Ugo no Tsuki Junmai Ginjō

Aihara Ugo no Tsuki Junmai Ginjō (雨後の月 吟醸純米) is made of Hattan Nishiki grown in Hiroshima Prefecture. It is slightly dry and has a gorgeous aroma with a smooth and soft mouthfeel reminiscent of ripe persimmons and peaches.

Aihara Brewery in Kure is surrounded by mountains on three sides and by the Seto Inland Sea. Nigata is a small town located to the east of Kure in Hiroshima Prefecture. It is known for the underground water of Mount Noro (膳棚山), considered among the most exceptional waters in Japan, and for Nigata Harbor, which grew prosperous as an important sea transport route. Blessed with the advantages of geography and fertile soils, during the Meiji Era (1868-1912), the town was home to nine saké and 10 soy sauce breweries. The saké brands Ugo No Tsuki and Houken are still produced in the town today.

Aihara Shuzō was founded in 1875, and by 1895 it was brewing saké from 1,700 koku of rice – one of the top three yields in the prefecture. Although operations were suspended for a time during wars, the company has continued to produce saké for all of its histories. The company underwent large changes in 1988 when Junichiro Aihara became president. Determined to make saké of the kind that was delicious to him, he was dedicated to quality above everything else. The company was transformed into a brewery that produced high-quality ginjo saké.

Ugo no Tsuki (雨後の月, the "Moon after the Rain") is the most recognizable of the saké brands produced by the brewery. The brand was coined by the second-generation Aihara Itaru and derives from a short essay titled "Nature and Life", published by the author Tokutomi Kenjirō (徳富健次郎, 1868-1927) in 1900. Tokutomi Kenjirō wrote, “Clear and brilliant in the sky after the rain, the moon shines its light on everything around me.”