A fertilizer developed using sake lees from the Haccoba sake brewery in Fukushima Prefecture marks the return of organic farming for the first time in 13 years since the earthquake! The commemorative limited edition sake “Animu Mizu – Sodo,” brewed with the first rice, will go on sale on October 30th. Image
URL: haccoba Press release: October 30, 2025 To Members of the Press Using sake lees from Haccoba, a sake brewery in Fukushima Prefecture, fertilizer has been developed, reviving organic farming for the first time in 13 years since the earthquake! A limited edition sake brewed with the first rice ever produced, “Mizu Amu -Sodo-,” will be released on October 30th. To maximize the flavor of the revived rice fields, the fermentation period is an unusually long 100 days. Haccoba -Craft Sake Brewery- (Haccoba), a sake brewery established in February 2021 by haccoba Co., Ltd. (Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture, CEO: Taisuke Sato), is pleased to announce the launch of the new brewery. Craft Sake Brewery has released a limited edition sake called “Mizu Amu -Sodo-,” brewed with rice that has been organically grown for the first time in 13 years since the earthquake, using a fertilizer developed from sake lees. The fermentation period is an unusual 100 days to maximize the flavor of the revived rice paddies. The slow, careful fermentation maximizes the umami, acidity, and other flavors inherent in the rice. ※Online store product page:
https://haccoba.com/products/sodo
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/61904/71/61904-71-3176904c60b8be39f4333f8bc0864024-1040×1300.jpg ■Opening up new frontiers in sake through cross-border sake brewing There was a time in Japan when every household enjoyed making “doburoku,” a type of sake made from a variety of ingredients. However, during the Meiji period, sake brewing became licensed, making it difficult to freely brew sake. We believe that the free spirit of sake brewing of the past is the origin of fermentation culture, and we share the joy of brewing by pursuing genre-transcending sake brewing.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/61904/71/61904-71-5a51405f0ef1e996ce3a1267b41da5a7-3900×2600.jpg Haccoba members (background: Haccoba Namie Brewery) ■Custom-made popular brand “Animu Mizu -Sodo-” “I’m so glad I didn’t give up and continued working in the rice fields even after the earthquake.” It’s the morning of rice planting in the spring of 2024, 13 years after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Rice farmer Toshihiro Toyoda has finally been able to revive his once-discontinued organic farming. Before the earthquake, this rice field in Kashima Ward, Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture, was used for organic farming using the Aigamo farming method. Due to the effects of the nuclear accident following the earthquake, we were forced to suspend organic farming. It is an incredible task to regenerate from scratch the soil that has been carefully cultivated for so many years. To make matters worse, the local tofu shop that had been providing us with okara to make organic fertilizer also had to go out of business due to the damage caused by the 2022 earthquake. In this situation, we at Haccoba, who have been using rice since our founding, were approached with a proposal to try developing organic fertilizer using sake lees. Making organic fertilizer from sake lees is quite difficult, and after repeated trial and error, we were finally able to start using it in rice fields in 2024. Dawn finally breaks over a rice field. We want to fully express the flavor of rice grown in revitalized soil. Normal sake takes about 20-30 days to ferment, but this sake takes about 100 days. By fermenting slowly and thoroughly, the umami, acidity, and all other flavors inherent in the rice are maximized. And we use the secret Tohoku Doburoku method, “Hanamoto,” which we have been using since our founding in 2021. The gentle aroma of the native Japanese hop, “Karahanagusa,” also highlights the beauty of the rice. We hope that this bottle, which is filled with Toyoda’s way of life, will resonate with your soul.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/61904/71/61904-71-216e49531bd06a7334a332b3243dcbcb-1040×1298.png Weaving water – Sodo – ■The “Amu Mizu” series aims to create a new kind of local sake Haccoba’s sake is usually made by fermenting various ingredients together with rice. At the same time, we want to create “local sake” that fully conveys the flavor of the rice and the way of life of local farmers through the sake! With this in mind, we launched a new series in 2022BY, using only native Japanese hops (Karahanagusa) in the “hanamoto” (starter) process, which is the origin of haccoba. This sake contains a poem written by poet Sugawara Bin. Why not immerse yourself in the afterglow of the sake and the words? ※(Reference) The “Amu Mizu” series won the Silver Award at the Japan Package Design Awards 2025: ■“Weaving Water – Sodo” Product Overview – Estimated retail price: ¥8,800 (tax included) – Volume: 720ml/bottle ・Release date: Thursday, October 30, 2025 ・Sales period: October 2025 – until sold out ・Sales channels ・haccoba Online Store: https://haccoba.com/ ・haccoba Odaka Station Brewery & PUBLIC MARKET: 12:00 – 17:00 (Closed Mondays and Thursdays) ・Other retailers: https://note.com/haccoba/n/n48a9ad45d07f ・Product details URL: https://haccoba.com/products/sodo ■About haccoba Co., Ltd. Image
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/61904/71/61904-71-37ff8123f8c4326a0ec5bddb96df01b2-728×728.png In February 2021, we established a brewery in Odaka, Fukushima Prefecture, a town whose population temporarily dwindled due to evacuations following the nuclear accident. Since July 2023, we have also been operating a brewery in the neighboring town of Namie. Driven by our desire to “make sake brewing more free,” we have modernized the culture and recipes of the past “doburoku” (unrefined sake). We brew sake freely, transcending the boundaries of genres. Through our business, we earnestly aim to restore an autonomous local culture and a culture of free sake brewing. ・Company name: haccoba Co., Ltd. ・Representative: Representative Director Tasuke Sato – Headquarters: 2-50-6 Tamachi, Odaka-ku, Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture – Various Links – Website/Online Store: https://haccoba.com ・X (old Twitter): https://x.com/haccoba ・Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/haccoba ・Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/haccoba ・LINE: https://page.line.me/184glmhu ・note：https://note.com/haccoba