Visit Sake Town Fushimi in Kyoto
When you visit Fushimi, the sake town in Kyoto, you’ll see the beautiful sight of the breweries. This is one of the famous scenery in Kyoto. One of the reason why Fushimi is famous in sake is the rich spring water. This rich spring water is called “Fushimizu”, water in Fushimi, in Japanese.
Gekkeikan is the second largest brewery in Japan. 1637, Jiemon Okura,the founder of Gekkeikan, started the brewery in Fushimi. Since he came from a village called Kasagi, he named his brewery”Kasgiya”.For almost 250 years,Kasagiya made various kind of sakes and grew in to a bigger brewery.
What is Special about Gekkeikan?
Still now, Gekkeikan makes various kind of sake. Its sake is particular about the ingredients. All the sake Gekeikan produces is additive-free and only uses rice,kome-koji and distilled alcohol. Because the Gekkeikan’s sake has a pure taste, it fit for any cuisine, especially home-cooked dishes.
” People’s not making the sake, the kome-koji and the yeast are making our sakes”
This is the way of thinking about Gekkeikan’s sake brewing.
Since Gekkeikan makes sakes in respect, Gekkeikan is one of the purveyor to the Imperial household. Which there’s only 4 sake companies that is the purveyor to the Imperial household.
The Gekkeikan brewery is open for visitors as a museum, Okura memorial hall. If you enter the museum, you can feel the history and atmosphere of the old sake brewery. At this Okura memorial hall, you can learn the histoy of Gekkeikan, sake making prosess,and see some sake making equipments such as sake barrel, sample of sake rice, old bottle of sake and historical materials. Unfortunately,there’s only few English explanation in the museum and in the leaflet.
Why is Fushimi so famous in sake? What’s the secret of the sake making process?
If you want to learn more, why don’t you join our tour,”Kyoto Insider Sake Experience“!
【INFORMATION】
Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum
・Address:247 Minamihama-cho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto City 612-8660
・Tel: +81-75-623-2056
