Nov 18, 2023
Nov 16-18: Tone-Numata 3D2N sake and cultural tour in Gunma Prefecture held.
From November 16-18, we guided customers from Hong Kong to the Tone-Numata area of Gunma Prefecture.
In order to help people learn more about GI Tone-Numata, we consulted and worked with three sake breweries in the Tone-Numata region for this tour.
We took a bus from Jomo-Kogen Station and enjoyed apple picking, a taste of autumn. Fuji apples are apparently popular in Hong Kong.
Afterwards, we had a toast at the water source at Nagai Sake Brewery, and then we had a tasting of several types of sake in the premium tasting room "SHINKA", which opened this summer, along with a presentation by President Nagai and some interesting amuse-bouches.
On the second day, we got up early and headed to Otone Sake Brewery. We got to see the rice being steamed, and the participants were amazed at the fantastic sight. Some participants were excited to tell us that it was their first time to see the sake brewing process.
Afterwards, President Abe also gave a lecture on how to warm sake.
In the afternoon of the second day, we had a tour of Tsuchida Sake Brewery. We learned about the process and philosophy behind making all-junmai and kimoto sake. With the knowledge we gained, we enjoyed a pairing dinner at the Italian restaurant Ventinove, including a Q&A session with Toji Hoshino.
On the last day, we visited Fukiware Falls, also known as the Niagara of the East, and experienced soba noodle making at a an old house in Nangou. Everyone struggled with the task for the first time, but the skills of the people who regularly bake bread seemed to come into play even when making soba.
These three days were surprisingly cold, and our guide, Miyauchi, was unfamiliar with many aspects of the tour, causing inconvenience to all participants. However, we hope to further improve our skills from now on.