At the Takasago Shuzo brewery in northern Hokkaido’s Asahikawa City, production has begun in earnest for “komo daru” sake casks, traditionally used as good luck charms during activities like the New Year’s Kagami Biraki sake cask opening ceremony.
Komo daru sake casks are casks made from Japanese cedar wood grown in Yamagata Prefecture. The casks are filled with boiling hot water overnight to eliminate the acerbic flavor and then wrapped in a woven “komo” mat. The mat was traditionally made from straw, but is now made from plastic.
Takasago Shuzo usually ships about one hundred komo daru casks yearly. But impact from the novel coronavirus pandemic has projections at about half of normal, or around fifty casks. They have also capped new sake production for late October through next March to approximately 70% of normal years.
Komo daru casks come in three types: 72 liters, 36 liters, and 18 liters. Takasago Shuzo plans to make about 15 casks before the year ends and deliver them to various areas with a focus on hotels in Asahikawa.