Savor Sapporo's local sake.
Chitosetsuru Sake Museum TEXT/REINA ABE, PHOTO/NAOKO TAKAHASHIHokkaido’s first local sake, and Sapporo’s only one. The sake brewery “Shibata Shuzoten,” which opened in Meiji 5 (1872) along the banks of the Sosei River, was the beginning of the sake maker “Nihon Seishu.” Hokkaido sake is known for its crisp, dry, refined character, and Nihon Seishu’s “Chitosetsuru” is very much a brand shaped by Hokkaido’s nature and history. With around 100 regular products currently in its lineup, the “Chitosetsuru Sake Museum,” attached to the brewery, is the perfect place to get a taste of what Chitosetsuru is all about. Right as you enter, you’re greeted by the water used in sake-making — spring water drawn from 150 meters underground, filtered through the Toyohira River, which originates in the mountains of southwestern Sapporo. That quality and abundant supply of water made this area ideal for sake and beer production, and in its time, a variety of factories once clustered in this district.
Near the entrance are small, old figurines once stored away in a warehouse, used to illustrate the sake-brewing process. Most steps are now mechanized, but daiginjo alone is still made entirely by hand at every stage. The brewing records left behind by a previous toji (master brewer), Tsumura, meticulously document the preparation methods, quality control, and progress of the moromi (fermenting mash) in careful detail. Written, it's said, by flashlight in one hand, every word carries a palpable sense of genuine dedication to sake-making. At the tasting counter — the kind sake lovers head straight for — you can sample every sake made on-site. Paired with explanations from staff who love and know sake inside and out, the flavor becomes all the richer. The atmospheric space also displays historical materials on Chitosetsuru's past, along with advertising posters featuring popular actresses.
If you visit, be sure to try the "Sake Lees Soft Serve," made by kneading in Chitosetsuru's daiginjo sake lees. It contains no alcohol, and as you take a bite, a mellow yet rich, fragrant aroma spreads gently through your mouth. Coffee brewed with the same brewing water is available too, a nice way to catch your breath partway through a drive. Inside, you can also purchase brewery-exclusive sake, sake lees, and sake cups — even the pleasure of making your own daiginjo amazake at home. At the Sapporo National Tax Office's Fiscal Year 2015 New Sake Tasting Competition, Chitosetsuru won gold medals across all three categories — Hokkaido-rice ginjo, ginjo, and junmai — and the brewery has a track record of 14 consecutive years of gold medals at the National New Sake Tasting Competition. It would be a shame not to know the depth of the sake crafted right here in Sapporo. Factory tours are also available for groups of 10 or more with advance reservation, offering a firsthand look at the sake-making process.
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