All for true local sake.

Toshimori Shuzo (SAKE Brewery) located in the southeast of Okayama is dedicated to sake(Japanese rice wine)making, and has been in operation since 1868.
The SAKE brewery is located in Karube, which has been known as an area where the best quality Omache rice has been cropped since ancient times. In the early stages of the Showa Period,the rice under the brand name of Karube Omachi was popular throughout Japan,This rice however, once disappeared as a result of agricultural mechanization. Toshimori Shuzo (presently headed by President Tadayoshi Toshimori) took action for the revival of this Karube-made Omachi rice late in the 1960's.Luckily, Toshimori Brewery was able to obtain the cooperation of Mr, Migimasa Kiyono, who deeply understood the value of Karube Omachi. Than Tadayoshi Toshimori's persuasion of parties concerned started.It was not so easy for farmers to start the cultivation of agrochemical-free Omachi rice with the use of organic fertilizers, which Tadayoshi aimed at.People who consent to Tadayoshi's eager posture, however, began to gather gradually while Tadayoshi visited the local agricultural cooperative association, town office, and farmers.
The cultivation of Omachi rice started while Toshimori Shuzo bore the risk of lean harvest,including income security.The Good-quality Rice Promotion Conference was launched in old Akasaka Town at Tadayoshi's proposal in 1982, and the public administration as well as the Shuzo (SAKE Brewery), farmers, agricultural cooperative association, and agricultural research facilities promoted the cultivation of Omachi rice. This project was successful on the condition that Toshimori Shuzo purchased all harvested rice. Toshimori Brewery started making high-quality sake from the revived rice of Kaube Omachi, and the product under the brand name of Akaiwa Omachi became known all over the country.
Today, Akaiwa Omachi remains to be one of the few single-origin heirloom sake rice varieties in Japan. Toshimori Shuzo thinks that genuine local sake must be made from local rice brewed with local water under the climate of the local area, and makes efforts toward the production of sake that can sufficiently pull out the flavor of Karube Omachi. Toshimori Shuzo keeps in mind that is important to brew sake that tastes better with each drink, it is said that goods sake making starts with good rice farming.
Toshimori Shuzo is working on rice farming as well in the aim of being a SAKE brewery consistent in producing high-quality sake from the stage of growing rice.