お二人が丹精込めて育ててくださる酒米を使い、私たちは感謝の気持ちを込めて、手作業で美味しいお酒を造ります。小豆島の風土と人の想いがつながる一杯を、今年も皆さまにお届けできるよう励んでまいります。 I visited the farmers in the Kankake district who grow the sake rice Ooseto for us, to receive seedlings from their mini terraced rice fields. Both of them were right in the middle of planting, carefully placing each seedling by hand. Watching their steady work filled me with excitement for this year’s brewing.
At Shodoshima Shuzo, we are looking for farmers on the island who can grow sake rice. For many years, we have been working to increase rice cultivation in fallow fields, especially in the Nakayama area. Inspired by the 2023 Local Food Project, we launched initiatives such as crowdfunding, producer briefings, and brewery tours to promote our vision of “filling Shodoshima’s fallow fields with vibrant green sake rice.”
Despite challenges such as rising rice prices and the ongoing aging of the farming population, the number of cooperating farmers has slowly grown—reaching five at one point. This season, two farmers in the Kankake (Kankakei) district are supporting our sake rice cultivation.
With the rice they carefully nurture, we will craft our sake by hand, with deep gratitude. We hope to deliver a bottle that carries the spirit of Shodoshima—its land, its people, and their shared dedication—once again this year.
