The Hirota bay underwater aging project: rikuzentakata, iwate, japan

Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture in Hirota Bay, is where you’ll find a unique way of aging spirits; from the ocean. Similar to farming oysters at sea, sake and wine are immersed at sea to allow for fermentation like aging wine in barrels underground. Aging spirits in the ocean is a budding industry in Iwate Japan that brings a unique spin on local tastes. Sake and wine are submerged in the ocean to benefit from the seawater and the consistent temperatures take away the sharpness and bring on a more mellow taste. Typically, sake is aged for three or more years, but ocean aged sake can be ready as soon as four months, but the longer the better.