Oritori Ishigaki City Official Tourism Information Site
Awamori, said to be Japan's oldest distilled alcoholic beverage with a history of approximately 600 years, has its roots in Southeast Asia and has been enjoyed as a unique Okinawan drink since the Ryukyu Dynasty. There are six breweries on Ishigaki Island, each producing a unique and one-of-a-kind awamori.
Nakama Sake Brewery is a small sake brewery located in Miyara, Ishigaki Island. Founded in 1948 as a sake brewery with roots in the local community, it began producing the brand "Miyanotsuru." The "miya" character in "Miyanotsuru" comes from the name of the village, "Miyara," while the "tsuru" character is taken from its auspicious meaning, and the name expresses the hope that the sake brewed in Miyara will continue to grow and develop for many years to come, just like a crane.
Currently, "Miyanotsuru" is being carefully crafted by the third-generation president, Shinsaku Maehana. As it is a small brewery, Shinsaku handles almost all of the work, from production to sales, by himself.
On this day, relatives came to help with labeling.
Shinsaku spent his time in his hometown of Miyara until he graduated from high school, studied mechanical engineering at a university on the main island of Okinawa, and then found work in a field unrelated to food. However, when his predecessor told him that the brewery was reaching its limits, he decided to take over the brewery, not wanting to lose the place.
"This was my playground when I was little. I didn't want to lose this place that my grandfather built, and I thought I could do it," says Shinsaku.
Nakama Sake Brewery produces Miyanotsuru using equipment and tools that have been carefully used and protected since the brewery's founding.
The walls of the facility are stained black with black koji mold. Cleaning these walls would apparently change the flavor of the sake. Miyanotsuru is made using well-used equipment and tools handed down from previous generations, and is characterized by its smooth, gentle taste and deep sweetness that spreads after drinking.
The raw material, Thai rice, is soaked in a large pot for two to three hours (300 kg for one batch), and then steamed in a wooden steamer large enough for one person to lie down.
black koji mold
The steamed rice is then soaked in black koji mold while the temperature is adjusted to produce rice koji.
The finished rice koji is mixed with yeast and water to make mash, which is then left to mature.
The black koji mold converts the starch in the rice into sugar, and the yeast converts the sugar into alcohol.
The matured mash is distilled using an old-fashioned earthenware pot still, and then aged in a storage tank for about 8 to 10 months to produce Miyanotsuru.
Awamori Sunrise is a cocktail made with awamori, orange juice, and grenadine syrup.
"Three years have passed since I took over Nakama Brewery, and as a new initiative, I would like to try developing different flavors of sake and exporting it overseas."
profile
Maehana Shinsaku
Born in Ishigaki Island, Okinawa in 1983
He grew up in Miyara Village, where Nakama Brewery is located, and the brewery was his playground during his childhood.
2002 After graduating from high school, he left Ishigaki Island to continue his studies.
In 2019, he returned to Ishigaki Island, incorporated the brewery, and took over management and sake brewing.
Using traditional methods that have been carefully preserved, we strive to create awamori with a rich flavor.
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