Kimio Yonezawa
Sake Comes To Town

Kimio Yonezawa, of the Akashi Sake Brewery of Japan, carries forward a 140-year-old legacy and is the fourth generation of his family in the business of making premium sakes. The good news is that he was in India, with his sake, which will now be available for lovers of the Japanese brew. "Our sake is not mass produced, and it's entirely hand-made," he explains, sipping a strong cup of early morning coffee.

"We only produce 4.5 million litres annually, and our customers comprise the high-end segment of the market, as well as niche bars across Japan and Europe," he adds. If you want to know how much a bottle of Akashi sake will set you back by then here's the costing: starting at about Rs. 350 for a 720 ml bottle, it could go up to Rs. 1400.

For those of us not trained in Japanese food and drink and the traditions that go with them, Kimio san (a Japanese suffix to connote courtesy, much like our ji) is quite happy to explain: "Certain sakes are best drunk as aperitifs, but sake generally goes well with a fish meal. However, some of our sakes are also good with lamb and duck. These are the more full-bodied sakes that can complement the stronger flavours of the food accompanying them. Which is why, they're growing in popularity in London and Germany, where Japanese cuisine is also thriving. Our reach extends across Japan, China, Hong Kong and Singapore. This is the first time we've come to India and it's exciting," he smiles.

Not only his father, but even his mother was from a sake-making family. "My childhood was spent at our family's sake factory, and since the families on both sides made sake I grew up believing every family in Japan made sake!
Akashi sakes will only be sold at select hotels and restaurants, as the market is not yet big enough to warrant retail sales. Kimio san is willing to take it slow and steady. After all, he has 140 years of sake history behind him! Not only his father, but even his mother was from a sake-making family. "My childhood was spent at our family's sake factory, and since the families on both sides made sake I grew up believing every family in Japan made sake! I went to a Catholic school and then to Tokyo University where I studied agriculture. I wanted to run a cattle farm but this got my father rather annoyed! So, as a bid to lure me away from my dream, my father and uncle suggested I work for a beer company after my graduation. Their idea was to get me trained in a brewery and then pull me back into the family business! So I joined Meiji, but I worked in their medicine division for nine years. But the pressure to join Akashi was so great that I eventually had to!"

Once at Akashi, Kimio san decided not to tow the conventional line. He realised he needed to look ahead and reinvent the family business. So he started introducing more premium sakes and, at trade shows and sake tastings, the feedback he received was nothing short of ecstatic. But, at that point, he would not use the Akashi name as they were not known for premium sakes back then. Slowly, as the reputation of his sakes grew, so did Akashi's brand value as a high-end sake-maker.

In India, he is very optimistic about the acceptance of sake. "It will surely catch on here," he affirms, "because like the Japanese you too have a rice culture. In Kobe there is a large Indian population and they've adapted to Japanese food and sake very well, so that gives me the confidence that this could happen in India as well. Also, in London, it is very trendy to pair sake with Indian food."

Well, somebody has done his homework! While in India, Kimio san was happy to tuck into some tandoori, black daal, naan, and spicy chaat with curd and tangy chutney. "I ate everything, no problem with the spices," he beams. "I have a great love for food. And I drink sake every day, but just a few sips," he confesses.

He also loves Tai, the local fish, which is a delicacy, esteemed nation-wide as the best in Japan. This much-lauded fish also lends its name to Akashi Sake Brewery's premium junmai sake called Akashi-tai.

Kimio san also explains that the best rice is milled for their sakes, of which there are various varieties. For instance, Honjozo-shu is a sake made using rice from which at least 30 per cent of the outer layer has been milled away, to which is added malted rice and distilled alcohol. Likewise, Junmai-shu is a sake made using only rice and malted rice, resulting in a sake with a rich rice flavour and a distinctive personality. And the Ginjo-shu is a sake made using rice from which at least 40 per cent of the outer later has been milled away and to which is added malted rice and distilled alcohol, slowly and carefully matured to perfection. Incidentally, the suffix shu simply means sake.

Kimio san could continue talking about sake through the afternoon, but he had important business to attend to before heading back to Japan. He had to go shopping! "I have a nine-year-old son and a five-year-old daughter and I need to buy them some presents," he confesses. His wife, would you believe it (actually, by now you would!) is also from a prominent sake makers family.

But the love of his life is his daughter. "If she gets angry with me, I could kill myself!" he jokes.

KIMIO YONIZAWA INTERVIEWED BY shernaaz engineer and photographed by FARZANA CONTRACTOR at SHALIMAR HOTEL, Bombay

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