Founded in 1872, Chitose Tsuru Sake Museum is a directly managed store of Sapporo’s only brewery, Chitose Tsuru.
We sell a variety of famous sake, including brewery-limited sake that can only be obtained here, as well as raw sake that is bottled on the spot.
At the rest area, you can enjoy “sake lees soft serve ice cream” made with locally popular Daiginjo sake, coffee, and amazake.
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“Shibata Sake Brewery Store” opened in 1891.
It all started from there.
In the 5th year of the Meiji era, the founder, Yojiemon Shibata, came to Hokkaido from Noto, Ishikawa Prefecture, and opened a sake brewery called “Shibata Sake Brewery” on the banks of the Soseigawa River. Nigori sake such as “Doburoku” was well received by the Kaitakatsushi officials, and sales were brisk. Shibata is said to have started making sake a few years later, and is said to be the pioneer who opened the door to Hokkaido’s sake brewing industry.
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After that, Shibata Sake Brewery continued to make efforts to improve quality and steadily developed. In 1899, he brought together fellow brewers and established the Sapporo Sake Brewery LLC, the predecessor of Nippon Seishu. Sapporo’s sake production has entered an era of full-scale production. In September 2013, the partnership was changed to a stock company and “Sapporo Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.” was established. In 1938, in response to the government’s request for a merger of industry companies, eight companies were combined to become Nippon Seishu Co., Ltd. The unified brand name is the well-known Chitose Tsuru.
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After the war, production of Chitose Tsuru steadily increased thanks to the booming economy. In 1962, the largest sake brewery in Japan at the time, Tanchogura, was completed, and three years later, the company began exporting to other countries. In 1962, the company expanded its base to Honshu, spreading its wings widely and soaring with the era of high economic growth. Chitose Tsuru also won the gold medal at the National Sake Awards for 14 consecutive years, spreading its name throughout the country as a famous Hokkaido brand of sake.
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Water that Chitose Tsuru has been using since its founding. It is underground water from the Toyohira River, whose source is the lush green mountains in southern Sapporo.
Underground water is another type of river that flows underground. River water seeps into the ground and slowly flows downstream for 100, 200, or what seems like an eternity. Water is a gift from the past, passing through rock formations and absorbing minerals from the earth as it is filtered.
Water is the lifeblood of Chitose Tsuru. The characteristic strong flavor of Chitose Tsuru is the result of this high quality water.
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Sapporo now has a population of 1.9 million people. The reason why Chitose Tsuru continues to make sake in the city center is because this area has one of the highest quality waters in Hokkaido. Setting up a large factory in the suburbs has advantages in terms of production efficiency and cost, but Chitose Tsuru is particular about brewing local sake using local water. It is because of this water that good sake can be made. We stick to that origin.
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Few people may think of Sapporo when they hear Hokkaido’s famous water, but if you are involved in sake making, you know what a wonderful blessing of nature the underground water of the Toyohira River is. This can be seen in the fact that beer companies and brewing companies’ factories are lined up along the Toyohira River, and they still use underground water from the same water source, the Toyohira River.