A brewery with a history spanning over 100 years sits quietly surrounded by houses in the town of Minamioguni. “When I was in elementary school, I loved how lively everything became in the brewing season. In the mornings when I’d head off to school, I thought the workers looked so cool after they had finished work and were taking baths. As a kid, I always wanted to be a brewer,” remembers Akinori Murohara.

The brewery workers disappeared almost 40 years ago, after which it became a family-run operation. The Murohara family continues to run the brewery, but the flavor hasn’t changed at all.

“Wada Shiratsuyu is a local sake beloved by the residents of Minamioguni. My job is to protect what I’ve inherited from my father.” With the thought and care his ancestors put into the brewery, Murohara hopes to bring the brewery into the modern age by holding concerts in the brewery and participating in local events. A fundamental part of sake is its ability to bring people together.