Niigata City Oeyama District Gohyakumangoku Cultivation Research Group Activity Report

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In Kameda-go, the hometown of Koshino Kanbai, until 2014, the rice suitable for sake brewing, Gohyakumangoku, was not cultivated. The brewer's desire to value the local area has led to the use of Koshiibuki, an edible rice grown in Kameda-go, for sake brewing.

The turning point began in the 2015 sake brewing year.
We want to achieve sake brewing using rice suitable for full-scale sake brewing and produce higher quality alcohol!
And we want to produce local Gohyakumangoku, which is more suitable for our sake brewing! !

More than anything, I want to make alcohol that will make the locals even more happy and that they can easily drink at restaurants! ! ! With this in mind, we have established the Niigata City Oeyama District Gohyakumangoku Cultivation Study Group (hereinafter referred to as the Study Group), which is made up of our winter employee farmers and manufacturing department employees. We continue our activities while looking up to you.

On September 28, 2016, we released ``Koshino Kanbai Ordinary Sake Made in Oeyama'', which uses 100% Gohyakumangoku from the Oeyama area produced in 2015, and it was well received. We have also stocked Gohyakumangoku produced in 2016, which is currently being stored and aged in our warehouse. This year, now in its third year, the research group continues to expand its cultivation scale and remain active.

This is what it looks like about a month after planting this year's rice (growth survey is in progress).

We use a ``SPAD meter'' to measure the depth of leaf color and use it to manage the amount and timing of fertilization.

Nowadays, data-based agriculture is also being promoted. Our research group collaborates with NTT Docomo to install ``paddy field sensors'' and share data between employees and farmers, which is useful for cultivation management. The properties of sake rice are greatly influenced by the climatic conditions of the year, so it is important to be aware of this as soon as possible. It is said that ``Sake brewing begins with rice cultivation,'' and this is exactly true, and the power of IT supports Koshino Kanbai's sake brewing.

The leaves are still green, but the ears are coming out nicely and are growing vigorously.

In order to convey our enthusiasm to the local people, we have been erecting banners in the paddy fields of our contract farmers since this year.

The brewers are now working hard to make good sake while hoping for a bumper harvest.
Thank you for your support!