When you say Narita, many people probably think of Naritasan Shinshoji Temple, but it is not the only thing to see. In Narita, there are many people who provide hospitality to visitors, and I would like you to know about them. Here, we will introduce them to you as “People of Narita”!
Our guest this time is Naoki Takizawa, President of Takizawa Honten Co.The sixth-generation head of Chomeisen, which has a store on the main approach to Naritasan Shinshoji Temple, told us about the brewery's history, his passion for sake brewing, and his own story.
ーPlease tell us about the beginnings of Chomeisen.ー
The founder was a man named Takizawa Eizo, who was a sake brewer in Niigata.It is said that he came to Naritasan on a pilgrimage, and in a dream, Fudo-sama appeared to him and told him to “make sake here".
He had knowledge of sake brewing, and the area has rice and water. Since it was a place where people gathered, he thought, “If we make sake here, we can do business,” and opened a liquor store on the outskirts of the village, which was the beginning of Chomeisen.
I also heard that the stone torii gate, which is now located at Odarehama beach, used to be by our warehouse. I think ours was the very “beginning of the approach. Even today, there is a grave next to Lion's Den across the street. It is usually located on the outskirts of town, so I think it must have really been on the outskirts of the village back then.
ーYou are now the sixth generation. Has the sake brewing system changed?ー
Yes, it is. Since the founder was from Niigata, the Echigo Touji was the main brewer before, but when the fifth generation invited Mr. Takahashi, a Nanbu Touji from Iwate, the brewing style was changed to the Nanbu style.
Mr. Takahashi passed away during the Corona disaster, and his head passed away a few years ago, so now my employees and I make sake.
ーWhat is your commitment to sake brewing?ー
As has been the case since the first generation, we are particular about water and rice. Basically, we believe that by using rice from Chiba Prefecture and water from Narita to brew our sake, we can produce a sake that is close to the local flavor.
However, when it comes to Daiginjo and Junmai Daiginjo, we really want to use Yamadanishiki, so we use one from Hyogo Prefecture.
Also, since I am from Okayama Prefecture, we make a limited amount of sake using Omachi rice, which originated in Okayama. When I first joined the brewery, I asked the toji to make only one bottle of rice malt from my hometown. This sake is now called “Chomeisen Bizen Omachi".
ーPlease tell us about your own career history, Mr. Takizawa.ー
I am from Okayama and my father was a Japan National Railways man. I was in Okayama until high school and came to Chiba/Noda from college. When I was working and living in Inage, I met and married my current wife, and then we started living in Narita.
I was previously a systems engineer (SE) and have been in the IT industry all my life, but I started working in the brewery around 2006. It has been nearly 20 years now.
ーIt is an unusual background, isn't it?ー
I'm sure there are some nowadays, but maybe not (laughs).
It just so happened that the man I married was the daughter of a sake brewer, so I started brewing sake.
ーDo you have a favorite spot in Narita?ー
I like the view of the runway at night from the restaurant above the Maroud Hotel.
Also, our brewery is built on a cliff, so we can see the morning sun well. When I finish preparing early in the morning, I go out on the rooftop and see the sunrise just as it is rising, which is so beautiful, and it is my favorite time of day.
If you go to the event space at the former Chiba Bank site in the morning, you should be able to see the morning sun just coming up. The sun comes up from the end of the Keisei line.
ーHow would you like to take action for the future of Narita?？ー
There are so many organizations in Narita that hold various events. I am involved in several of them, including some from overseas, and I believe that when people gather, they drink and eat. I would like to be actively involved in helping to make the community even more lively.
ーWhat would you recommend for a first-time visitor to Narita?ー
In Narita, there is some kind of event every month. I encourage you to visit several times, not just once, for the Drum Festival, the Gion Festival, the Maple Festival, and the Ume Festival. Each event offers something different to look forward to. There are also many delicious foods, including eels, so please enjoy the food as well.
Chomeisen
