brewery | Blue Lapis Road

RED STAR & GENGKIS KHAN, Sapporo Beer Museum (サッポロビール株式会社), Sapporo (札幌), Hokkaido (北海道), Japan, 2019.06.25

Day 11 (2/2).

When people mention “Sapporo” many will immediately think of beer. Established in 1876 as Kaitakushi Brewery (Pioneer Brewery, 開拓使麦酒醸造所), Sapporo Beer is the oldest Japanese beer. It was the pioneer period when the Meiji government raced to settle on the Island of Hokkaido ahead of the expanding Russians. A regional government known as Kaitakushi (開拓使) or Hokkaido Development Commission was set up in Sapporo to oversee the island’s pioneer development . Reference to the northern Pole Star, a red star is used as the symbol of the Kaitakushi. This Kaitakushi red star appeared throughout the old Hokkaido, from building facades such as the Sapporo Clock Tower to bottle labels of Sapporo Beer.

After visiting the Former Hokkaido Government Building, we made our way to the Sapporo Beer Museum (サッポロビール博物館), the historical brewery about half an hour walk from Sapporo Clock Tower. We have decided to spend the last few hours of our trip to learn more about beer making in Hokkaido. We also planned to fill our stomach at the museum’s Beer Garden with a Genghis Khan or (Jingisukan, ジンギスカン) lunch. Not sure if it has anything to do with Mongolia, the Genghis Khan is a local Hokkaido dish serving grilled lamb and local vegetables on a special round grill. Perhaps in reference to the lamb eating custom of Mongolian soldiers back in the prewar years, Genghis Khan (Jingisukan, ジンギスカン) has become a popular local dish after a sheep farm was set up in Hokkaido in 1918. The first Genghis Khan (Jingisukan) restaurant opened in Tokyo in 1936. Decades after Genghis Khan restaurants continue to flourish in Hokkaido. For our 2019 Hokkaido trip, a hearty meal of grill lamb and draught beer at the historical brewery of Sapporo Beer offered us a satisfying closure.

On our way to Sapporo Beer Museum, we passed by Sapporo Factory (サッポロファクトリー), a shopping and entertainment complex housed in a former brewery of Kaitakushi Brewery, the predecessor of Sapporo Beer.

The building of Sapporo Factory was renovated and converted into a commercial complex in 1993.

At Sapporo Factory Hall, there is a small exhibition house that tells the story of beer making in Hokkaido. The Kaitakushi star can be seen at the small exhibition house.

We arrived at Sapporo Beer Museum after another 15 minute walk from Sapporo Factory.

Visitors gathered at the entrance to wait for the museum to open its door.

An enormous brew kettle greet all museum visitors at the entry hall.

On display are some of the earliest beer bottles from the late 19th century.

No matter how the label design has evolved throughout the past century, the star of Kaitakushi remains as a visual focus.

The evolution of marketing posters reflects the social and cultural changes in the past century.

Since 1966, the Beer Hall at Sapporo Beer Museum has been a popular restaurant serving the Mongolian barbecue Genghis Khan.

Genghis Khan is self served on a special round grill.

We ordered different kinds of lamb meat.

Not to be missed were the special draught beer at the Beer Hall.

The bear sculpture in the gift shop reminded us of the wilderness of Eastern Hokkaido.

After the hearty lunch, we walked around the museum ground for a bit.

Until it was time for us to pick up our backpacks at Cross Hotel and headed for New Chitose Airport. This concludes our 11-day Hokkaido journey.

