ILAKA SAKE ATELIER
ILAKA Sake Atelier has inherited the legacy of a historic brewery founded in 1665 and is dedicated to creating “Happy Moments” through sake. While preserving tradition, we are committed to crafting new value in the world of sake.
To pursue this ideal, we built a new brewery in Matsukawa Village, Azumino, seeking the perfect environment for our vision. Blessed with rich natural surroundings and an exceptional climate, this village allows us to brew sake and create new stories using the finest quality rice and water, sharing the culture of Japan with the world.
Matsukawa Village
Matsukawa Village, Azumino District, Nagano Prefecture, is a region surrounded by the majestic Northern Alps, home to peaks rising over 3,000 meters. Known as “the last village preserving the original landscape of Azumino,” it offers a vast and beautiful natural environment. The area is characterized by significant temperature variations between day and night, as well as between seasons, with particularly harsh winters.
Water and Rice
The central lowlands of the village form a complex terrain of alluvial fans, merging areas like those formed by the Ashimagawa River, with agricultural land concentrated here since ancient times.
For agricultural irrigation, groundwater and rivers such as the Takase and Ashima, which flow from the Northern Alps, are utilized.
This cool water plays a crucial role in mitigating high-temperature stress on sake rice, a challenge that has become more prominent in recent years.
Matsukawa Village maintains a high standard of sake rice quality, boasting an exceptionally high proportion of top-grade rice, even on a national level.
The village is highly regarded, with many breweries in Nagano Prefecture holding direct contracts with local farmers.
Director of Sake making / Katsumi Tanaka
The water in Matsukawa Village is gentle and pure, as if it reflects the land itself. Every time I come into contact with it, I am reminded of the strength of nature and feel deep gratitude for its blessings. It is because of this water that the rich flavors of the rice are fully drawn out, creating sake with a soft sweetness and rounded profile. I believe that sake brewing is a conversation with nature. No matter how advanced the technology, there is nothing more important than achieving harmony with nature. We approach sake brewing not with a mindset of ‘challenging’ nature, but with the feeling that we are being given the opportunity to challenge ourselves by this land and by all of you. Our hope is that the sake we create here will gently accompany the hearts of those who enjoy it.
Katsumi Tanaka
Born in 1965 / Hometown : Nagano Prefecture
Katsumi Tanaka joined his family business, Daishinshu Sake Brewery Co., Ltd., in 1996 and has served as the chief brewing manager for nearly 30 years, crafting sake that reflects the unique climate and landscape of Nagano.
He has received numerous awards both domestically and internationally and has a dedicated fan base across Japan.
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