Hatsumomiji

Hatsumomiji, a sake brewery located in the center of Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, is a long-established sake brewery founded in 1819 (Bunsei 2). The company’s name is derived from the name of a former standard product, “Hatsukoyo,” which was taken from a Japanese poem that compared the slight redness of one’s face after drinking alcohol to the changing colors of autumn leaves. In 1985 (Showa 60), sake production was suspended due to a decline in the consumption of sake and demand for another business, liquor wholesale, increased due to the bubble economy. However, in 2005 (Heisei 17), sake brewing was restarted for the first time in about 20 years by Yasuhiro Harada, the 12th generation brewer. All the raw materials used, including rice and water, are produced in Yamaguchi Prefecture, and in order to reduce inventory and always sell freshly brewed sake, the brewery has been renovated into a “Shikijozo” brewery that brews sake year-round. The resulting sake was named “Harada” after his own surname, with the meaning of returning to his roots. Our goal is to create local sake that uses local rice and water and is loved by the locals. The brewer says, “Local sake is meant to be enjoyed by local people.”