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Introduction
HOKKAIDO ROAD TRIP, Hokkaido (北海道)

Day 1 – from Tokyo to Shiretoko Peninsula
Day 1.1 TSUKIJI OUTER MARKET (築地場外市場)
Day 1.2 ARRIVAL IN SHIRETOKO, Utoro (ウトロ)

Day 2 – Utoro
Day 2.1 SHIRETOKO FIVE LAKES (知床五湖)
Day 2.2 UTORO FISHERMAN’S WIVES CO-OPERATIVE DINER (ウトロ漁協婦人部食堂)
Day 2.3 FUREPE FALLS (フレペの滝)

Day 3 – Rausu
Day 3.1 RUSA FIELD HOUSE (ルサフィールドハウス)
Day 3.2 JUN NO BANYA (純の番屋)

Day 4 – Rausu
Day 4.1 MOUNT RAUSU (羅臼岳)
Day 4.2 FANTASTIC ORCAS, Nemuro Strait (根室海峡)

Day 5 – Lake Mashu & Lake Akan
Day 5.1 SUNRISE AT LAKE MASHU (摩周湖)
Day 5.2 MOUNT MASHU TRAIL (摩周岳) , Teshikaga (弟子屈)
Day 5.3 SILENT NIGHT AT LAKE AKAN (阿寒湖)

Day 6 – On the road from Lake Akan to Furano
Day 6.1 FISHERMEN BELOW MISTY OAKAN (雄阿寒岳), Lake Akan (阿寒湖)
Day 6.2 TREATS OF OBIHIRO (帯広), Tokachi (十勝)
Day 6.3 ARRIVING IN FURANO (富良野)

Day 7 Furano & Biei
Day 7.1 LAVENDER BUDS, Nakafurano (中富良野)
Day 7.2 FARM TOMITA (ファーム富田), Nakafurano (中富良野)
Day 7.3 BI.BLE, Biei (美瑛)
Day 7.4 PATCHWORK ROAD & PANORAMA ROAD, Biei (美瑛)
Day 7.5 NINGLE TERRACE (ニングルテラス)

Day 8 – from Furano to Otaru
Day 8.1 CHURCH ON THE WATER (水の教会), Hoshino Resorts Tomamu (星野リゾートトマム)
Day 8.2 HILL OF THE BUDDHA (頭大仏), Makomanai Takino Cemetery (真駒内滝野霊園)
Day 8.3 SEAFOOD, CANAL, & HISTORY, Otaru (小樽)
Day 8.4 RAINY NIGHT IN OTARU, Otaru (小樽)

Day 9 – Yochi & Sapporo
Day 9.1 NIKKA YOICHI DISTILLERY (余市蒸溜所), Yoichi (余市)
Day 9.2 SOUP CURRY NIGHT

Day 10 – Sapporo
10.1 OKKAIDO SHRINE (北海道神宮 )
10.2 MORIHICO COFFEE (森彦珈琲本店)
10.3 KITAKARO SAPPORO HONKAN (北菓楼札幌本館)
10.4 SATURDAYS CHOCOLATE
10.5 GOTSUBO OYSTER BAR(五坪)
10.6 MOUNT MOIWA (藻岩山) & RAMEN HARUKA (ラーメン悠)

Day 11 – Sapporo
11.1 FORMER HOKKAIDO GOVERNMENT OFFICE (北海道庁旧本庁舎)
11.2 RED STAR & GENGKIS KHAN, Sapporo Beer Museum (サッポロビール株式会社)

January 8, 2020 | Categories: Hokkaido, Japan, Japan: Hokkaido 2019, Sapporo | Tags: サッポロビール博物館, サッポロビール株式会社, bear, beer, brewery, chimney, 開拓使, factory, Genghis Khan, hall, Hokkaido, Japan, Jingisukan, Kaitakushi, pioneer, Sapporo, star, 北海道 | 1 Comment

DAY 5 (3/5): SAKE (日本酒) BREWERIES, Hida-Takayama (飛騨高山), Gifu Prefecture (岐阜県), Japan, 2018.05.29

Sake (日本酒), or Japanese rice wine, is a light coloured, sweet taste alcohol made of multiple parallel fermentation of rice. The earliest record of sake drinking in Japan dated back to the 3rd century. Nowadays, it has become a popular alcoholic beverage around the world along with the growing popularity of sushi and ramen. Outside of Japan, sake is just an option of alcoholic beverage. However, within Japan, sake is a living tradition, a national heritage that connects to the local landscape and climate, and a representation of purity and simplicity in the Japanese culture. In the old days, sake was drunk at Shinto festivals, ceremonies and offerings to the gods, and production was made mainly by temples and the imperial court. Then in the 12th century, the general public began to make sake and led to the flourishing scene of sake makers in certain regions in Japan. Not much has changed in the making process since the 16th century.

