Dassai donates 100 million yen, including sales of its space-brewed sake, to disaster areas

A bottle born in space goes to disaster relief

The sake maker Dassai, whose brewery is in Yamaguchi Prefecture at the western tip of Honshu, announced on 4 September a total donation of 100 million yen. Part of the funds comes from sales of “Dassai MOON”, a sake made from moromi fermented aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Moromi is the mash of steamed rice, rice koji, water and yeast combined in a tank, and it is at this stage that the alcohol and aroma of sake develop. The sake was completed in March this year. Only one bottle was sold, at a price of 110 million yen including tax.

The original plan was to donate the proceeds in a way that would help Japan’s space development. However, after the brewery consulted the buyer, it decided to direct the money to supporting areas hit by disasters.

How the donation is divided

The largest amount, 50 million yen, will go to the area hit by a large-scale debris flow in the border region between Nepal and China. In Japan, 15 million yen each will go to Toyama and Ishikawa prefectures, and 10 million yen each to Fukui and Chiba prefectures, all of which suffered heavy rain damage. Toyama, Ishikawa and Fukui are prefectures in the Hokuriku region on the Sea of Japan side of Honshu, while Chiba lies immediately east of Tokyo. The brewery says it has already made a separate donation to the areas affected by the Kumamoto earthquake.

The outcome of a project that drew attention for brewing in space will now be used for disaster relief across borders. It is also an interesting example for thinking about the role a brewery that ships its sake around the world can play in society.

Tasting Dassai in Europe

Even if you cannot get hold of the 100-million-yen bottle, Dassai’s standard products are a brand that can sometimes be found in specialist sake shops and Japanese restaurants in Europe. The “seimaibuai” (rice polishing ratio) on the label shows the percentage of the rice grain that remains after polishing. The smaller the number, the more of the outer part of the rice has been milled away, which generally tends to give a more fragrant, lighter taste. Tasting products with different polishing ratios side by side makes the difference easier to notice. To enjoy the aroma, use a wine glass and try the sake at a temperature that is not too cold.