🕓 2025/7/14
#Japanese sake

When you put it in your mouth, Hida’s sake swells with the flavor of the rice, and it cuts right down your throat — it has both a richness and a sharpness. There are three keys. First of all, it is super soft water that has been filtered underground for many years from the melting snow of the Northern Alps. The hardness of Takayama City’s main water source, Miyagawa, is 16 mg/L, one of the softest in Japan, allowing for gentle fermentation and a silky smooth texture.

The second is Hidahomare, a sake rice grown in Gifu Prefecture. It has large grains, low protein, and has a large heart, and even with 60% polished rice, it can bring out the flavor without any unpleasant tastes, so Hida no Kura has achieved a quality that can be easily enjoyed even in the Junmai Ginjo class.

Thirdly, the prefecture’s unique G yeast/G2 yeast. A derivative of the No. 9 series, it produces three times the amount of ethyl caproate compared to conventional products.It brings a gorgeous aroma reminiscent of apples, pears, and white grapes, while having a light aftertaste.

In this way, Hida sake, which has the “triple signature” of water, rice, and yeast, has been receiving a lot of awards in recent years, such as Tenryo Sake Brewery in Minami Hida winning consecutive gold medals at the 2025 National New Sake Awards.

　2 | Half-day tour of old townscapes and “Shichikura” sake tasting pass

In the morning, I stuffed myself with miso dango at the Miyagawa morning market, crossed the vermilion-lacquered Nakahashi Bridge, and headed for the old streets of Sanmachisuji. After picking up a “Hida Takayama Sake Drink Book” (3,000 yen) at the tourist information center in front of Takayama Station, head to the oldest Hirase Sake Brewery when it opens at 10 a.m. – start your day with the soft aroma of “Kusutama” ginjo sake.

Afterwards, we strolled through Kamisannomachi, enjoying the refreshing dry “Dashi” from Harada Sake Brewery, a magnolia miso lunch and “Miyama Kiku” at Funasaka Sake Brewery, and in the afternoon tasted aged sake from Hirata Sake Brewery “Hisagi”, Niki Sake Brewery “Himuro”, and Kawajiri Sake Brewery, and finished off at Oita Sake Brewery “Oni Koroshi”. Once the stamp book is full, go to the lottery in Takayama Jinya-mae Square. Peeking out at the Yatai Kaikan in the evening light, and returning to the inn on the Takumi Bus, the scent of wood and sake will leave a lasting impression on your heart from your half-day trip.

　3 | “Hida Takayama x Minami Hida” collaboration ─ The potential of prefectural yeast and Kinshogura

The seven breweries in Takayama and the breweries in the Gero and Okuhida areas were developed by the Gifu Prefectural Industrial Technology Center.G yeast without bubblesWe are currently working on a joint project using “all Gifu” raw materials. At the 2025 appraisal meeting, Minami HidaTenryo Sake Brewerywon gold medal for Junmai Daiginjo in northern Japan.Okuhida Sake Breweryalso won an award, proving the potential of prefecture-produced yeast + Hidahomare.

Furthermore, in Takayama City, there is a Shichizo Crossing Event every June.Sake Brewery Nonbei Festival〉 will be held. The culture of “oraga sake” poured by brewers themselves and the townscape preservation movement are working together to enhance the brand power of “ancient capital x local sake.”

We are currently launching a tourist destination x sake site.This is a site where you can get the information you want that you didn’t have before.We will be adding more information in the future, so please bookmark it.