Where to visit in Fushimi?

History and Attractions of Fushimi


　　　　　Fushimi is a very attractive place. As the map shows, there are a lot of interesting places related to sake. This section helps you to understand the relations of Fushimi and sake, introducing some of Japanese historical events and episodes.
　　　　　From the beginning, Fushimi has been blessed by high quality natural water, meisui. Meisui is essential component for good sake. So, Fushimi became one of the major sake producing areas and there were about 100 breweries in early Edo era. Then, however, sake in Fushimi had to undergo a lot of hardships.
　　　　　First, sales of sake produced by sake breweries in Fushimi were prohibited in Rakuchu (洛中), central area of the Kyoto City, by the law. During Edo era, Fushimi was not thought Rakuchu. The sake market in Fushimi was restricted by the law and this gave economic damage to sake breweries in Fushimi. Second, Fushimi sake was challenged by the new breweries of the nearby areas which had been the markets of Fushimi sake. Not only did it become more difficult for Fushimi breweries to sell their sake in the nearby areas where Fushimi had enjoyed monopoly, but sake produced by new breweries rushed into Fushimi. Finally, the Battle of Toba-Fushimi (1868) gave sake industries a finishing stroke. This battle was fought between Tokugawa shognate and the imperial court. The town was burnt down and people were killed. For these reasons, breweries in Fushimi had greatly suffered and there survived only two breweries in late Edo era.
　　　　　Fushimi seems to have been an important place in terms of modernization of Japan. The Battle of Toba-Fushimi is a historical turning point of the process from Edo era to Meiji era, which is usually called meiji-ishin (the Meiji Restoration). At that time, Ryoma Sakamoto, a reformer, strived to bring Japan into a modern country. He is like a shooting star on the eve of Meiji Restoration and was attacked and nearly killed by assassins in Fushimi. On the night of March 8, 1866, he was staying at Teradaya Inn and assassins attacked him while he lowered his guard. He counterattacked them by a pistol which was rare at that time and barely escaped. Now, at Teradaya you can see a lot of historical materials. There is no “If” in history, but if he had been killed there, there would be no present Japan. (Photo taken buy Miyuki Takahashi at Teradaya on August 7, 2009.)
　　　　　In early Meiji era, sake in Fushimi was called bachigaisake (場違酒) that means “not good sake.” However, breweries in Fushimi carried out various unique projects and came back strong as a major production area of sake during Meiji era. For example, while they kept hiring toji who had control over the process of brewing, brewers in Fushimi started to employ college graduates who joined the process of brewing as novice workers. Also, to improve the quality of sake, “Institute of Fushimi Sake Brewers Association” was founded. Member of this association succeeded in creating sake without preservative which had been used in sake making. For this and other achievements, Fushimi sake had been awarded gold prize many times at the “National Sake Fair.”
　　　　　After WWII, Japanese economy was badly hit by the depression, and breweries in Fushimi were no exception. During the Showa 30s (1955-1964) because of Japan’s economic recovery the production of sake in Fushimi increased more and more. Then, a member of Fushimi Sake Association invented a new way of brewing which replaced the traditional one. In the past sake could be brewed only in winter, and this old method is called kandukuri. but today it can be brewed at any time of the year with a new method shiki-jozo (四季醸造), which means “brewing all the year round.”
　　　　　Because of the rapid economic growth from Showa era to Heisei era (1989- ), the number of toji, skilled brewery masters working only in winter, has been decreasing slowly. Many sake makers who owned sake cellars were using the traditional systems of brewery in Japan, however, and they needed to employ toji who could brew sake in this old way. As a result, many breweries found it difficult to produce sake, and some of them even lost the traditional brewery skills. In Fushimi, as seen above, the brewing makers have employed a lot of regular workers for brewing since Meiji era. So they can produce Japanese sake without worrying about the shortage of “toji”.

Reference: Fushimi Sake Brewers Association (2001),
The 125-year History of Fushimi Sake Brewers Association.