News On Japan

'Birthplace' of Sake Creates New Variety

NARA, Oct 11 (News On Japan) - Nara Prefecture, known as the birthplace of sake, has announced its first successful development of a sake rice variety.

The newly developed sake rice, created in Nara, is named “Nara Sake 1504.”

According to the prefecture, the new variety was successfully cultivated at the Agricultural Research and Development Center. It is said to be easier to grow than other sake rice varieties due to its shorter plant height, which makes it less prone to falling over.

Although Nara is known as the birthplace of sake, the prefecture has traditionally grown varieties developed in other regions, such as Hyogo Prefecture's “Yamada Nishiki.”

Nara Governor Yamashita commented, "We hope this opportunity will help expand the market share of Nara sake."

The prefecture plans to sell “Nara Prefecture Original Sake” made from this year’s harvest and aims to produce enough for 70,000 bottles within five years.

Source: MBS

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