ホタルが水利きしたお酒
三重県にある「元坂酒造」とつくった、新しいコンセプトの日本酒『語蛍』。「ホタルが水利きしたお酒」をキーワードに、取水地である宮川に、ホタルが訪れた年にだけ製造することを決めている。このお酒の売上の一部を宮川の保全活動へあて、ホタルが生息することがこの酒の品質を保証し、その売上がホタルの生息地の水質保全につながる。ホタルと共生関係にある日本酒。
2024 ACC Design Bronze
Sake made with water chosen by fireflies
A new concept of sake, “Word Firefly,” was created with the Motosaka Sake Brewery in Mie Prefecture. With the keyword “sake made by fireflies,” the company has decided to produce sake only in the years when fireflies visit the Miyagawa River, where the water is taken from. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this sake is allocated to Miya River conservation activities. The presence of fireflies guarantees the quality of this sake, and the proceeds help to preserve the water quality of the fireflies' habitat. This sake has a symbiotic relationship with fireflies.
ホタルは、美しい水の語り部である
「大吟醸」という言葉があるように、日本酒の多くは米の削り具合によってその評価が変わる。一方、このお酒は米ではなく「水」の良さに重きを置いたプロダクト。綺麗な清流にしか生息しないホタルの到来を、水の美しさの証明と捉え、物語性を持った日本酒づくりに挑んだ。
As the term “daiginjo” suggests, most sake is evaluated according to the degree to which the rice has been cut. This sake, on the other hand, is a product that places emphasis on the quality of the “water” rather than the rice. The arrival of fireflies, which can only be found in clean, clear streams, was taken as proof of the beauty of the water, and the challenge was to create a sake with a story to tell.
酒蔵とホタルを救うデザイン
近年、過度な森林伐採によって日本の里山風景が一変。雨水を浄化するフィルター機能が損なわれ、水質悪化が懸念されている。それに伴い、ホタルの生息域はこの50年で10分の1まで減少。日本人の記憶にある原風景は失われつつある。同様に、綺麗な水が製造に不可欠な日本酒蔵の数もその影響を大きく受け、減少の一途を辿っている。この語蛍は、売上の一部を取水地である宮川の保全に充てることで、この場所を守りながら、この地で生まれる味を後世へと語り継ぐ設計になっている。
In recent years, excessive deforestation has drastically altered Japan’s traditional rural landscape, weakening its natural filtration system and threatening water quality. As a result, firefly habitats have shrunk to one-tenth of their original size over the past 50 years, and the once-familiar scenery is fading. Likewise, sake breweries, which rely on pristine water, are in decline. Hotaru is designed to help preserve this environment by allocating part of its sales to protecting the Miyagawa River, ensuring that both the natural surroundings and the unique flavors born here are passed on to future generations.
