We held a one-day tour of Gunma Sake Brewery for ALT (English teachers)

Following on from last year, we were commissioned by the National Tax Agency to conduct a one-day sake brewery and industry experience tour for ALTs (Assistant Language Teachers) residing in Japan.

This time, we visited Tsuchida Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. together with six ALTs who have been assigned to Gunma Prefecture from the United States and Canada.

First, Mr. Hama from Tsuchida Brewery explained the basic processes and philosophy behind sake brewing.

The brewery uses edible rice (rather than typical sake rice) for all its brewing processes and continues to use the traditional kimoto method, highlighting the deep involvement of microorganisms residing in the brewery in the fermentation process.

The participants were delightfully surprised and interested to learn that "microorganisms brought in by visitors also affect the taste of the sake."

After the tour, we paired three different types of sake with unique snacks—dried squid, beef jerky, and sake lees cookies—to experience the variations and diversity of flavors along with the interactions they have with one another.

The sake from Tsuchida had a different taste from that of other breweries we had visited, and many participants commented that they "realized just how profound and diverse the world of sake is."

We are pleased that this project has provided an opportunity to deepen understanding of Japanese culture in those that will be staying here and providing valuable education.