As its Japanese name suggests, the region of Tohoku extends to the northeast of the archipelago. It includes the six prefectures of Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata and Fukushima, located between Tokyo to the south and the island of Hokkaido to the north.
The region is popular for its hot springs (onsen), gastronomy and traditions that have been handed down over generations, such as the production of sake. This requires pure water and superior quality rice. It reflects the local produce and natural resources. Through an encounter with brewers, a blend of flavours at a dinner or a visit to a brewery, this fermented rice alcohol introduces you to the hospitality and culinary culture of Tohoku.
From the Urakasumi brewery to the sakes of Tohoku – tasting and traditions
A pillar of the port city of Shiogama near Matsushima Bay, celebrated as one of the ‘three most beautiful landscapes in Japan’, the company Saura (which runs the Urakasumi Brewery) celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2024.
The CEO of Urakasumi SAURA Koichi wants to pass on the culture of sake to future generations, for example through meetings with students in the region. He also maintains a connection with the community by providing the ceremonial sake omiki at the Shiogama jinja shrine that overlooks the port in an age-old tradition.
The company continues to produce sake in its historic workshop, combining modern methods and tools, even though nothing can replace the eye of the toji, the master brewer, when he inspects the rice grains after rinsing. The production has, however, been updated with conveyor belts to transfer the ingredients, stainless steel vats to let the sake ferment at an ideal temperature and even a unique homemade yeast. The brewery has even ventured into producing sake in the traditional way in old wooden barrels, thus combining age-old and modern methods.
On site, you can taste the Urakasumi sakes from a special vending machine, with tokens bought at the reception. Aside from the Urakasumi Zen brand, which has been the brewery’s emblem since its launch in 1973, it’s an opportunity to try a rarer superior type of sake, daiginjo (with highly polished rice grains). The brewery also offers sakes that are exclusive to Miyagi Prefecture, seasonal sakes, and the plum wine umeshu…
Wearing his traditional blue hanten jacket, Mr Saura describes the seafood caught off the coast of Miyagi which would pair best with his dry sake, such as oysters and fatty or lean tuna. Nothing beats local cuisine to bring out the best in the beverage, and a word to the wise: sake is drunk hot or cold, depending on the season or the temperature of the dishes.
Mr Saura recommends coming to try the sakes of Tohoku during a festival (such as Nebuta matsuri in Aomori or Tanabata matsuri in Sendai) and leaving the region with a small local souvenir: typical pottery or a sake glass, often sold in the breweries’ shops.
How to get there
Tokyo → Sendai Station (approx. 1 hour 30 minutes by Shinkansen bullet train)
Sitting at the brewers’ table in Kesennuma
About fifty kilometres north of the Urakasumi brewery, the Sanriku Fukko National Park known for its rocks with strange shapes stretches along the Miyagi coastline. In the nearby Kesennuma Bay, the restaurants Nine One and Meigetsu have teamed up with the sake breweries Otokoyama Honten and Kakuboshi to create a unique experience to taste sake with fresh fish from the port.
The activity becomes more complex depending on the option chosen, starting with the ‘light’ menu for a dinner where each dish is paired with a new sake. The ‘standard’ option includes a tasting session in the shop, and the ‘premium’ level gives access to a tour of the brewery as well as comments from the brewer during the meal.
During the tours, the brewers present the process of making sake without glossing over the consequences of the devastating tsunami of 2011. Kesennuma was one of the coastal towns most directly affected. Otokoyama Honten started brewing again the day after the disaster to support the region’s effort to return to normal.
The wave devastated the ground floor of Kakuboshi, now converted into a shop, while the first floor has been restored to reflect the original façade. Photographs in the building show the artisans’ efforts to recreate the monumental sign golden wood made of golden wood. Sitting at the brewers’ table also gives an insight into their connection with their fishing neighbours and the difficulties faced since the tsunami.
A range of possibilities at the foot of Mount Azuma
Tohoku is famous for its rugged coastline and varied marine landscapes from one shore to the other. After discussing the coastal breweries of Miyagi, let’s move on to the local mountain drinks (jizake) in Fukushima Prefecture.
The traditional hotel Sansuiso develops seasonal menus that highlight the local ingredients of Fukushima and fermented foods. The evening tasting menu pairs these dishes with five local, craft alcohols, starting with doburoku from Orara no sakaba brewery. This coarse, cloudy rice alcohol is enhanced by mountain-filtered snow collected in underground aquifers.
The contrast in temperatures from season to season provides quality rice for consumption and Kinsuisho sake. Some vats will be used to make a peach liqueur. Finally, Yellow Beer Works brings together local farmers to create craft beers in a warm, friendly atmosphere.
The Michinoku Fukushima Beer also praises the virtues of the region’s soft water for its products, which are sometimes flavoured with peaches, a fruit that’s emblematic of Fukushima. For the WINERY AZUMA SANROKU, the sulphurous water from the nearby hot springs gives its particular aroma to the grape clusters and then to the estate’s wines.
To continue this journey in Tohoku, let’s discover the sake from its other prefectures. Each one is imbued with the efforts and intention of the brewers. Their flavours vary by region and establishment, due to the brewing techniques, climate, local natural resources and so on, and culinary pairings bring out these particularities — even more so when the ingredients used are local.
In Aomori in the far north, you will find Denshu sake (Nishida brewery) which pairs well with the tuna and sole fished near the coast, or the more mellow Hôhai (Miura brewery). For a more luxurious meal, the special Karesansui sake (Dewazakura brewery) from Yamagata calls for the refined combination of conger eel and eggplant.
To discover earthy flavours, Iwate Prefecture known for its rich and mellow sakes suggests bold combinations: a glass of Yuzo Special (Nanbu Bijin brewery) with Korean-style pork, or Ryusen Yaezakura (Senkin brewery) paired with shiitake spaghetti.
In Akita Prefecture, some brewers have chosen to use water of rare quality for their sake, such as Harukasumi (Kuribayashi Brewery) with water from Rokugo, the ‘water village’, or Yamamoto (Yamamoto Brewery) where the water comes from Shirakami-Sanchi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Sake and its production process are themselves listed as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Alcohol can damage your health, please drink responsibly.
