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SHICHIKEN
Yamanashi, Yamanashi Meijyo
Editorial
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Makers & Origins
Rice Polished to 27%, Sake Held at −5°C for One Year: The Design of Shichiken Hakushin
What do 27% rice polishing and one year at −5°C reveal about Shichiken Hakushin? Read the decisions linking Hakushu rice, water, temperature and time.
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Perspectives
The Measure of True Hospitality
Yamanashi Meijo’s “Shichiken” and the Rebirth of Daigahara-juku The Measure of True Hospitality: Yamanashi Meijo’s “Shichiken” and the Rebirth of Daigahara-juku There was a time when travelers journeyed on foot. Along the Koshu Kaido, which connected Edo and Kofu, post towns offered weary travelers a place to rest. One of them was Daigahara, in present-day […]
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Perspectives
Hakushu’s Famed Water and the 1880 Imperial Lodging
The Birthplace of Yamanashi Meijo’s “Shichiken Onakaya” When people hear “Hakushu,” many think of the Suntory Hakushu Distillery. But there is another brewery that has long used the same underground water from the Ojira River—the soft water filtered over thousands of years through the granite layers of Mount Kaikoma in the Southern Alps—that serves as […]
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Perspectives
Crafted for French Cuisine
Shichiken “Alain Ducasse Sparkling Sake” Founded in 1750 (the 3rd year of the Kan’en era), Yamanashi Meijo’s “Shichiken,” located in Hakushu, Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture, has collaborated with Alain Ducasse, a highly respected figure in French cuisine. The result is “SHICHIKEN Selection Alain Ducasse Sparkling Sake.” Released in April 2021, this sparkling sake features a […]
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To become clear is not to add, but to let go.
In Hakushu, Yamanashi, a founder was captivated by this water three centuries ago. Today, Yamanashi Meijo draws from the same pristine source sought by celebrated distilleries. This legendary water flows at the root of Shichiken.
Named after the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove—scholars who stepped away from the world to converse in seclusion—this sake is not for those who raise their voices, but for those who listen.
The brewers chose to let go. Refining yeast and koji, they set aside the unnecessary to achieve a clarity akin to water. Polishing ratios—27, 37, 47, 57, 70—align poetically with “seven,” reflecting a disciplined spirit.
In the glass, it is nearly colorless. A gentle richness wraps the tongue, devoid of distraction. What remains is a crystalline, lingering finish.
Here, nothing is wasted. Sake lees are distilled; remnants return to soil. Like water, the cycle flows eternally.
The bamboo grove remains quiet. Wind passes, leaves sway, and stillness returns. Shichiken is that silence—a soft whisper heard only by those who come to listen.