HYAKUJURO
Hayashi Honten / GIFU Pref.
Farmers and Agriculture
Agricultural Production Corporation MORI RICE
Brewing / Brewer
Hayashi Honten Co.,Ltd.
Design and Art
Hiroe Takigawa
CONCEPT
The honest image of the drinker,
A bottle that showed us the true image of the brand.
I was at a restaurant with President Hayashi of Hayashi Honten, the brewer of Hyakujuro. The owner of the restaurant said repeatedly, “Hyakujuro is dry, isn't it? The owner of the restaurant said repeatedly, “Hyakujuro is dry and delicious, try it. He was also recommending it to a customer next to him. I asked him, “I know not all of your products are dry, but are you often referred to as a dry sake?” He replied, “Yes, it is often said in many places that Hyakujuro is a dry sake. He replied, “Yes, it is often said that Hyakujuro is dry in many places. We thought that it would be more acceptable to create an original product based on the honest impression of the drinker, and the CWS original dry sake “Chokkara Hyakkarajuro” was born. Since the label of the regular product features a full-page “kumatori” picture, we thought that an orthodox label with the Hyakjuro logo on the front might be more popular, so we created a label with a hanafuda (Japanese playing cards) motif to express Japanese tradition and the freshness of dry sake.
Sake rice producer / Agricultural Production Corporation MORI RICEWe are not just growing rice.
Rice production leads to the protection of the community and environment.
There is only one type of rice in Japan that is produced only in Gifu Prefecture. That rice is called Hatsushimo. It is used for Hyakujuro Cuvée Japon's green Fuji label sake. It is less sticky and has a hardened cooked feel. Because of this characteristic, it is favored as rice for sushi restaurants in and outside of the prefecture. Hayashi Honten, which makes Hyakujuro, has a long history of making sake from this Hatsushimo. Hatsushimo is written in kanji (Chinese characters) as “first frost,” and its name comes from the fact that this rice is harvested much later than other rice varieties in Japan, and was slowly cultivated until the first frost in mid-November. Therefore, it is less sticky and larger-grained than Koshihikari, Sasanishiki, etc. Although it is edible rice, it is also easy to use as sake rice, and is characterized by its ability to produce sake with a fairly strong flavor. Mr. Sato, a technical advisor, also gives his assurance that “Hatsushimo as sake rice has more potential than inferior sake rice.
About 20 minutes from the brewery. We visited Mr. Junichi Mori of Mori Rice, which produces Hatsushimo. In an industry where aging farmers make it difficult to take on new challenges, Mr. Mori, who represents the company, is young, in his 40s, and eager to try new things. On this occasion, we asked Mr. Kanematsu of Chikaki Shoji, a rice-polishing company in Nagoya, to trace the rice to the producer when it is milled, and when we brought him Cuvée Japon brewed with Hatsushimo produced by Mr. Mori Rice, he was very pleased.
He said that due to the aging of farmers, more and more people are quitting rice farming, and he has been asked if he could ask for 2-3 towns' worth of rice fields every year. Easily, I asked, “How far do you plan to increase the number?” He replied, “We can simply produce goods, but we cannot protect the environment. We simply don't have enough manpower to do it by ourselves. We need the landowners to clean the irrigation canals and the local people to pick up trash. I believe that rice cultivation is connected to the protection of the community and also plays a role in preserving the environment.
It was an experience that made us sake drinkers realize that we might find a new way to enjoy sake if we can interact with it not only from the perspective of the rice used to make it, but also with farmers and, by extension, with agriculture.
Brewery / Hayashi Honten Co.,Ltd.
With a mindset of “never changing,” we want to continue to challenge ourselves to create sake that is both traditional and surprisingly enjoyable.
The brewery that makes Hyakujuro Cuvée Japon is Hayashi Honten located in Kakamigahara City, Gifu Prefecture, founded in 1920. Kakamigahara City, where Hayashi Honten is located, has a thriving aviation industry and originally had an army air base, which led to the brewery's brand name of “Seikuu” sake. Currently, the main products are the “Eiichi” brand and “Hyakujuro,” which was named by the current 5th generation owner, Eiko Hayashiri, in 2012. Shunji Sato, former toji at Tenju Brewery in Akita, famous for its Chokaisan sake, was invited as a technical advisor, and the facilities were completely renovated. He and the young brewers work together as a team to brew sake. With the spirit of “Eiyofu,” we are challenging ourselves to create sake that is both traditional and fun with a “WOW! We want to continue to challenge ourselves to create sake that is both traditional and fun. We always think about it and continue to offer it. That is Hayashi Honten's proposal.
Design / Hiroe Takigawa
1983. Born in Hiroshima.
2004. Starts working at a design company in Hiroshima.
2015. Starts working independentely as a freelancer.
Creates with the ideal of not be restrained by the frame, but to express life, and “create paintings that fit the place where they are going to be displayed, and that give the owner a pleasant feeling”
Established in Hiroshima, and making solo exhibitions, custom-made paintings, production of illustrations and printed material for many kinds of markets all around Japan.
Illustrator and graphic designer.
