Nichi Nichi 日日
After a sudden departure from his historic family brewery in December 2020, Hidehiko Matsumoto felt like everything was lost. With the support of family and friends, he soon realized that when something is lost, there is always something to gain. It was 5 top breweries who had given him a call and invited him to brew sake with them. This began the “musha shugyo” (or samurai’s training) for Hidehiko Matsumoto which was an eye-opening experience to learn the philosophies of these brewers, their methods and style of production and simply to present in and see the different regions in Japan, each with their specific terroir, climate, rice, and water. His 9 month ‘samurai training’ took him to breweries all around, from Akita, in the north, to Tochigi, Shiga, Fukuoka, and Kumamoto, in southern Japan. After brewing sake with some of Japan's top breweries, Hidehiko was certain that he wanted to craft his own sake.
Finding a new home in Fushimi (Kyoto), Nichi Nichi Brewing Corporation was founded in 2022 and housed in a 150-year-old historic building, making a new life in an old legacy. Currently leading an 8 person team at the brewery, Hidehiko Matsumoto crafts the sake he wants, and what is true to him. Not many technical details are revealed other than the type of rice, its region and the alcohol level. The intention is to taste the sake on its flavours and its ability to express the brewing year, the complexities in flavour coming from the rice, and the natural water sourced from the Momoyama Hills. Fushimi is famous for having one of the best quality groundwater.
In general, sakes are crafted using the Kimoto method for the starter mash, each cuvée is usually at a lower alcohol percentage (around 13%), and is always genshu (undiluted). Sakes are brewed in small batches to be able to have a keen eye on how each of the batches are progressing in the brewing process.
According to Hidehiko, expressing the beauty of nature had always been the goal as a brewer, he works his own rice paddies and also sources from top growers around Japan. Tojo district in Hyogo is a special area where his Yamadanishiki is sourced. The cooling effects of the wind, all the different natural vegetation, animals, and insects create an ideal terroir for growing this high-quality rice.
Nichi Nichi stands for ‘day to day’, and is interpreted as ‘every day is a good day and every moment of our life is irreplaceable’. Each sake is crafted with care, respect, and great appreciation for nature, the rice growers, retailers, fellow brewer colleagues, and consumers. With his new brewery and team, Hidehiko Matsumoto continues his life as a brewer.
