"Here is Mima Town、not Uwajima city." * Mima town was absorbed by Uwajima city in 2005.
Nishimoto Brewery is in an inland area 5Km away from Uwajima city. Local people say " here is not Uwajima city、 it's Mima town." It's the Yoshida clan、not the Date clan. It's a town of the sea、not a town of the mountains. Rice is a specialty of the town. Mima Rice is popular. This isolated town forms a basin and it's relatively cold. In Mima town、 there are two temples(The 41st Ryukoji Temple and The 42nd Butsumokuji Temple) out of four The Shikoku 88 Temples in Namyo area(southern part of Ehime). It gives noble atomosphere to a quiet town.
It's uncertain where Mr.Nishimoto stands in the order of the brewery's owners(he may be the 11th、the 12th or the 13th owner?)because any record about it is not left. Even when his ancestor started a brewing business is not clear. He makes sake with underground water from limestone strata. The brewery has been loved and brought up by local people.
Mr.Nishimoto is still vigorous at the advanced age of 76. His talk is interesting. When he was young、he was absorbed in photography at Keio University in Tokyo as a manager of camara club. He was so farsighted that he quitted a job as a cheif brewer and began making sake by himself. (He was the second person in Shikoku.) He is an expert in sake-making. He says he regards raw materials as most important and he tries to make sake in a natural process. Now he works with his wife. It's a family business. His daughter is a brilliant scientist and she works at a research institute in Tsukuba city. He expects his grandchildren will succeed his business in the future. Yet he looks still energetic and young. He will keep working hard several years ahead or more.