Nakai Shuzo

Iga, Mie

Toji (Master Brewer)

Nakai Shuzojo has continued in Iga, Mie Prefecture since its founding in year 30 of the Meiji era (1898).

Iga Ueno Castle and the Ninja Museum stand nearby,

in a region where you can also enjoy local specialties like tofu dengaku and Iga beef.

We spoke with Shohei Nakai,

the son of the current third-generation president, who serves as toji (杜氏).

Interviewee: Toji (杜氏) Shohei Nakai (hereafter "Nakai")

Interviewer: bien (美宴) Ayako Yoshida (hereafter "bien")

bien: I hear you teach boxing, Mr. Nakai.

Nakai: Yes, I've been balancing it with running the family sake shop for about fourteen years now.

I brew sake during the day and box at night.

bien: You must have incredible stamina!

What would Nakai Shuzojo like to convey to consumers?

Nakai: Simply that we brew the most delicious sake there is.

Our sake has so many different flavors!

You might say it has depth — it's an interesting sake.

Food has all sorts of flavors too, right? I like to describe that as "peaks and valleys" of taste,

and our sake has those peaks and valleys too — I aim to create as many of them as possible.

Because by doing so, I believe the chances of food and sake meshing perfectly go up.

bien: "Many different flavors" — how intriguing. "Peaks and valleys of taste" is a wonderful expression too.

It's almost like a puzzle.

What do you hold most dear when brewing sake?

Nakai: Never begrudging the effort.

Washing the rice, the muro, the shubo (酒母) — none of it is easy.

But I don't cut corners; I treat the brewing with care.

bien: It sounds like a matter of course, but finding the wherewithal to persist without slacking off, day in and day out, is truly important.

Where would Nakai Shuzojo like to go from here?

Nakai: I honestly don't think about the future!

We don't do any sales promotion at all, but fortunately there are customers who tell us our sake is delicious and who love our brewery,

and for that I am very grateful.

bien: It sounds like you've really drawn in the fans of Mie Nishiki.

What do you find enjoyable about being involved in brewing?

Nakai: It's a matter of course, but when I brew — while I'm brewing —

I try to imagine how the finished sake will taste,

and it's when the sake is turning out the way I imagined,

or has turned out exactly as I imagined,

and when I meet a customer who understands that.

Also, I love cooking myself.

bien: Being well-versed in cooking, I imagine you naturally grow particular about the flavors of the sake you pair with it.

Nakai: Exactly.

I think our sake is one that pairs with all kinds of dishes.

Sake is like a fermented food — I believe that it actually becomes more delicious as it matures.

Isn't it the same with whisky? I'm a big fan of whisky myself.

bien: It's only through aging that a sake's individual character really comes through.

Thank you very much.