“Rikka no Mori 2024” (*) was unveiled as the 75th anniversary commemorative sake at the Ceremony of Niigata University 75th Anniversary Celebration held on October 19, 2024.

It is the sake that the graduate students of the Graduate School Sakeology Program worked on sake brewing during “Sakeology Advanced Practice,” one of the curriculums, at the Niigata Prefectural Sake Research Institute from December 2023 to February 2024.
As for the name of “Rikka no Mori,” first, the graduate students of the Program submitted 14 proposals, and then 336 students who enrolled in the undergraduate lecture “Sakeology A” voted for the name. Based on the voting results, the name was approved and decided upon by USHIKI Tatsuo, M.D., Ph.D., President of Niigata University.
The label is an original design created by President Ushiki.

The QR code on the label shows a video of the students brewing sake and the analysis of the sake’s aroma components.

https://sake.niigata-u.ac.jp/75thanniversary/
(English version can be accessed from the above link)

This “Rikka no Mori 2024” will be available for tasting at the student-organized “Niigata University Festival -in Furumachi Refuru-” as part of the 75th Anniversary Celebration on November 3.
We look forward to seeing you there.

“Niigata University Festival -in Furumachi Refuru-”
　Date & Time: Sunday, November 3, 2024,   10:00 – 15:00
　　　　(The tasting will end when all the sake has been served)
　Place: Furumachi Refuru Plaza, Furumachi Mall 7
　　　　(7 Bancho, Furumachidori, Chuo-ku, Niigata)

　For more information about the “Niigata University Festival -in Furumachi Refuru-,” click here.
　(The linked website is in Japanese.)

(*) “Rikka no Mori”
Proposer of the name: Mr. KATO Makoto, 2nd-year doctoral program student of the Graduate School Sakeology Program
“Rikka” is another name for a snowflake in Japanese, the emblem of Niigata University, and ”Mori” means a forest in Japanese that evokes green, the school color of Niigata University. “Mori” also has the image of sake because it is associated with the Chinese characters of Du Kang, an ancient Chinese sake brewing master. Thus, I named “Rikka no Mori” after the school emblem, the school color, and sake, as it is Niigata University’s sake.