Gunma’s local sake and other regional alcoholic beverages are closely connected to the prefecture’s rich natural environment, including the Three Mountains of Jomo: Mt. Akagi, Mt. Haruna, and Mt. Myogi.
Rain and snow that fall on these mountains gradually seep into the ground, eventually becoming underground spring and groundwater sources after passing through layers of earth over many years.
This clean water is an important resource for producing a variety of beverages, including Japanese sake, beer, shochu, and wine. Throughout Gunma, brewers and producers make use of the natural resources available in their respective areas to create drinks with distinctive local character.
Water is one of the most important ingredients in Japanese sake, as its characteristics can have a significant influence on the finished flavor. Gunma is blessed with abundant underground water flowing from its mountain ranges, providing breweries in different parts of the prefecture with water suitable for sake production.
The natural resources supplied by the Three Mountains of Jomo and other surrounding mountains form an important foundation for Gunma’s drinking culture. The combination of abundant water resources and the region’s agricultural tradition as a rice-growing area has helped local brewing traditions develop over generations.
Gunma also cultivates rice varieties specifically suited to sake brewing. Among these are varieties known in Japan as shuzo-kotekimai, or “sake-brewing suitable rice,” which are particularly well suited to producing Japanese sake and are cultivated under designated regional brands.
In recent years, more sake producers in Gunma have been using rice grown within the prefecture as an ingredient. Combining locally grown rice with pure local water helps create sake that reflects the character of Gunma’s land and climate.
One sake rice variety associated with Gunma is Wakamizu. This variety produces relatively large grains and is characterized by a substantial shinpaku, the opaque, starchy core found at the center of some sake-brewing rice grains.
Shinpaku is considered an important part of the grain for producing high-quality koji, a mold-cultured ingredient essential to sake brewing. Wakamizu is therefore valued as a rice variety suitable for sake production. It is also known as the first variety in the Kanto region to be officially recognized as a sake-brewing suitable rice.
Gunma’s local sake reflects the natural and agricultural resources of the prefecture, from the mountains of Jomo and their underground water to rice cultivated within the region.
Gunma’s beverage culture extends beyond Japanese sake, with local producers also making beer, shochu, wine, and other alcoholic drinks. When traveling through Gunma, visit local breweries, sake shops, and other producers to discover regional beverages shaped by the area’s water, rice, climate, and traditions.