In Koshiji, fireflies arrive in early summer, drifting low over the rice fields and the stream banks. For a few weeks, the satoyama is softly lit with their glow. But despite the fireflies' natural tendencies, their annual light show hasn't always been a certainty.
Fireflies are particular. They need clean water, a safe habitat, and peaceful surroundings. When any of those things go missing, the fireflies disappear with them. Where they're restored, the fireflies come back. This is why their presence has always meant something to brewers. Since pure water is one of the key ingredients in sake, the same conditions that make fireflies feel at home are the conditions that make good sake possible.
The Firefly Village Project
Asahi Shuzo, the brewery behind Kubota, has worked with the people of Koshiji for decades to protect and preserve those conditions. The result of that work is the Firefly Village Project, an effort to restore habitat across the region and bring the firefly population back to what it once was. Forty years after the first firefly inspired the project, the numbers continue to climb year after year.
The project grew out of a simple idea. Water that supports fireflies also supports the brewery. Protect one, and you protect the other. To formalize the work, Asahi Shuzo established the Koshiji Water and Greenery Association. The association handles conservation and education, along with the long, ordinary work of keeping a watershed healthy.
Where to See Them
Visitors can see the fireflies for themselves in June. The closest viewing spot to the brewery is behind Sara no Sato Asahiyama, where the brewery shop and restaurant are located. About fifteen minutes further sits Tsukanoyama Ushi no Kubi Chiku, a well-known firefly site set against rice paddies and mountains. There are no street lights, no light pollution. The dark makes the fireflies easier to see, but it makes walking a little harder. So if you’re visiting, come prepared.
Pure Water Leads to Pure Sake
The Firefly Village Project protects the region Kubota sake comes from. This is work Kubota is proud to stand behind. The fireflies are evidence that the water is still clean, which means our craft is still pure. As we refine traditional methods and find new ways to create the best sake from the best ingredients, the fireflies continue to light the way.
