmai more than 80% of output. Its dryness is interesting, as here it is not obtained by adding alcohol!  
• Tatenokawa (Tatenokawa Inc., Sakata). Est. 1832.  Name given by the Sakai lords of Sakata. All Handwork. English website.
• Toko (Kojima Sohonten Co., Ltd., Yonezawa). Est 1597. Patronized by Uesugi lords of Yonezawa. Brewery now 23th generation owner. Full, but elegant taste. Operates sake museum "Toko no Sakagura" in city of Yonezawa.
• Yonetsuru (Yonetsuru Sake Brewery, Ltd., Takahata-machi). Uses no toji, but Yamagata system of teamwork with local farmers. Employs brewers the whole year, in summer they change into rice farmers cultivating the sake rice Yonetsuru uses. Brewery developed new rice strain Kissui. Was the first to make ginjo sake in Yamagata. Soft taste with much umami, almost no acidity.