Sake Starts with Rice
The Challenge of an
“Cultivation Brewery”
Izumibashi is a rare “Cultivation Brewery.” Driven by our belief that “sake starts with rice,” we cultivate and mill our own rice from nearby fields right here in our hometown of Ebina.
*A “Cultivation Brewery” is a sake brewery that grows, harvest and mills its own rice for sake making. Such brewers treat sake as an agricultural product, from the growth of the rice to brewing. Izumibashi is a registered Cultivation Brewery (certification number: 5931100).
Delicious Sake Starts
with Great Sake Rice
The most important element in making great sake is starting with great sake rice. At Izumibashi, our philosophy is that great sake rice starts with making great soil, using environmentally-friendly reduced-pesticide cultivation processes, and improving the ratio of perfect grains cultivated. We take these three points very seriously. We match our milling techniques to each producer and cultvation field’s unique characteristics, bringing out the full potential of each rice batch for the best results.
Taking on the Task of Great Sake Rice with The Sagami Sake Rice Institute
Izumibashi Sake Brewery is part of the Sagami Sake Rice Institute to study and cultivate the best sake rice. In partnership with local producers, JA Sagami and the Kanagawa Agricultural Technology Center, we ply a total of 44 hectares of fields spanning Ebina, Zama and Sagamihara Cities (as of 2018) to cultivate rice. Over 90% of this rice is directly used in sake production, with Izumibashi Sake Brewery directly overseeing seven hectares in this space.
Farming that Puts Nature First
Our fields are a precious resource that will one day be entrusted to our grandchildren. To ensure we gift future generations with healthy fields, we keep the use of agricultural chemicals to a minimum. We regularly rest our fields, care for neglected plots,and take other measures in care of the environment. We are also respectful of the flora and fauna in our fields, all in order to leave a healthy environment for our next of kin.
Check out Our Ebina Field Live!
You can see our Ebina field on live camera. Beautiful in any season, it’s worth a look!
How to Watch
Click the link and input the below ID and password when prompted:
ID: 858585
Password: 85858585
Enjoy the video highlights
Watch the field change as the seasons progress.
SpringTilling
SummerPuddling, planting and weeding (See one of our planting events in real time!)
Early fallEars of grain begin to emerge (Did you know?
The ears are different colors
FallHarvesting (You can watch a harvesting event too!)
WinterWinter flooding
