Visit to the Ozeki Sake-brewing Industry [1月 06,2016 ]

On November 17, Students of the practical Japanese course visited the Ozeki sake-brewing industry at Nishinomiya city of Hyogo prefecture. We saw the ‘Saka-gura’ (sake-brewery) and the plant of packaging sake in two groups. In the sake brewery called ‘Kotobuki-gura’ we saw the whole process of sake brewing. We were allowed to see the inside of the fermentation tanks on the fermentation floor.
In the plant we saw the production lines of ‘Tamon,’ the carton-packed sake, and ‘One Cup Ozeki,’ the company’s most famous merchandise. The strictness of quality control of the products was surprising. As a matter of course advanced technology was used for it, but imperfect products were checked by unexpected small techniques, which proved that the technology had been cultivated in a long history of the company.
Many brewing companies accept visitors in Japan, but it is not so common that we can see the field before our face, not through the glass. It means students had a unique opportunity of precious experience. Moreover, the stuff members of the Ozeki accompanied us from beginning to end with detailed explanations and students could deepen their understanding about sake. We would like to use this space to thank them from the bottom of our heart.