Conveying the inherentappeal of Japanese sake while inheriting traditional sake brewing techniquesBased in Nihonmatsu City, Daishichi Sake Brewery was founded in 1752 and is one of Tohoku’s finest long-standing sake breweries. In the midst of a shrink-ing market for Japanese sake, it has adhered to the most orthodox and traditional kimoto style of brewing. Japanese sake is now displaying an upsurge in international popularity, however, the brewery has advertised its brewed sake’s characteristic compat-ibility with various types of cuisine to overseas since the 1990s, when it was practically unknown. It has received numerous awards overseas, and “DAISHICHI” has come to be regarded as a famous brand among experts and chefs in the West. Daishichi Sake Brewery was con-fronted with the Great East Japan Earthquake and the accident at Fuku-shima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant just as it was embarking on a new page in its history having completed new company premises, brewery, etc. that it had worked on over a decade to mark its 250th anniversary. Sharing risk factors,the company had takencountermeasuresfrom before the earthquakeMr. Hideharu Ohta, who was appointed as the company’s tenth generation owner (President) in 1997, describes that time: “Fortunately, the earthquake didn’t cause any major damage to our employees or company buildings. Most of the products on the line during bottling were damaged, however, we were lucky that all of the merchandise inside the storage tanks or in storage after bottling escaped unharmed.”This is true when one considers that the company’s sake brewed by the kimoto method is, like wine, characterized by taste and flavor that mature and de-velop over time, and sake is shipped onto the market a few years or even ten years after the preparation and storage processes. There is no guarantee that accidents will not occur during this period. “Brewed sake is a living organism, and the brewery owners who went before me overcame various difficulties in ensuring the brewery’s survival. For example, when this entire area was devastated following defeat in the Boshin War and the fifth generation brewery owner died at an early age, the remaining family members faced a terrible struggle to preserve the family business. Based on such experiences of successive generations, all employees came to share the risk that “the longer products are stored, the greater the probability of suffering damage in a disaster”. In fall every year, we conduct disaster prevention drills mainly under the initiative of employees who belong to the local fire brigade. Also, in 2010, when there was a succession of large earthquakes in Japan, we used an earthquake simulation vehicle to experi-ence and learn about the actual tremors and foreseeable damage caused by an earthquake. By wrapping bottled products in plastic wrap and increasing the number of legs of storage tanks so that they can withstand tremors in all directions and so on, we implemented countermeasures.” (Mr. Ohta)Immediately following the earth-quake, the communications infrastruc-ture, etc. was disrupted and various unexpected situations arose. Even so, there was no major disturbance to line operations, and employees were able to autonomously check on safety and appropriately respond to conditions on the ground in the respective depart-ments. There is no doubt that the lessons gained in the earthquake simulation vehicle the previous year helped make such prompt responses possible. Mr. Ohta says that he person-ally was able to focus on top manage-ment duties such as gathering informa-tion and contacting business partners. 03Daishichi Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.Looking to 20302030Road to ReconstructionOverseas Sales [Unit: 10,000 yen]From January to December2,0003,0004,0006,00001,000Daishichi Sake Brewery contributes to the sustain-ability of dietary culture and agriculture based on three basic rules. First, the underground aquifer must be protected. Second, the central brewing facility must be left as it is in order to protect the microbial ecosystem. And third, the new brewery must be as robust as possible in order to last long into the future.Towards the “perpetual womb” that will continue to create unique fine sake■USA ■FRA ■GBR ■HKG ■CAN■TWN ■SGP ■NLD ■etc.●Appearance of Daishichi products at the New Year party held by the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan●Super-flat rice polishing technology won the “Eco Products Award” 2014●Receipt of the Governor’s Award at the Fukushima Industrial Awards20152016●Completion of the project to commemorate the 250th anniversary of establishment (new company premises, brewery, etc.)2010●Independent exhibition of products at the “VINEXPO” wine trade fair in France ●Won the triple crown at the Jizake Taisho Awards 2011 for the third year running20112012●Appearance of Daishichi products at banquets held by the reigning family of Holland2013●Recognition in the “Monodzukuri Nippon Grand Award”201820175,000E11
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