The rice fields guarded by a shrine

An area the locals call Mitake is situated in Osawa, just outside Saku City. Despite being almost 80, Shigeyuki Koizumi grows rice here. His posture is surprisingly straight and his movements nimble, his appealing nature enhanced by a charming smile. Generations of the Koizumi family have worked as carpenters for Shinto shrines, and until age 28 Shigeyuki balanced both carpentry and farming. Then his older brother returned to the Saku area after working in Tokyo, and Shigeyuki took the opportunity to switch to agriculture full-time. He focused on growing Koshihikari rice, and now prides himself on a high-quality crop of perfect rice sold under the Kogen no Shizuku brand name.
Koizumi claims that this area is idea for growing rice because the Chikuma river system supplies it with plenty of silicic acids. Wet rice cultivation requires a high level of silicic acids, so much so that it is also referred to as a “silicic acid crop”. Plentiful silicic acids are said to help wet-cultivated rice plants develop sturdy leaves and stems, which increases their ability to photosynthesize and makes them more resistant to pests. Koizumi lists more reasons why he has faith in this area: high quality water and a sharp difference between daytime and nighttime temperature. This, he confides, is how you grow the grow the perfect large-grained, great-tasting, sweet Koshihikari rice. And if somewhere is good for growing Koshihikari table rice it should also be suitable for sake rice, so he currently grows the sake rice variety Hitogokochi as well.

Surprisingly, Koizumi doesn't do anything particularly differently when growing Hitogokochi. He simply affirms that a place where rice grows well can produce good Koshihikari as well as good sake rice. His rice fields are not far from Suwa Shrine. No-one knows when the place of worship was first established, but it seems that a water god was enshrined here in 1747. The main shrine building just beyond where the houses end is surrounded by a board fence, but that doesn't stop the sacred air from seeping through in the absolute silence of the shrine grounds.The locals say that on the hottest days this is the only place that feels cool, underscoring how different the air feels. It’s also the spot Koizumi goes to when he takes a break from work, for his 10 am and 3 pm breaks when he rests and enjoys some tea. And the Hitogokochi he grows is also within the protective radius of Suwa shrine, with sacred air trailing through its stalks.

Saku through the seasons: crucian carp among the rice stalks

If you move on to the next one of Koizumi's rice fields, opposite where the Hitogokochi grows, you might catch a glimpse of a swimming carp. They're part of a project started in 1965 to cultivate carp in rice fields. It was common to raise koi carp in wet rice fields in the Edo Period, but over time people switched to raising koi in ponds and crucian carp were raised in rice fields instead. Koizumi also raises small crucian carp, up to around 5 cm long. The season starts around May, when young crucian carp lay eggs that hatch in the rice field. When they’re small, the young crucian carp do not yet have the characteristic shape of an adult. The baby fish are fed and raised for about six months. Then in September, when the rice is nearly ready to harvest, the fields are drained which strands the fish so they can be collected.
Unlike carp that live in rivers and lakes, farmed crucian carp are selected and bred for black coloring and soft bones, a species also known as improved crucian carp. The small crucian carp are sold live to supermarkets and other retail outlets, then cooked by every household according to their favorite recipe – sweet and salty, or simmered in a sweetened sauce – and this dish is the signal that fall has arrived in Saku. Raising crucian carp also means less agrochemicals are needed for the rice fields, which adds even more value to this safe and delicious “carp rice”.

Tsukuyomi Kinpo Fuyou junmai ginjo, made from Hitogokochi

The Hitogokochi rice Koizumi grows is turned into sake by Fuyou Sake Brewery. Established in 1887, Fuyou Sake Brewery is a traditional sake producer with a long history. The brewery buildings line a street famously known as Cosmos Road for the belt of cosmos that flower in the fall. The brewery are renowned for their sake and are also expert distillers. Fifth-generation owner Masamichi Yoda started making shochu by request, and now has his sights set on making shochu from every agricultural product in Japan. Masamichi takes on everything from standard buckwheat shochu to unique batches of lettuce or enoki mushroom shochu. In 2020 his son Takanori, the sixth generation of this brewing family, made good use of these skills to concentrate the essence of local botanicals into his Yohaku Craft Gin.
The flavors are like drinking the Shinshu region itself from a bottle, and earned him the top spot in the shochu-based domestic gin section of the 2022 Tokyo Whisky and Spirits Competition (TWSC). Among all the lines they brew and distil, Fuyou Sake Brewery's main label is Kinpo Fuyou, a name that implies absolute beauty beyond compare. Their Kinpo Fuyou junmai ginjo Tsukuyomi is made entirely from the Hitogokochi rice that Koizumi grows for them.

Tsukuyomi is the name of a Japanese deity, and the term symbolizes the moon. The first deities to take male and female form were the siblings born from Izanagi, one of the two original deities alongside Izanami. The siblings were named Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi and Susano-o. Amaterasu rules over the day, while Tsukuyomi's domain is the night. The passing of days is said to mark one deity handing over to the other, and this sake named for such a wistful legend is perfect for drinking under the moonlight. Fundamentally fruity in character, it has defined notes of citrus acidity and soft, grain-like aromas along with smooth mouthfeel. The finish is complex with both bitter and sweet elements. Made from beautiful rice fields and reminiscent of the beauty of the moon, this sake is as satisfying as it is exquisite.

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