With the concept of "deliciously eating freshly picked seasonal vegetables," Gojyunoya Corporation operates 11 restaurants in Kyoto City. The restaurants, which are busy every day, also focus on offering sake to go along with the vegetable dishes. Assemblage Club," a sake blend created with the cooperation of three Kyoto sake breweries, produces an original vegetable sake called "Natsuyu" (Japanese sake for vegetables). Also, at "My Sake World," a spot where individuals, restaurants, and companies can make sake in small lots, each store manager serves as a blender to make blended sake, which is then served at each store.

From left: Mr. Tsugu Fukuoka, employee of Chicken Fillet Yokodori / Mr. Shinya Gojukkiri, President of Gojukkiri Corporation / Mr. Kenji Yokoya, Manager of Chicken Fillet Yokodori / Mr. Ryota Oku, Vice President of Chicken Fillet Yokodori

This time, Shinya Gojukiki, President of Gojukiki Corporation, Ryota Oku, Vice President, Kenji Yokoya, Manager of Chicken Restaurant Yokodori, and Tsugen Fukuoka experienced My Sake World Oike Villa.
We closely followed his thoughts and ideas about sake and the production of his original blend of sake that goes well with hot sake and yakitori (grilled chicken).

［What does sake mean to the Gojyuka Corporation?

-What does sake mean to Gojuke Corporation?

Mr. Gojukiki: "Restaurants and alcohol are inseparable. It is very important because it is related to sales and income. We, as restaurants, enjoy simply serving sake, but we think it is important to know about the manufacturing process and the particulars of the makers and brewers. So I feel it is very important to choose the sake we serve at our restaurants."

"Being in the restaurant business for a long time, I feel that we need to be sensitive to trends, and at the same time, we need to not only serve sake, but also communicate the thoughts of the sake makers. When thinking about sake from various directions, it is very important to gain knowledge of sake, including the current inbound demand. Now, at Gojyuka Corporation, we are working to treat sake with care."

-Gojyu Corporation has produced [Assemblage Club] "Natsuyu," a Japanese sake exclusively for vegetables. What are your impressions?

Mr. Gojikki: "It's delicious! I want everyone to drink it, and it's easy to recommend it to customers. It's one tool to connect customers and stores."

Mrs. Wu: "We blend it especially to go well with Gojumatsu's salad casserole."

-How was your experience at My Sake World?

Mr. Gojukumi said, "It was a lot of fun, and I want to do more of it! There are hundreds or thousands of blends. Since there are no answers, I can pursue my own tastes to any extent. It was also fun to taste and compare the sake with those made by my friends and colleagues."

It really was like a science experiment. When I first blended it, I thought it was "lame" that I could picture the brewery staff's faces, and I also thought it was "lame" that I was trying to be stylish and sharp (laughs). But if I put in a lot of aged sake, it tastes like aged sake (laughs).

Hot sake / blended sake to go with yakitori

Sumikaido, which serves charcoal-grilled dishes at Kyoto Station, focuses on hot sake, and the vice president's wife took up the challenge of making sake that goes well with hot sake. The vice president's wife took on the challenge of creating a sake blend that would go well with hot sake, and visited Nakajima Brewery, which brews Kozaemon in Gifu Prefecture, to make a prototype.
Mr. Yokoya, manager of Shijo-Karasuma's Chikusai Yokodori, also took on the challenge of trying a sake that goes well with yakitori.

Mrs. Kikuchi said, "Special Junmai Shinano-Miyamanishiki was easy to drink. I will try blending it with Yamahai Honjozo Unfiltered Harajuku, which was my personal favorite."

-How do you like the taste?

Mrs. Oku: "I'm lost (laughs). My image of hot sake is the taste of what you would drink at a popular izakaya (Japanese-style pub). I think it's too clean this time. How about if we add a little more Yamahai?

Mr. Yokoya said, "I was able to create a satisfying taste. First, I chose four kinds of sake from Kyoto. They have just the right balance of sourness and sweetness to go with Yokodori's yakitori. At the restaurant, we tend to serve sake that goes with the season, but from now on I would like to recommend some of my own sake!"

Mrs. "I'd like to add a little more acidity. I want a sharp acidity. Was the first one good? It's still a challenge. I added acidity and aged sake. Is it sweet?"

Ms. Yokoya said, "It is very delicious. Even the younger women who come to Sumikaido seem to like it. It is meant to be served hot, but it is also delicious cold.

What to Expect from Blended Sake

-What are your expectations for blended sake?

Mr. Gojukkiri said, "I want them to keep pushing forward with this! I had imagined on my own that blending across breweries was a high wall. But after experiencing it today, I could feel the new approach, the passion for sake, and I learned that there are many breweries that are willing to support us."

If My Sake World catches on, the sake industry in Kyoto will be on the rise."

Mr. Gojukiki's motto is to make things interesting and fun.
I thought I caught a glimpse of the speed at which [Gojuke Corporation] is growing by seeing their standard blend ratio and their reluctance to break the mold.

Mr. Gojukiki: "I think that customer satisfaction and the company's growth can be achieved if we face our work with our own ideas, rather than with a conventional manual.

Each Gojyu Family Corporation restaurant offers Natsuyu, a sake blend that goes well with vegetables, and other original sake blended by the manager of each restaurant. We hope you will enjoy our special sake with fresh vegetables harvested every morning from our own garden.