Yamagata prefecture, one of Japan’s leading sake regions— The town of Shirataka sits at its center, and one sake storehouse, Kamogawa Sake Brewery, was founded in 1741 during the Tokugawa shogunate. For nearly 280 years we have maintained traditional sake-brewing methods.

In the past, Japan wished to produce the best possible sake for state guests. Kamogawa Sake Brewery was one of the breweries that stepped up to this challenge. What they aimed to brew was kijoshu, the highest grade of sake. While ordinarily sake is brewed with water, kijoshu is instead brewed with sake, giving it a refined thickness and sweetness, plus a unique, mellow aroma.

At this time, the person entrusted with this process was Shichishiro Suzuki, the 12th head of the house of Suzuki. Starting in 1972, Shichishiro devoted himself completely to studying kijoshu and its creation for the next three years. However, his work was left deep in a storehouse, and none knew of it when he passed away. For forty years afterward, none knew of his kijoshu’s existence.

“What is that sake?”

At the IWC (International Wine Challenge), the world’s largest wine competition, the winner of the koshu (aged sake) trophy in the sake awards caused a stir among the judges.

At the center of this maelstrom was a jet-black sake with an alluring gleam. Called forth from the depths of its storehouse was Shichishiro’s kijoshu.

The surprise it caused was natural. After all, no one had heard of the world’s oldest kijoshu reaching maturity in over forty years. It was simply unheard of in the field.

The instant the sake reaches your mouth, a rich sweetness spreads through it, igniting a once-in-a-lifetime sensation that will cause you to forget all else. It is a drink that defies definition, and its incomparable nature caused one person to utter the following.

“This is what a miracle tastes like.”

The time had come, and the old vintage created by Shichishiro that had slept for so long in Shirataka had finally awakened to be labeled as the world’s finest koshu.

The town of Shirataka in Yamagata prefecture is the home of Kamogawa Sake Brewery. This small town, surrounded by a chain of mountains stretching east and west, and built across the Mogami River, sits at the foot of Mount Shirataka, a volcano that is said to have erupted approximately one million years ago.

This eruption, one of the ultimate creators of life, generated springs of incredible quality, and was one of the elements that shaped the rich and fertile land of the Shirataka area.

The bountiful springs throughout the area. The rich soil that nourishes “Sawanohana” rice. And the very life of the land— Shishishiro’s kijoshu takes all of these gifts, places them in perfect harmony, wraps them in Miyama washi, traditionally made paper filtered from Shirataka mulberry, and finally enshrines them in boxes made of local cedar.

We call it “KUROKOHAKU”.

Guided by the nature surrounding Shirataka, it has grown into a form that is beyond sake. It is a work of art, and a physical manifestation of Shirataka’s climate.

Each box is unique, wild, and yet divine.
They are made from cedar trees taken from the natural forests of Shirataka.

The hardness of its wood is double that of ordinary cedar, making it unsuitable for mass production, and making the region unknown for forestry. However, this means that the area has been left untouched by man, and the woods are pristine. When it is cut, the fragrance released creates a sensation of life that cannot be ignored.

The person entrusted with the creation of the boxes is Shuji Nakagawa, a woodcarver based in Shiga prefecture. Renowned worldwide as a master of wooden tubs, he continues to perfect his traditional craft even as his gaze scans the horizon for new innovations.

“You cannot approach the shape you desire. Once you have an image in your mind, you follow it and your work ends up an imitation.”

What are trees trying to give us? Asking that again and again, what do they answer? He continues asking, and nature guides him toward shapes. The form that looms ahead seems to be in awe of nature and to question a world that has lost its respect for it.

Japanese people have long been familiar with handmade paper, known as washi, which is known for its unique texture, but the hand-filtering process gives it layers of fiber that lend it a great deal of strength. It is used in repairing world cultural assets because it is said to last a thousand years.

Shirataka has its own history of papermaking, called "Minyama washi", that goes back to the Muromachi period (16th century). This paper is made with rare pulp from a specific part of the white-barked paper mulberry tree.

Miyama washi is filtered carefully with a process called "cross filtering" to give the paper warp and woof like fabric. Its durability is a step above other washi, making treasured for official documents by the Uesugi clan of the Yonezawa domain , and provided as tribute to the Tokugawa shogunate as the extraordinary quality paper.

Trees grow from Shirataka's favorable weather, rich soil and springs, and the people who live there use their skills in a continued tradition to turn them into sublime paper.

Miyama washi is an embodied element of Shirayama's wilderness, making it an ideal way to give shape to Kurokohaku.

Its aim is to find allure that cannot be measured by current standards while bringing about treasures that could never be found in a world that seeks only profit. Its other goal is to take inimitable works created by artisans who speak for each region of Japan and share them with the world.

Being in a certain place and touching its life gives you insight into it. We strive to create encounters that will provide opportunities to refresh your thoughts and feelings.