Regions
Chubu
Shizuoka
The region of Chubu has been heavily steeped in the production of sake for a long time. The region is large and encompasses roughly a dozen smaller regions, each with their own individual take on the production process. Shizuoka is one of the most famous of all the regions. This diverse province offers perfect growing conditions for the rice, and the farmers harvest more than 80,000 tons each year from their fields.
Gifu
Another region in Chubu is Gifu. This region is known for environmentally friendly farming on vast plains. Some of the rice grown in Gifu has won the esteemed Japanese award for having the country’s best rice. That is saying something. Here in idyllic conditions we see generations of skilled farmers teach new ones the trade. The region is producing more than 110,000 tons of rice annually.
Chugoku. Yamaguchi
Rice grown in Yamaguchi is known for having larger than average grain sizes, as well as being shorter and more round. This can make for good sake if the rice is prepared using the correct methods. Here the rice grows in the famous patties on beautiful steep hills overlooking the ocean shore. And even though the space is somewhat limited by terrain, the region of Chugoku still manages to produce more than 100,000 tons of rice each year.
Kanto. Ibaraki
The region of Kanto sees relatively mild weather compared to other areas of Japan, and this has made the rice cultivated in the prefecture of Ibaraki especially good. Most rice grown in this area uses some of the older strains around, producing classic rice just as their ancestors did before them. Throughout the region of Kanto, more than 350,000 tons of rice is reported harvested each year.
Kinki. Nara
With shifting weather, the rice fields of Nara in the region of Kinki can get quite warm and humid, but also transform into a wonderful winter landscape during the colder months. Sake production has often been linked to the local monks living in the area, and more recently sake originating from the Nara prefecture is known to have smaller rice particles still in the sake. More than 40,000 tons are annually produced here.
Shigoku. Kochi
This prefecture called Kochi is well known for being among the top consumers of sake in the entire country of Japan. And perhaps that is for a reason. They are after all producing excellent rice that is known in the entire world as being of high quality and of an excellent composition for alcohol production. The area around Kochi produces roughly 50,000 tons of rice each year.
Tohoku
Miyagi
The prefecture of Miyagi is known for producing large quantities of rice each year. The ideal conditions of the soil and climate have made it possible for some brands and farms to achieve grade A rice for more than 10 years in a row. Most Japanese people know of this area, and so should you. Together with Akita and Miyagi more than 350,000 tons of rice are produced and harvested annually in the region of Tohoku.
Fukushima
Rice grown in the prefecture of Fukushima can have various properties and qualities. Some strains are known to grow particularly large, making it an interesting choice for sake production, with the alcohol obtaining a unique texture and flavor. Like most areas of Tohoku, the rice produced in this region is known for its superior quality and diverse use, as well as the staggering amount of rice produced.
Akita
Ideally located in terms of weather and wind, the area around Akita is especially famous for their rice grown to be used in the production of sake. Due to political interests more than 400 years ago, the region soon produced two thirds of all rice for the surrounding regions. Ever since then, the production of rice has been leading the way nationwide.