With its cold climate, pristine water from the Japanese Alps and local rice “Hida-Homare”, Takayama is known as one of the best places for sake production in Japan. In its heyday during the Edo Period, Takayama had 56 sake breweries. Today, there are a handful of the traditional breweries (some say six) remain in the splendid old town of the city. Most of them would offer sake tasting and even a facility visit. Just look for the sugitama (杉玉) hanging outside of the liquor shop entrance. If the sugitama is still green, that means the making of the new sake is underway. If it is brown, then the new sake has reached maturity. Visiting the traditional breweries and doing rounds of sake tasting is one of the most interesting ways to explore Takayama.

With its signature brand Sansha (山車) famed for its muscular umami (うま味) or savory taste, Harada Sake Brewery (原田酒造場) is a highly popular sake brewery in the old town. The brown sugitama (杉玉) indicates that the new sake has reached maturity.

Apart from its shop, visitors may also find the aging tanks in Harada Sake Brewery.

Across the street from Harada stands another popular brewery, the Funasaka Sake Brewery (舩坂酒造店).

With over 300 years of history, Funasaka Sake Brewery has combined generations of experience, innovative technical developments and a new business model.

The complex of Funasaka Sake Brewery includes a shop, bar, restaurant, and a pleasant courtyard.

In the courtyard, large sake barrels are on display at the Funasaka Sake Brewery.

Also with 300 years of history, the Oita Sake Brewery (老田酒造店) has transformed its original brewery at the busy tourist street Kami-Sannomachi (上三之町) into a large shop and bar, while the main brewery has moved outside of the city to Kiyomi, where new technologies and computers are introduced in the sake making.

Oita Sake Brewery specializes in very dry sake and shochu (焼酎) or distilled liquor. Dry sake was considered unfavorable as compared to sweet sake in the old days. However, the trend has gradually changed and dry sake has become popular with soba and steak restaurants.

Just like most other breweries, the store of Oita Sake Brewery designated an area of the store for a causal bar.

Sake and shochu are used at the bar to make cocktails with fruity favours.

Shōki (鍾馗) or Zhong Kui in Chinese is known in Chinese mythology as the king of ghosts and evil beings. It is commonly seen as a guardian spirit to ward off demons. The icon is also popular in traditional Japan. Due to its unpopularity in the old days, dry sake was called “Oni Koroshi” or demon killer, meaning that even demons would die after drinking the dry sake. Oita Sake Brewery (老田酒造店) considers itself the original brand of the “Oni Koroshi” dated over 300 years ago.

Established since 1695, Niki Sake Brewery (二木酒造) is another old sake maker in Takayama that has been in business for 15 generations.

Niki Sake Brewery is famous for its ginjo sake, a premium category of sake that uses rice grains polished to less than 60% of its original size, and fermented in lower temperature in longer period. Ginjo sake is considered to be lighter in taste and more aromatic.

Kawashiri Sake Brewery (川尻酒造場) has been in the industry of sake brewery since 1839. It specializes in jukusei koshu or “aging sake” that uses locally grown rice “hidahomare” and takes two to four years to age.

Kawashiri Sake Brewery (川尻酒造場)

The traditional look of Kawashiri Sake Brewery gives visitors a glimpse of the old Takayama in the Edo Period. Large timber post and beam construction is a Takayama tradition.

Being the smallest brewery in town, Kawashiri rejects new technologies and computers, and relies on the hands of its four brewery employees to produce high quality sake at an affordable price.

Each year, six of Takayama’s sake breweries will open their doors to offer brewery tours. Kawashiri Sake Brewery is one of the participating sake makers.

For 500 yen visitors can get a taste for three of Kawashiri’s sake.

Of course, we couldn’t resist to sit down for a sip of the sake in an interior full of heritage of the magnificent Takayama, the centuries old city in the Japanese Alps.