Zaku's vintage series
using a "Naguwashi" land and rice.
"Naguwashi" is an ancient Japanese word no longer used that praises a "wonderful and noble" land. The meaning can be associated with "beautifully renowned". It was born from the perfect soils formed by the earth's long life and the excellent sake rice that came along Japan's traditional beverage's quest history. Those charms are now expressed faithfully in the sake's taste.
The label design is based on a Shito related ritual called the "shide" which is a zizag-shaped paper streamer. A long time ago, those shide were used to ward off evil and to establish sacred barriers. Naguwashi presents 3 types of designs related to this belief.
THE LAND
SUZUKA
Three to four million years ago, the "Miezo" (lit. Mié elephant) was roaming in Mie. Fossils of this Japanese elephant were found in a geological stratum called the Tokai Group, which spreads under the cities of Suzuka and Kuwana. This geological stratum was formed by the flooding waters of the ancient Tokai Lake and its rivers.
IGA
Today, Lake Biwa is located in the Shiga Prefecture. However 4.4 million years ago, its location was originally around the Iga Basin in the Mié Prefecture, which stratum is referd to as the Old Biwa Lake strata group. It is constituted of various strata rich in minerals of all kinds, including the clay used in pottery.
TOJO
Approximately 25 million years ago, the Kokoube Lake extended from the present present day wards and cities of Tarumi and Sanda, all the way up to Lake Tojo. This led to the formation later on of what is now known as the Kobe Group Shirakawa Formation, 15 million years ago, during the Miocene Era of the Neogene Era.
SAYO
The topography of Sayo makes the river system of Chigusa run through the center of the area, from north to south, with water sourced from the Nishiharima Mountains. Those are connected to the eastern end of the Chugoku Mountains, and the national parks of Mt. Hyounosen, Mt. Ushiroyama, and Mt Nagisan, which naturally means the town's flat land is limited.
RICE
KAMINOHO
The Iga Agricultural Research Laboratory in Mié Prefecture started breeding this variety in 1996. It is a hybrid of Etsunan No.165 and Chubu Sake No. 97 (Yumesansui). Its development was finalized in 2007 and the rice was officially registered in 2010.
YAMADA-NISHIKI
Best representative of Japanese sake specific rice. This variety was selected at the Hyogo Prefectural Agricultural Experiment Station in 1923. The strain came from the Yamadaho and the Tankan Wataribune, and was named Yamada Nishiki in when it was registered in 1936.
HAKUTSURU-NISHIKI
In 1995, Hakutsuru Shuzo in Nada (Hyogo) began developing this variety by crossing Yamadaho and Wataribune No. 2 to create a sibling variety of the popular Yamada Nishiki. It was registered officially in 2007.
