Experience Fermentation at Fukagawa Fermentation Factory
Jan 13,2022
Jan 13,2022
Tokyo’s Monzen-Nakacho district, home to the Fukagawa Fudo-son temple and the Tomioka Hachiman-gu shrine, is a historic area brimming with old-school Shitamachi vibes. In August 2021, the Fukagawa Fermentation Factory opened in this district.
The Fukagawa Fermentation Factory is a multifunctional dining facility where you can enjoy the world of fermentation from three perspectives — shopping, pairing, and learning. The first floor is a takeaway, with deli items focusing on fermentation, as well as saké and other drinks. The second floor houses a bar where you can enjoy saké pairings with dishes made with koji [rice malt] such as sake lees, miso, and salted koji. The place features saké sourced from breweries across Japan as well as dishes that incorporate Japan’s fermentation culture. What future does the Fukagawa Fermentation Factory envision, as it advocates for the attractions of fermentation through multiple approaches?
The Fukagawa Fermentation Factory was produced by the Ueda Saketen Design Office in Osaka. The company, which started out as a small saké shop about 80 years ago, has flexibly adapted to the changing times.
The company is engaged in many business domains, ranging from the sale of saké to the operation of saké-themed restaurants, and even overseas expansion. To better leverage its knowledge and expertise, the firm opened a design office in 2019 that looks at saké from a more holistic perspective.
While handling projects such as product development, sales, and promotional planning, the Ueda Saketen Design Office launched the Fermentation Factory Project with the motto “We create not to sell, but because we want to create” and brought a diverse team together.
With the objective of communicating the culture and charm of fermentation, the office opened the Umekoji Fermentation Factory in Kyoto and the Bar and Space Ogimachi Fermentation Factory in Osaka. The Fukagawa Fermentation Factory, which opened next, is operated by Kairindo, a company specializing in the export of saké and one of the members of the Fermentation Factory Project.
Sato Hiroko, manager of the Fukagawa Fermentation Factory
According to Sato Hiroko, manager of the Fukagawa Fermentation Factory, Kairindo’s main business is exporting saké procured from saké brewers all over Japan. But the company also opened the Umeshuya Garage Tokyo x Saké Shop Kairindo, a retail outlet that stocks over 200 varieties of saké, in July 2020. The decision to open the Fukagawa Fermentation Factory just a year later was driven by the following idea.
“Although the Fukagawa Fermentation Factory sells alcohol, especially saké, it also has an extensive takeout deli menu. With continuing restrictions on going out due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we decided that offering both drinks and food could make customers’ time drinking at home more enjoyable.”
The deli menu on the first floor is available for takeout. Some items can be enjoyed in the second floor bar.
The drinks available for purchase on the Fukagawa Fermentation Factory’s first floor include Japanese wines, craft beer, liqueurs, and unique seasonings, in addition to saké. There are also original products produced by Kairindo in collaboration with saké brewers.
Incidentally, Sato decided to work at Kairindo because of the company’s extensive selection of saké.
“My favorite drink is saké, and Kairindo’s selection of saké has a lot of originality, including many products you won’t find at other retailers or restaurants. That really interested me and is what made me want to work here.”
Sato recommends Oh Splash, a bold, uncommon saké that defies the typical image of saké.
“I recommend Oh Splash, an original sparkling saké produced by the Kamikokoro Shuzo brewery in Okayama. It’s a junmai saké that is carbonated by secondary fermentation in the bottle. It is a mild drink with only 5.5 percent alcohol, compared to the normal 15 to 16 percent of normal saké. Not only can you enjoy the delicate Champagne-like bubbles when poured in a glass, its sweet and tangy flavor makes it easy to drink. I suggest it for anyone new to saké.”
Oh Splash is an original sparkling saké that pairs well with any meal
In addition to saké, the Fukagawa Fermentation Factory stocks around 20 types of exclusive liqueurs. Each has its own characteristic taste and some feature custom-designed labels, so you can enjoy choosing your drinks by their appearance.
Saké pairings can be enjoyed at the second floor Fukagawa Fermentation Bar. Despite the enduring perception that saké should be paired with Japanese cuisine, Sato says they want to change this preconception.
“For example, pairing a fruity saké such as Hechikan Junmai Ginjo with a sweet tomato saké lees salad enhances the fruity notes and makes for a stylish combination.
“Extra-aged saké that has a more mature aroma and taste than ordinary saké may not appeal to everyone. But if you pair it with a beef tendon stew made with junmai saké, the flavors come together in a harmonious balance. This may help people discover the true deliciousness of aged saké.”
If you’re not sure what to order, the staff can make pairing suggestions based on your preferences and their extensive saké knowledge
The lunch menu provides both satisfying flavor and volume, with a choice of fish or meat as the main dish, accompanied by amazake [a sweet drink made from koji], three side dishes, a hearty saké lees soup, rice, and a small dessert.
“The selections for the main dish change every two weeks. We develop our menu around the idea of being a lunch that’s gentle on your body. So we incorporate amazake, which is called the ‘drinkable’ IV drip, and have lots of items that use plenty of koji.
“Many customers, after trying our amazake, tell us how surprisingly delicious it is.
“Recently, we served hamburger steaks in a sauce made with dark hatcho miso and coconut. Some customers were amazed by this unusual combo. Just like our pairings of saké and food, we try to serve things with lots of originality when combining regular ingredients with fermented ingredients.”
The Fukagawa Fermentation Factory, which serves dishes that incorporate fermentation and lots of original ideas, has many female customers who come in alone not only during lunch but also during the evening bar hours.
“Before we opened, we assumed that most of our customers would be people living nearby or people who work in Monzen-Nakacho. Once we opened, however, women began coming from quite far away specifically because of our focus on fermentation. Naturally, we will continue to adapt to these customers’ needs, and because we have many women on staff, we plan on developing menu items from a female perspective.”
The Fukagawa Fermentation Factory is particular about more than the drinks and food it serves. Attention is paid as well to the stylish saké glassware, plates, and other tableware.
“Temperature certainly changes the taste of saké, but the type of glassware can also have an effect. In our bar, for instance, we have thin-rimmed glasses for saké served cold and specific ceramic cups for saké served warm.
“Also, our serving plates were custom-made by a potter specifically for our store. We hope customers can enjoy not just the saké and food, but all aspects of the store, including the space and the time spent here.”
Since its opening, the Fukagawa Fermentation Factory has been bringing its ideas about saké and fermented food, one by one, into reality. Nevertheless, Sato says there are still many things they want to do.
“At some point, we want to use the bar space to hold workshops and seminars for people to learn about fermentation and saké. We want to be more than a place to shop and eat; we also want to be a place where customers can have lasting positive experiences.”