Yasuhiro

In the Hitoyoshi Kuma region, rice shōchū production has been practiced for over 500 years. The Sagara clan, the feudal lord of the region, was actively trading with Southeast Asia and the continent at the time, which brought distilling techniques to the region, which may have been the impetus for shōchū production. Shōchū quickly spread throughout the region, and the techniques created by Hitoyoshi Kuma’s unique culture have been passed down unchanged. Today there are 27 breweries scattered throughout the area that continue to preserve the traditional methods and variety of flavors, boasting over 200 brands in total.

The Hayashi Brewery was founded in 1682. It is said that the brewery was founded 80 years earlier to make Kuma Shōchū (white liquor) in a temporary lodging house for the lord of the Sagara Domain.  Kuma shōchū has the longest history and tradition in Japan, and the Hayashi Sake Brewery is the oldest and smallest among them.  Utilizing well water that has been flowing up since the company’s founding, and the techniques handed down from generation to generation, the natural, rich flavor of the rice, and the full-bodied, umami taste of the shōchū are all part of the brewing process. Hayashi’s shōchū production begins when the snow accumulates on the sacred Mt. Ichifusa. When the snow melts, the brewing process is finished, the new shōchū is ready with the arrival of spring.

14th Generation head Nobuhiro and his brother Yasuhiro both studied brewing at university, but had never thought of making shōchū. Both brothers found jobs in Tokyo after graduation, Nobuhiro had at a sake wholesaler, and Yasuhiro as a sommelier at a French restaurant. When Nobuhiro was asked by his father to help with the brewery, he resigned from the sake wholesaler and returned home.  A few years later, Yasuhiro was considering whether to change restaurants, a foreign woman who was a regular told him out of the blue that he should support his family. She was a customer he had never spoken to before, who he later found the was a descendant of gypsies. As if by the magic of these words, he found myself in the storehouse of my parents’ house.

In the 20 years that have passed, the brothers have continued to cherish the traditions passed down by word of mouth, while embracing the new. Nobuhiro decides the direction of the flavor, and Yasuhiro, as tōji (master brewer), creates the shōchū.  The ongoing challenge is to produce a better flavor than the previous year.

And it seems to have paid off.  Their Gokuraku Shizushu won the Platinum Award in the authentic shōchū and the Jury’s Award in the rice shochu category of the 5th Kuramaster, a Japanese sake competition held by professionals in the food and beverage industry, including top French sommeliers and barmen from top hotels and chefs. It was the first time their shōchū had been exhibited in an overseas competition.

Locally, they plan to set up a terrace on a nearby riverbank to allow people to relax and enjoy tastings in the midst of a Japanese satoyama landscape.