Harvest 5 Million Stones Rice Experience: Explore the Secrets of a 170-Year-Old Japanese Brewery

Photos & Text /Kenny Yang

[Japanese Food Travel Guide] Last time, we took you on a stroll through Japan’s famous rice-growing region for sake. Now, we’ve arrived at Kirin Mountain Brewery to begin a series of rice harvesting experiences and brewery tours.

Established in 1843, "Kirin Mountain" has a history of over 170 years and is now in its seventh generation of brewers. The name "Kirin Mountain" not only refers to the mountain in Tsugawa that resembles the mythical creature "Kirin," but also blesses customers with good fortune, as if visited by this auspicious beast.

(The weather was bad that day, so we used photos of Kirin Mountain provided by the brewery instead, haha!)

After confirming our shoe sizes at the brewery, we drove to the fields jointly managed and cultivated by Kirin Mountain Brewery and local farmers to prepare for our "rice harvesting experience." The person explaining the work in the rice fields was Mr. Ito, the head of agriculture at Kirin Mountain. Apparently, he’s a big figure in the local agricultural association.

The rice varieties used by Kirin Mountain mainly include "5 Million Stones," "Takane Nishiki," and "Echizen Koshihikari." Since "Echizen Koshihikari" typically ripens around mid-October, our rice harvesting experience focused on "5 Million Stones," which matures around early to mid-September. The brewery specially reserved a field for us to enjoy the harvesting experience.

(I think Mr. Ito said: "You can’t leave until you finish harvesting"—but I’ll pretend I didn’t understand because my Japanese isn’t good enough, haha!)

Before officially starting the rice harvest, agricultural expert Mr. Ito briefly explained how to harvest rice: hold the lower part of the rice stalk about 15–20 cm from the base with one hand, and use a sickle in the other hand to cut the stalk about 5–10 cm from the base. The most important thing—something Mr. Ito repeatedly emphasized—was... not to cut yourself... I had no prior experience, so I was pretty clumsy.

It had rained for the few days leading up to the rice harvesting experience, so the soil was extremely muddy and hard to walk on. As a result, after about 30 minutes of harvesting, we were allowed to move on to the next activity.

In fact, Kirin Mountain also organizes all employees to personally harvest rice from their own fields every early September. This allows employees to understand the condition of that year’s rice crop and, through hands-on experience, gain a deeper appreciation for the phrase "every drop is hard-earned" when brewing sake. The activity also serves as a ritualistic way to pay respects and give thanks to nature. After harvesting the rice stalks, the traditional method involves hanging them upside down to dry. Each region may have slightly different methods, but in this area, it’s done as shown in the photo below.

Modern methods of drying rice stalks now involve machines. Fortunately, the equipment was operating that day, so we were lucky enough to visit a local farm and explore the shared regional drying and conditioning facility.

Inside the facility, infrared machines are primarily used to dry the rice grains and remove the outer husk.

Then, a separator is used to separate the bran from the brown rice.

Finally, machines are used to bag the rice.

The bagged brown rice is then sent to the local inspection association for grading before undergoing further processes like polishing and being sent to the brewery for sake production.

By this point, we were nearing lunchtime. After a quick farewell to Mr. Ito, Mr. Tian suggested we go soak in an onsen to wash off the sweat.

Kirin Mountain Brewery　
Address: 46 Tsugawa, Aga Town　
Phone: 0254-92-3511
Kirin Mountain Brewery Websitehttp://www.kirinzan.co.jp/

Kenny Yang. Japanese Food Travel Guide

Yang Kaicheng KENNY YANG
SSI Certified Sake Sommelier, Shochu Sommelier, Japanese Sake Instructor, Master Brewer
WSET Wines & Spirits L2 Sake L3
Newo_ Sake Expert Certification – Bronze Level

Studied in the renowned sake-producing region of Newo_, which sparked his deep connection with sake. After returning to Taiwan, he connected with many fellow enthusiasts and realized that many people had limited knowledge about Japanese sake. This inspired him to start his own business and introduce Taiwanese people to more delicious sakes.

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