Otokoyama Sake Brewing Museum

The Otokoyama Sake Brewing Museum is a place where visitors can learn about the history and culture of sake brewing as well as the history of “Otokoyama” sake since the Edo period.

The museum exhibits the origin and history of Otokoyama, as well as old sake brewing tools. In addition, visitors can observe the actual sake brewing process at the factory (advance reservations are required).

On the first floor, visitors can enjoy free tastings of sake produced at Otokoyama, and there is a store corner where visitors can taste a variety of excellent sake.

Especially during the winter months, visitors can observe the sake brewing process, and many limited-edition products are available.

The Daisetsuzan mountain range in central Hokkaido is a vast area consisting of many mountains, including Asahidake (Mt. Asahi) and Kurodake (Mt. Kurodake), a volcanic group that is one of the “100 most famous mountains in Japan.

The source of the sake produced at Otokoyama Sake Brewery Museum is the subterranean water that seeps out from the perennial snowfall of Daisetsuzan. This water contains abundant minerals and has been deep underground for a long time.

Otokoyama” sake is made from this water and rice selected from all over Japan for sake brewing in the severe cold.

Taisetsu is offered free of charge in front of the museum as “water for prolonging life and longevity. It is a popular spot visited by locals.

In addition, old-fashioned brewing barrels and old wells are on display around the water-drawing area, adding to the enjoyment.

The history of Otokoyama dates back to the Kanbun era (1661-1673) of the Edo period. The name Otokoyama comes from the sake brewed by San’emon Yamamoto, a cotton merchant in Itami, Kansai, who took the name from the Otokoyama Hachiman Shrine.

It was also known as “Gomen-shu,” an official sake of the Edo shogunate, and became so popular that it appeared in Kabuki plays, Joruri dramas, and Ukiyoe woodblock prints.

Today, Otokoyama Co., Ltd. continues to carry on this historic brand and continues to brew sake from its base in Asahikawa.

The Otokoyama Sake Brewery Museum offers about 40 different products, including representative brands such as “Otokoyama Junmai Daiginjo” and “Kita no Inaho Daiginjo,” as well as “Kamisen,” “Fukkoshu,” and “Koi Sutori” (seasonal).

Seasonal sake “Hiyoroshi (Autumn Sake)” and “Yuki-Shibare” are also noteworthy. The cup sake also comes in “Animaru cans” with illustrations of various animals, in reference to Asahiyama Zoo, a popular Asahikawa attraction.

Otokoyama Sake Brewery’s sake is made with meticulous attention to detail, and its quality is highly acclaimed around the world. In addition to winning numerous gold medals at sake competitions in Japan, Otokoyama Sake Brewery has also won gold medals at European sake competitions and “The International Wine & Spirit Competition” for 42 consecutive years and more than 50 gold medals in total, earning it a high reputation worldwide. Currently, Otokoyama Sake Brewery is exported to more than 20 countries, and is loved around the world as Hokkaido’s famous sake.

On the second floor of the Otokoyama Sake Brewery Museum, medals and certificates received to date are on display, conveying the history of Otokoyama sake brewing and its worldwide reputation.

The front yard of the Otokoyama Sake Brewery Museum is a popular photo spot. From spring through fall, visitors can relax in the Japanese garden with its cherry blossoms, azaleas, azaleas, hydrangeas, and hydrangeas.

At the center of the garden is the Hyotan Pond, where visitors can feed carp in summer and play in the snow in winter.