長瀞・秩父 酒蔵巡り/ Sake Brewery Tour in Nagatoro and Chichibu, SAITAMA
2023.6.18（日） 埼玉県の長瀞・秩父にある2つの酒蔵さん巡りをしてきました。前回の秩父酒蔵巡りで、訪問できなかった酒蔵さんになります。長瀞の藤﨑摠兵衛商店さんと小次郎のタイセー秩父菊水酒造所さんです。前回は、電車＋徒歩での訪問でしたが、今回は妻の運転で娘とともに車での訪問でした。なお、事前調査不足で、タイセー秩父菊水酒造所さんには直接訪問はできなかったのですが、酒蔵の場所までは伺って、周辺の雰囲気等は現地にて感じることができました（これで、８，９蔵目（埼玉34蔵制覇までの道のりはまだ遠い…））。前回も立ち寄れなかった”かき氷屋さん”も長蛇の列だったため今回も諦めてしまいました（笑）。前日は「田植え」だったため、多少の疲れもあり諦めです。また機会があれば訪れたいと思います。
Sunday, June 18, 2023, We visited two sake breweries in Nagatoro and Chichibu, Saitama prefecture. The breweries are where we were unable to visit on our previous Chichibu sake brewery tour: Nagatorogura Sake Brewery and Boutique Store (Fujisaki Sobei Shoten) and Chichibu Kikusui Sake Brewery which is famous for Chichibu Kojiro (pure sake, made with only rice). The last time I took the train and walked with my wife, but this time she drove a car, and my daughter also joined. Due to a lack of prior research, we were not able to visit Chichibu Kikusui Sake brewery in person, but we were able to visit the location of the brewery and get a feel for the surrounding area (this was the 8th or 9th brewery (still a long way to go to complete the 34 breweries in Saitama...). We gave up on the "shaved ice shop" that we could not stop by last time because there was a long line. In addition, I was a bit tired because of the "rice planting" the day before. I would like to visit again if I have a chance.
今回は、長瀞・秩父方面に向かう前に、児玉郡上里町（埼玉県）とある場所に立ち寄る予定があったので車利用としました。電車＋徒歩も良いですがやはり車は便利ですね。上里～本庄経由で山越えして、長瀞へ向かいます。
This time, before heading to Nagatoro or Chichibu, I had a plan to stop by a place in Kamisato-cho, Kodama-gun (Saitama Prefecture), so I decided to use the car. Taking the train and walking are good, but a car is more convenient. We crossed the mountain via Kamisato-Honjo and headed for Nagatoro.
妻と娘に「田植えとは…」という うんちく話をしてしまいました。
The day before, I had planted rice, so I was very interested in the rice field as I was moving. I told my wife and daughter trivia about the “paddy planting.”
藤﨑摠兵衛商店/ Fujisaki Sobei Shoten
藤﨑摠兵衛商店さんに無事到着。周囲には、郷土資料館や長瀞花の里（ハナビシソウ園）があります。静かで非常に良いところでした。店舗内にある蔵見学もでき、試飲機もありました。今回は、埼玉県の酒米である「さけ武蔵」で作られた「うすにごり」というお酒をお土産にいただきました。瓶のラベルには、フランス語で「La neige d'été 」と書かれており、Google翻訳で調べてみると「夏の雪」という意味のようです（間違えていたらすみません）。おしゃれで涼しげな透明な瓶に入ったお酒の色から、”夏の雪”っぽい感じのお酒です。
We arrived safely at Fujisaki Sobei Shoten. Around the store, there is a local museum and Nagatoro Hananosato (Flower Garden). It was a quiet and very nice place. We were able to see the brewery inside the store, and there was also a tasting machine. We bought sake called “Usu nigori,” which is made from "SAKE MUSASHI," a sake rice produced in Saitama Prefecture. The label on the bottle says "La neige d'été" in French, which, according to Google Translate, seems to mean "summer snow" (sorry if I am wrong). The color of the sake in the stylish, cool, transparent bottle gives it a “summer snow” look.
