About the Brewery – 森ノ醸造所 – 森ノ醸造所

(Message)

Sowing the seeds of
Sparkling Sake,
here in Rankoshi

At the foot of the Niseko mountain range in Hokkaido,
a brewery stands quietly within the forest.
Here, a rich diversity of trees takes root,
and small streams weave their way through the land.

Surrounded by vast, untamed nature,
the forest carries the subtle voices of living things,
echoing with the changing of the seasons.

In 2022, I encountered this forest—
and in that meeting, I resolved to take a new step forward as a brewer.

What I envision for Mori No Brewery
is the creation of a singular Sparkling Sake—
one that carries the breath, aromas, and landscapes of Rankoshi itself.

Every ingredient comes from this town.
The rice we use is not designated sake rice,
but Nanatsuboshi, a variety long cultivated and deeply rooted in Rankoshi.
It is grown through organic farming practices,
guided by a commitment to cultivation without pesticides or chemical fertilizers.

We live in an age where infrastructure is complete,
and uniform rice of consistent quality can be sourced from anywhere in the country.
Yet rather than reaching for grains shaped by efficiency and standardization,
I choose to face each grain that bears the character of Rankoshi’s land—
and to brew sake in honest dialogue with its climate and spirit.

Mountains, rivers, forests, the sea—and Rankoshi rice.
From inspirations that rise quietly out of daily life,
we give form to our Sparkling Sake.

北原亮庫

(Sake Brewer)

Sake Brewer

Ryogo Kitahara

He was born as the second son of a sake-brewing family whose brewery, now known as Yamanashi Meijo, was founded in 1750 (the 3rd year of the Kan’en era). He studied brewing at Tokyo University of Agriculture and after graduating gained experience in the United States and in Okayama, Japan. In 2008 he returned to the family brewery, becoming the first member of the founding family to enter the brewing floor and work as a sake brewer.
In 2014 he was appointed head brewer, where he led numerous initiatives to refine brewing methods, implement internal reforms and expand both the creative and commercial possibilities of Sparkling Sake. His involvement in experimental sake rice cultivation in Rankoshi Town, Hokkaido, in 2022 became a turning point, ultimately leading to his relocation. In 2024 he established Mori No Brewery in Rankoshi Town.

Born in 1984 in Hakushu, Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture, he graduated from Yamanashi Prefectural Nirasaki High School in 2002 and from the Department of Fermentation Science at Tokyo University of Agriculture in 2006, joined Yamanashi Meijo the same year with a secondment to Tsujimoto Store in Katsuyama, Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture, completed sake brewing training at the National Tax Agency’s Brewing Research Institute in 2008, was appointed Managing Director and Head Brewer at Yamanashi Meijo in 2014 where he led major innovations including quality improvements and the development of Sparkling Sake, received the Diners Club Young Brewer Award at SAKE COMPETITION 2017, and relocated to Rankoshi, Hokkaido in 2024 to establish Mori No Brewery.