Yuraraka Midorikawa

Yuraraka Midorikawa (ゆららか 緑川) is a lightly cloudy junmai namagenshu with more lees than kasumi-shibori, but less than a typical nigori sake. A balanced amount of sediment is left in the moromi, giving the sake weight and depth while keeping it easy to drink. It is released as a new sake in November and shows the freshness of early-season brewing, with soft, fine lees derived from Hokuriku No. 12 rice. The full strength of the undiluted sake can be enjoyed as is, or served over ice for a lighter style. It is brewed as a junmai sake using Hokuriku No. 12 rice polished to 60% for both kōji and kakemai, with an alcohol content of 17.5%. This is a refrigerated product shipped chilled, without a presentation box, and represents the first Midorikawa release of the brewing year.

"Yuraraka" (ゆららか) conveys a soft, gentle quality, with a sense of light movement, as if something were quietly swaying or flowing. It suggests calmness, ease, and a smooth, unforced feel rather than anything sharp or intense. The word is often used for atmosphere or sensation—light, air, water, or even flavour—where the impression is mild, soothing, and graceful, leaving a relaxed, comfortable feeling.

Midorikawa Brewery (緑川酒蔵), located in Uonuma's former Koide Town—an area famed for its pure rivers and quality rice—was founded in 1884 and relocated in 1990 to its current site surrounded by fields and mountains. This move, led by fifth-generation president Ōhira Toshiharu (大平俊治), was driven entirely by the superior local water: soft, low in iron, and abundant. The brewery uses its own well water and has constructed a fully temperature-controlled facility, which was uncommon at the time, to allow for low-temperature ageing that preserves freshness and refines flavour.

The brewery is known for its rigorous cleanliness and organisation, with tools precisely stored and operations regularly reviewed by outside experts. It uses only Niigata-grown rice, especially the rare Hokuriku No. 12 (北陸12号), revived from seed by the previous generation. Midorikawa partners with approximately 20 local farms, fostering long-term relationships to ensure the highest-quality produce.

Midorikawa has no website, mail-order sales, or sales team; instead, it entrusts its sake only to trusted authorised dealers. This service distribution system was developed over five years in the 1990s and has remained unchanged since. The brewery's sake is understated in both aroma and flavour, made to complement meals with elegance and subtlety—qualities the brewery has quietly championed for over a century.