Mikunihare Sake Brewery – the Kurobe brewery where one of Japan’s finest waters springs forth
The Mikunihare Sake Brewery is located in Ikuji, in the east part of Kurobe-shi.
The brewery was established in 1882 and located just 50 metres from the Toyama Bay, in this town located on the estuary of the Kurobe River.
The water used by the brewery is known as “shou-zu” and begins as meltwater from the Northern Alps. It springs forth from underground on the brewery grounds and has been selected as one of Japan’s 100 Famous Waters.
There are several “shou-zu” springs, and one of them, known as the “Iwaseya Shou-zu”, is located on the grounds of the brewery. It has been used for sake-making ever since the brewery was established – indeed, the brewery’s famous brand, “Maboroshi-no-Taki”, could not have been created without it.
The brewery’s goal is to make “beautiful sake that you can drink seven days of the week”. While they continue to honour the traditions that have carried them to the present day, a spirit of experimentation and exploration under the current leadership makes this brewery as inventive as it is traditional, and they continue to actively explore new expressions.
The blessings of nature, living with water
The Northern Alps are a range of mountains over 3,000 metres tall. Snow that falls on these peaks gradually melts and, drip by drip, slowly makes its way down to the town below, emerging as springwater on the Mikunihare Sake Brewery grounds.
The Northern Alps are a range of mountains over 3,000 metres tall. Snow that falls on these peaks gradually melts and, drip by drip, slowly makes its way down to the town below, emerging as springwater on the Mikunihare Sake Brewery grounds.
There are twenty different springwaters in the area, and the properties of the water vary from location to location. The water is considered particularly enjoyable for drinking thanks to just-right mineral levels and has long been a valued asset of the community.
The spring located on Mikunihare’s grounds is known as the Iwaseya Shouzu. It is used from everything from washing the rice to the water additions during brewing, and even for cleaning at the brewery – its abundance makes it one of the brewery’s great assets
When used for sake brewing, this smooth, soft water gives a sake that seems to melt effortlessly into the palate.
■正式名称
環境省選定・日本名水百選 黒部川扇状地湧水群「岩瀬家の清水」
Toyama Bay, “the natural fish pond
Many people might thing of the Kurobe Gorge when they think of Kurobe, or the enormous dam built among the towering mountains, but there’s another equally famous landmark. Located just 50 metres from the brewery and noted for its catches of amberjack and firefly squid, Toyama Bay is renowned throughout Japan. The town of Ikuji faces this bay, so famous for its abundance of seafood that it is sometimes nicknamed “the natural fish pond”.
Kurobe’s fishing grounds are notable for the topography of the seabed, which increases in depth dramatically. Its currents are fast, and the waves are rough. Advanced technology is required to fish here successfully, but the catch is well known for its high quality and its flavorsome reputation has made it a consistently valued staple. The depth of the bay also contributes to the variety of species living there, with around 200 different types of fish and other seafood regularly fished in the area.
In the opinion of current brewery president Shingo Iwase, Mizunokatachi would pair well with white prawns when they are in season from spring to summer, and red snow crab in winter, thanks to its high acidity and refreshing flavors that make it effortlessly easy to drink. It’s often said that sake pairs best with the traditional food of the region it is from, and Mizunokatachi is no exception – this is a wonderful accompaniment to all kinds of seafood.
当主の岩瀬新吾（いわせ しんご）さんは、「みずのかたち」は程よく酸味があり、すっきりした味わいで何杯でも飲み続けられるこのお酒は、春から夏の白エビや冬のベニズワイガニとのペアリングが最高とのこと。その土地のお酒とその土地でとれるものの相性が抜群によいということからすれば、「みずのかたち」はぜひ海のものと合わせていただきたいお酒ということになります。
Toyama Prefecture’s first female Toji
From the Autumn of 2022, Yukari Iwase has been the Mikunihare Sake Brewery’s Toji. Born in Wakayama to a family of tangerine growers, she studied at Hiroshima University, during which, as part of her thesis, she spent a year at the National Research Institute of Brewing researching the genetics of koji. During this period, she built many connections in the sake world as well as fostering an ever-growing passion for sake itself. An opportunity presented itself at the Mikunihare Sake Brewery, and shortly after she was on her way to Toyama Prefecture.
In the early days, Yukari’s role was more supportive, working with her husband Shingo, but the dream she has held since her university years has now come true and she has become the first female Toji in Toyama Prefecture. A mother of two, she says she wants to raise her sake how she raises her kids, with love and care.
Water is a product of nature, but sake couldn’t exist without people. Yukari and Shingo’s appreciation for the blessings that nature has given Ikuji, and their love for the people of Kurobe-shi, is reflected in their sake.
Mizunokatachi – “the shape of water”, expressed in a label
“Mizunokatachi” translates literally as “the shape of water”. The Mottox Craft Sake team came up with the name when we were talking about Mikunihare’s sake – its effortlessness lightness and grace, with a free-flowing character that, at once shapeless, seems to take many forms as it embraces the palate. We wanted to capture this sake’s remarkable character and express its elegance and composure in its label design, inspired by the sight the spring water bursting forth on the grounds of the brewery, lit by the rays of the setting sun.
