Due to the rich nature surrounding Joetsu Myoko, it is a treasure trove of high-quality ingredients that can be sampled throughout the seasons.

The main feature of Echigo miso is that it is made with rice koji and high-quality rice. It is slightly light in color and has a refined taste. When made into miso soup, the white rice koji floats up, so it is loved locally as “Uki-koji (floating koji) miso.” The sweetness of the rice combines with the umami of the soybeans to create a rich, elegant, and delicate flavor.

Kanzuri, also known as “snow drying,” and is made by neatly lining up bright red chili peppers on pure white snow. Locally grown chili peppers are exposed to snow, then crushed, mixed with rice koji (yeast), yuzu, and salt, and aged and fermented for three years. A specialty of Joetsu Myoko, it is a fermented, spicy seasoning that adds a deep flavor to dishes.

Over 100 years of history
In 1890 (Meiji 23), the founder, Kawakami Zenbei, known as the father of wine grapes in Japan, opened a vineyard in the snowy Joetsu region of Niigata and began making wine.
Since then, the company continues to convey the dignity that has been created over the last 100 years and its endless passion for making the finest wine.

Rice-producing Niigata, and especially the Joetsu Myoko area, is dotted with breweries highly acclaimed for their fine sake.
Abundant snowfall, high-quality rice, and a variety of masterpieces created using traditional techniques are pleasures unique to Echigo.