Location and utilization of sake brewery architecture

A case of Kaetsu and Sado regions of Niigata prefecture

Abstract

Annual consumption of sake and the number of production licenses are on the decline. This could cause a loss of regional characteristics of sake breweries. On the other hand, the movement of utilizing sake brewery architectures as tourism destinations can been seen in recent years, leading to the revitalization of the region. Accordingly, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive survey to clarify the status of remaining breweries in Japan and the actual conditions of utilization of sake brewery architectures. This paper targeted Niigata Prefecture, which has the largest number of sake breweries in the nation, as a first case study.