Kobe Shushinkan

Nadagogo in Hyogo has flourished as a sake producer since ancient times. One of them is Kobe Shushinkan, which has a brewery in Mikagego. Founded in 1751 during the mid-Edo period, the company’s original name was Fukuju Sake Brewery. The company name and representative brand, “Fukuju,” comes from “Fukurokuju,” one of the Seven Gods of Good Luck, and carries the wish that the drinker will receive good fortune. The five wooden storehouses were completely destroyed by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995. He said he was unable to do anything for two months after the earthquake. In 1997 (Heisei 9), two years after the earthquake, Fukuju Sake Brewery and Toyosawa Sake Brewery, which was also affected by the disaster, joined forces to create Kobe Shushinkan, a complex facility with four breweries, which was opened not only as a sake brewery but also as a tasting facility. It was established as a base for disseminating local culture, with facilities such as sales, an event hall, and a Japanese restaurant. Although the sake brewing equipment has been updated, the basic manufacturing methods remain the same, and the techniques used since the company’s founding, such as making koji by hand, are still being used. “Fukuju” has received a lot of attention overseas as well, winning many awards at sake competitions held in Japan and abroad, and being served at the Nobel Prize banquet. In addition, in order to protect the rice, which is the raw material necessary for sake brewing, and the rich underground water of Mt. Rokko, we are also working on environmental issues based on the philosophy of “producing delicious sake without placing any burden on the environment.” They are proactive, and in 2022 they will be releasing “Fukuju Junmai Sake Eco Zero,” which is the world’s first sake production process with zero carbon emissions (virtually zero carbon dioxide emissions). The brewery will continue to attract attention for its various initiatives.