KURAIBITO STAY's 1 night 2 day program.
The following is a basic timeline of the program.
This is an example of the programs that will be offered during the sake brewing season from November to March.
The sake brewing schedule may vary from year to year.
PROGRAM
DAY 1
SATURDAY
13:45
Check in
Check-in time is from 1:00 p.m.
For more information on how to get to KURAIBITO STAY, please refer to the ACCESS page. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
SATURDAY
14:00-14:45
Orientation
We will explain the detailed schedule of your stay, accommodation, and precautions for your experience. Then, everyone who will be staying with you as a brewer for the next three days will introduce themselves.
SATURDAY
14:45-15:45
Making sake seminar
A tour of the brewery
We will watch a 10-minute video on sake brewing followed by a tour of the brewery. President Ide will demonstrate the actual tools used and review the sake brewing process.
SATURDAY
15:45
Shinto ritual of purification
Time to prepare to become a brewer. After donning a uniform that includes a white coat, tenugui head covering, and other items, you will hear the brewer explain about the work. In the past, only craftsmen were allowed to enter the sake brewery. In front of a Shinto altar dedicated to Matsuo-sama, the god of sake, a ceremony is held to ward off evil spirits. After that, it is time to start the brewer's experience.
SATURDAY
16:00-16:45
Washing and soaking rice
The length of time the rice is washed and soaked depends on the type of sake to be made and the temperature. This is a process that allows you to experience the depth of sake brewing.
SATURDAY
16:45-17:15
Yoriwake
We will experience sifting the previously made koji rice in a process called “yoriwake”. This process involves going through the koji rice by hand to check for any impurities or foreign objects.
SATURDAY
17:30-17:45
Making Amazake at Home
We’ll explain how to make amazake from cooked rice. You’ll be able to make Kitsukura’s popular amazake in your own kitchen after you go home.
SATURDAY
18:00-
Dinner
The 19th head of Kitsukura Brewery will join us at a special meal for KURABITO STAY participants. Sake from the Saku region is paired with gorgeous Japanese cuisine featuring the skills of the master. Please enjoy the dishes, which are as carefully prepared as the sake.
The dishes in the photo are examples. Dishes may change depending on the season. If you have any food allergies, please let us know at the time of reservation.
DAY 2
SUNDAY
7:00
Breakfast
With your KURABITO friends around a large table on the first floor, you can enjoy the healthy brewer's breakfast made with seasonal local ingredients.
SUNDAY
8:00-
Rice Steaming
We will first steam rice that was washed the day before. We will transfer the rice to a big steamer called a “koshiki”. It will take about an hour to steam the rice.
SUNDAY
8:30-9:30
Koji seminar
While the rice is steaming, we will return to the lounge and have a seminar on koji. After watching a video you’ll be able to see the actual koji up close.
SUNDAY
9:45-10:30
Making the koji
Koji is made in a sauna-like room called “koji muro.” Here koji is cultivated on steamed rice over two days. You will experience what happens on the first day. The toji will sprinkle koji spores on the rice and you will help mix it so that the spores reach every grain.
SUNDAY
11:00-12:00
Closing ceremony
You will receive a certificate of completion as proof that you have become one of KURABITO STAY's brewers through the two-day experience. After that, a commemorative photo will be taken with your fellow participants, and your 2-day, 1-night program as a brewer will be over.