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Sake released which can only be made when fireflies visit
Motosaka Sake Brewery, located in Japan’s Mie Prefecture, has released a new rice wine which can only be made in years when fireflies visit.
Motosaka Sake Brewery‘s latest product, Kotohotaru, has been produced with one specific requirement — it can only be made in the year that fireflies visit its water source.
“Clean water is essential for fireflies to live. And the same goes for sake brewing,” reads the sake brewery’s website.
Each bottle of Kotohotaru is stamped with the date that fireflies were first observed that year in Miyagawa (Yanagihara, Odai Town), the water intake point of Motosaka Sake Brewery.
The brewery decided to produce the new sake in 2023, now on sale, because firefly sightings were confirmed on 7 June 2023.
The brewery argues that the requirement of fireflies proves that the quality of the brewing water used in sake brewing is maintained at a high level.
all 2500 “Gohotaru” (“firefly”) bottles to be released this year will be released in returnable glass bottles. Each bottle is priced at ¥4,800 (£23.39), and ¥150 (73p) per bottle of Kotohotaru will be donated to Odai Town, Mie Prefecture, to support efforts to protect the water quality of the Miyagawa River.
Founded in 1805, Motozaka Sake Brewery is the brewer of sakes Sakai Yabei and Kino. Its sake brewery is based in a mountain village called Okuise in the central and southern part of Mie Prefecture in Japan within the Kansai region on the main island of Honshu.
Sake success
Japan’s national spirit is making gains in international markets. The past few years have seen a significant growth of interest from other Asian markets, particularly India, where Sake Club India is working to promote the rice wine among drinkers.
The Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association has responded positively to figures published on sake exports in the 2023 fiscal year. The data, from the Japanese Ministry of Finance, suggests that the sake boom is far from finished. Moreover, the results indicate that more communities are enjoying the drink, and at a higher quality, than ever before.
Even celebrities are jumping on the bandwagon, with Hollywood A-lister Cate Blanchett being announced as the creative director of Toku Saké in February. Read more here.