How sake breweries near Japan’s Mount Fuji are taking the drink to new heights

When it comes to making sake, terroir matters. And where could be more impressive than Mount Fuji, the highest peak in Japan and the second-highest volcano on any Asian island?

The mountain straddles two prefectures: Shizuoka in the south and Yamanashi to the north. The latter, a landlocked prefecture in central Japan where 78 per cent of the total area is covered by lush forest, is home to several national parks.

It is also the home of the Fuji Five Lakes region, or Fujigoko: five bodies of water formed by volcanic activity over thousands of years.

While the region may not produce sake on the scale of Hyogo, Kyoto and Niigata, Yamanashi has a definite geographical advantage when it comes to making premium rice wine that is different from that found in the rest of Japan.

Yamanashi, meaning “mountain pear”, is known for its complex and high-quality water, which results from snow melting on Mount Fuji and filtering down the mountain through porous layers of lava over many decades. Yamanashi produces 40 per cent of Japan’s mineral water.

Water constitutes around 80 per cent of a finished bottle of sake and significantly affects the drink’s flavour, texture and mineral content.

“Other prefectures’ breweries promote their sake focusing on the kinds of rice they use. But rice can be cultivated and moved,” says Rei Amano, chairman of the Yamanashi Sake and Shochu Makers Association. “Water, on the other hand, is difficult to transport without changing its quality. Yamanashi is the only prefecture in Japan where breweries focus on natural resources, especially water. To me, water is the top priority in making sake.”