Inside the store (there is also a tasting machine)
View from the passageway of the warehouse tour
Nagatoro's manufacturing process (You can visit inside)
Nagatoro-gura's “Usu nigori” and a cup of sake.
La neige d'été (夏の雪 という意味のようです)
It uses 100% sake rice "Sake Musashi" produced in Saitama Prefecture. As a citizen of the prefecture, I would like to support it. La neige d'été (which means "summer snow")
タイセー秩父菊水酒造所/ Taisei Chichibu Kikusui Sake Brewery
藤﨑摠兵衛商店さんを訪問したあと、かき氷屋さんに立ち寄りたかったのですが、支店も本店も行列だったため諦めてタイセー秩父菊水酒造所さんへ向かいます。山沿いの道を抜けて、吉田川を渡ると、雰囲気のよい旧武毛銀行本店の建物等もあり、その通り沿いに立地したタイセー秩父菊水酒造所さんに到着しました。
お店はお休みのようでよく見ると張り紙がしてあり、「平成27年7月より土・日・祝日」は休業されているとのこと。近くの道の駅「龍勢茶屋」にて商品が販売とのことで早速そちらに向かいます。道の駅「龍勢茶屋」に到着してお店の日本酒コーナーへ伺ったのですが、目当てとしていた銘柄が無く今回は諦めました。今回は完全にリサーチ不足でした。残念。
After visiting Fujisaki Sobei Shoten, we wanted to stop by the shaved ice shop, but there was a long line at both the branch store and the main store, so we gave up and headed to the Taisei Chichibu Kikusui Sake Brewery. After crossing the Yoshida River along the mountain road, we arrived there, located along the street with buildings such as the old Bumo Bank head office.
The store seemed to be closed, and we found a sign saying that it was closed on “Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from July 2015.” We headed for the nearby roadside station "Ryusei Chaya" where we were told that the products were available. When we arrived there, we went to the sake section of the store, but the brand we were looking for was not available. My research was not enough this time. It’s unfortunate.
Located along a nice street with traditional buildings
近くの道の駅 「龍勢茶屋」にて販売している、とのことなのででそちらに向かいます。
We found a sign that said, “Closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from July, 2015.” I headed for the nearby Ryusei Chaya Roadside Station, where I was told that it was available for purchase.
The Ryusei Chaya Roadside Station did not have the brand we were looking for, so we gave up on it this time. Unfortunately....
終わりに/ Summary
今回は、車での訪問となりました。前回の訪問と合わせて埼玉県の西部（秩父方面）の４つの酒蔵さんの訪問を終えました。今回の訪問や以前参加した蔵開き等の通じて、中小企業診断士の視点で俯瞰させていただきました。そこから感じたことは、伝統的産業を受け継ぎながら、その伝統をそのまま守り続けている酒蔵さん、そして伝統を受け継ぎながらもSNS等の新たな発信・手段を駆使して消費者との対話を続けようとされている酒蔵さん等、それぞれいらっしゃるということです。今回の訪問を通じて、伝統的産業の方向性のようなものを肌で感じることができたので今後の研究・活動に活用できればと思います。
次回の日本酒関連の現地訪問（フィールドワーク）は、日本酒の飲める料理店舗を併設している埼玉県の酒蔵さんを訪問してみようと思っています。非常に楽しみです。
This time, we visited by car. Together with the previous visit, we have completed visits to four sake breweries in the western part of Saitama Prefecture (Chichibu area). Through this visit and the brewery openings I had attended previously, I was able to get a bird's eye view from the perspective of a Certified Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultant. I felt that there are sake breweries that have inherited traditional industries and continue to preserve their traditions, as well as breweries that have inherited traditions but are trying to continue communicating with consumers by using new ways of communication, such as SNS. Through this visit, I was able to experience the direction of the traditional industry, which I hope to utilize in my future research and activities.
For my next sake-related fieldwork, I am planning to visit a sake brewery in Saitama Prefecture that has a restaurant serving sake. I am very much looking forward to it.
この記事が気に入ったらサポートをしてみませんか？