FUKUMITSUYA SAKE BREWERY
A LOOK AT THE NEARLY 400-YEAR-OLD SAKE BREWERY THAT CRAFTS BEAUTIFUL AND EFFECTIVE SKINCARE
May marked Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (AAPI), an annual time to celebrate all of the important and numerous contributions that people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent have made to American culture, history, and society. But, here at Wellness East, every month is an opportunity to honor the incredible brands, companies and craftsmanship from the East, particularly Japan.
A brand we are constantly inspired and in awe of, not only for it's incredible range of products, but their stunning attention to detail. We are shining a spotlight on Fukumitsuya, a Japanese sake brewery in Kanazawa that has a history dating back to 1625. Fukumitsuya was founded near Mount Hakusan, considered one of Japan’s three holy mountains, where the rainfall soaks into the ground and spends at least 100 years slowly filtering through the underground until it reaches a well that is used by the company in their brewing process. This spring water is combined with the finest rice from Japan to make the company’s renowned Junmai sake that is 100% unadulterated sake without distilled alcohol. A standout sake of theirs is Kuroobi, which is brewed with two different types of sake rice, Yamadanishiki and Kinmonnishiki, and aged to bring out the flavors. Another favorite is the elegant Mizuho sake that is brewed with Yamadanishiki sake rice and blessed spring water.
Beyond the experience and enjoyment of drinking sake, the rice wine has long been celebrated for its effect on supporting and beautifying the skin. Kanazawa, where Fukumitsuya is located, is a city made famous for the geisha, and it is believed that these geishas have been using sake to care for their skin since ancient times. After years of research, Fukumitsuya birthed their sake skincare division when they developed “FRS,” a fermented rice liquid made by fermenting rice with koji, yeast, and lactic acid bacteria for about 40 days, then maturing it for more than half a year. There’s over 100 kinds of beauty ingredients in FRS that include 20 types of amino acids along with vitamins and minerals all designed to keep the skin healthy.
Fukumitsuya created three types of FRS for their three skincare lines. FRS-01, the main ingredient in their Amino Rice line, is highly moisturizing, more antioxidant than vitamin C, and has a molecular structure that can penetrate the skin better than collagen. It also has ferulic acid with UV absorption properties, coumaric acid to help whiten, arbutin to suppress the production of spot-causing melanin, and GABA to help prevent wrinkles and blemishes. The company’s FRENAVA line utilizes 100% organically farmed rice and the components of wild kuromoji to craft their wholly organic products. KOME LABO uses FT15, the most potent of the 300 types of sake yeast produced by the company, in their nutrient-rich moisturizing essence.