KANUMA, Tochigi -- A group of third-year high school students as part of a class project produced their first-ever sake with the help of local businesses, which was sold at a supermarket in this east Japan city.

Sake made by students from the crop club at Tochigi Prefectural Kanuma Minami High School's food production department was sold at the Yaohan Azumacho store in the city of Kanuma, Tochigi Prefecture, on Jan. 21. The limited-edition sake, with only 100 bottles available, sold out quickly through reservations, and plans for a second batch of production have already been decided. The students, who are set to receive their bottles once they reach the legal drinking age at 20, are eagerly looking forward to tasting it.

The sake-making project was initiated by Ichizo Kobayashi, president of the Kobayashi Jozo brewery, which revived sake brewing in the city after 37 years. His aim was to "create a sake that highlights the students' efforts and one that they can drink for the first time after they turn 20."

The project began when the students were in their second year. They were involved in the process of cultivating the sake rice, brewing, naming the sake, designing the label and handling sales. In addition to Kobayashi Jozo, a local printing company, wholesaler and retailer also worked together on the project.

It was the first time for crop club members to grow the sake rice variety "Yamada Nishiki." The students took extra care to ensure the plants remained upright, as it has large grains and tall stalks compared to rice they regularly grow. They apparently put a lot of effort into cultivating and harvesting the rice, such as weeding amid the scorching summer heat.

The sake brewing process also involved the students in making the koji yeast for fermentation. The product was named "Kanan Nishiki," a combination of "Kanan," short for Kanuma Minami High School, and "Yamada Nishiki." The students also created the label design, flyers, product displays and promotional materials for the sales event.

One of the students, Kurara Saotome, excitedly told the Mainichi Shimbun, "I love the color pink, so I asked for it to be included in the bottle design. We also had a class about how food and drink pair together, so once I can drink the sake, I'm excited to see what foods it goes well with." Noriko Matsushita, the teacher in charge of the project, smiled and said, "Thanks to the students' hard work and the support of the local community, we were able to have a wonderful experience."

(Japanese original by Manami Matsuzawa, Utsunomiya Bureau)