Arai, Niigata Pref. ¨C Tomohiro Tanaka was barely out of elementary school when people started calling him ¡°Mr. Brewery,¡± a reference to the century-old sake business he was destined to inherit.
¡°I wasn¡¯t able to become anything else,¡± Tanaka says. ¡°Now, I¡¯m the seventh generation of my family to run this place. ... Nihonshu (sake) is my life.¡±
Tanaka runs Kiminoi Shuzo, a revered brewery in the small town of Arai in Niigata Prefecture¡¯s southern reaches. Arai lies at the bottom of a glacial valley, surrounded by rice paddies and, beyond those, mountains. During an average winter, these mountains receive over 20 meters of snow, which melts into the town¡¯s paddies in spring. This snowmelt is crystal clear and nutrient-rich ¡ª ideal for making the delicate sake Niigata breweries are known for.
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