Otaru Style: Tanaka Sake Brewing, Kikkogura Brewery

2019/11/25

Tanaka Sake Brewing, Kikkogura Brewery

Tanaka Sake Brewing

Kikkogura Bewery

Founded in 1899, Tanaka Sake Brewing is the only remaining sake brewery in Otaru. Their Kikkogura Brewery, located just 10 minutes away on foot from

JR Minami Otaru Station, is housed in stone warehouses built in 1905

that are designated as historic buildings by the city.

Most sake breweries only make sake during the winter when its cold,

but Tanaka Sake brews throughout the year. They use only Hokkaido rice and water for their products, including their most famous Takaragawa sake and

Maho-no-itteki Hon-mirin (sweet rice wine used for cooking).

You can tour the brewery at any time during their business hours to see

how sake is made. However, we recommend going in the morning when

you'll have a better chance at seeing the workers actually making sake.

　　Quick Guide to How Sake is Made　　

Dehusk Brown Rice

⇩

Polish/Mill Rice

⇩

Wash & Steep Rice

⇩

Steam Rice

⇩

Koji Production

・koji mold spores are added to steamed rice

・mold's enzymes convert the rice starch to sugar

・takes 2 whole days to make koji

⇩

Shubo (Seed Mash/Yeast Starter)

・cultivate yeast over 10 days to make the seed mash

⇩

Moromi (Main Mash)

・add steamed rice, rice koji and water to the shubo (seed mash) in three batches

・slowly ferments over 30 days

⇩

Pressing

・separates clear sake and sakekasu (undissolved rice and yeast)

⇩

Pasteurization

⇩

Aging

⇩

Bottling

⇩

Distribution

Old Rice Milling Machine

Rice Steaming Machine

Koji Mold Spore Display

Shubo (Fermentation Starter Tank)

Main Fermentation Tank

Sake Storage Tanks

Old Tools Used to Make Sake

Gift Shop

Their products are available for purchase at the brewery gift shop,
but if you are unable to visit the brewery or their main store,
stop by the Canal Plaza Gift Shop where you can shop for their
most popular items, as well as other souvenirs!

Canal Plaza Gift Shop