MUJI launches sake made with Tokamachi Koshihikari rice! (Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture)

2022.5.6

Joetsu CityTokamachi CityNiigata PrefectureSakeMujirushi Ryohin

Brewed with Koshihikari grown in the terraced rice paddies of Tokamachi City!

Ryohin Keikaku, operator of MUJI, released a sake brewed with Koshihikari rice produced in terraced rice paddies in the Matsudai district of Tokamachi City, Niigata Prefecture, in limited quantities nationwide on April 29, continuing on from last year.In Joetsu City, they are available at MUJI Naoetsu.

Matsunoi Sake Brewery, Tokamachi City, Niigata Prefecture Sake Junmai Unfiltered Unrefined Sake
720ml 1800 yen (tax included)

This is “Matsunoi Shuzojo, Tokamachi City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan, Japanese Sake Junmai Unfiltered Unrefined Unrefined Sake”.

It was brewed by the Matsunoi Sake Brewery in Tokamachi City, which has a history of over 120 years, using Koshihikari, edible rice produced in the Matsudai area of Tokamachi City, which is home to some of the best terraced rice fields in Japan.The sake is bottled unfiltered and undiluted, so that the sake can be enjoyed as it is, with the taste of pure sake made with rice and water nurtured by the nature of Tokamachi.

The taste is slightly dry with rice flavor and a gorgeous aroma.This means that the sake’s deliciousness is enhanced when paired with food culture and ingredients unique to Echigo-Tsumari, such as pickled sake lees and stir-fried wild vegetables.

As a project to utilize local resources, Ryohin Keikaku has continued to produce and sell sake using edible rice produced in Kamogawa, Chiba since 2016.As the second phase of this project, we started selling sake made from Koshihikari rice produced in Tokamachi last year.

The Matsudai area of Tokamachi City is known for its “Hoshitouge Terraced Rice Paddies” and other terraced rice paddies that are among the best in Japan.The terraced rice paddies in this area are maintained by the Matsudai Tanada Bank, one of the projects undertaken by the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale.The maintenance of the terraced rice paddies in this area is a challenge, as many of the paddies are on steep slopes and narrowly cultivated, making them inaccessible to farm machinery and labor-intensive, and the number of farmers is decreasing due to the aging of the population.

Ryohin Keikaku signed a partnership agreement with Tokamachi City in 2020.Knowing the challenges of maintaining rice paddies in the Matsudai area, we began working with the NPO Echigo-Tsumari Satoyama Collaborative Organization, which manages the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale, to produce sake, focusing on edible rice grown in the Matsudai area instead of rice suitable for sake brewing.

This product is available in limited quantities of approximately 2,300 bottles at nine MUJI stores nationwide, including MUJI Naoetsu, as well as at facilities and retail stores in Tokamachi City and beyond.

Nobuto Furuya, Community Manager, Shinetsu Division, Ryohin Keikaku
The sake made from rice grown in Tokamachi, which was very popular last year, will be on sale again this year on the same day that the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale begins. In Joetsu City, it will be available at MUJI Naoetsu Store. Please stop by and visit us at the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale.

Matsunoi Sake Brewery, Tokamachi City, Niigata Prefecture Sake Junmai Unfiltered Unrefined Sake
■Capacity: 720ml
■Ingredients: 100% Koshihikari produced in Tokamachi / 2021
■Rice polishing ratio: 65
■Manufacturer: Matsunoi Sake Brewery Co.(50-1 Ueno Kou, Tokamachi City)
■Price: 1,800 yen (tax included)
■Date of release: April 29 (Friday, national holiday)
■Sales Locations.
＜MUJI＞
MUJI Ginza, MUJI Tokyo Ariake, MUJI Shinyurigaoka Opa, MUJI Naoetsu, MUJI Grand Front Osaka, MUJI Namba, MUJI Kyoto Yamashina, MUJI Canal City Hakata, MUJI Siesta Hakodate

＜Tokamachi City＞
Roadside Station Crossten, Miyayuki Sake Shop, Sake no Imai, Grocery and side dish store Damo, Matsunoyama Onsen souvenir store Juichiya Shoten, Matsubataya Sake Shop, Tokamachi City General Tourist Information Center TOCCO, Echigo-Tsumari Satoyama Museum of Contemporary Art MonET, Matsudai Snow Country Agricultural Culture Village Center “Nobutai”.

＜Outside Tokamachi City＞
Echigo-Yuzawa Sake Shop Takahashiya, Bishu Koubou Nishimaki Sake Shop, Yoshikawa Sake Shop

■Home Page：https://ryohin-keikaku.jp/