Leaving a Secure Career to Follow a New Path

Born in Tokyo in 1971, Seki moved to the former Towa Town (now Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima) 18 years ago.

After graduating from university, he joined Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries as a career bureaucrat. With a stable income and a secure future ahead, he seemed to have everything.

However, after a few years, he began to feel uneasy — as if he were living only within paperwork.

A turning point came when he was seconded to the Towa Town office for two years through a personnel exchange program. There, he discovered a growing desire to work the land himself.

Eventually, together with his wife Naoko, a former colleague, he decided to move to Towa and start farming.

At the age of 35, he left behind his government career and stepped into a completely new life.

A Community Built on Mutual Support

The first field Seki rented had been abandoned for over 20 years. It was once a mulberry field, and to start farming, it needed to be completely reclaimed.

Removing each mulberry tree by hand was exhausting work.

Seeing their struggle, local residents gathered and said, “You shouldn’t do something this hard alone.” They brought in heavy machinery and helped clear the land together.

“This spirit of ‘Yui’ — mutual support — is deeply rooted in Towa,” Seki explains.

He says that the help he received is something he now passes on to newcomers who come to farm in the area.

“Yui” refers to a traditional system where people support each other during labor-intensive times such as planting, harvesting, and community events.

Becoming a Brewer

In his early years as a farmer, Seki worked during winters at Daishichi Sake Brewery, a long-established brewery dating back to the Edo period.

Already a sake lover, he began to dream of making his own alcohol. However, due to regulations, obtaining a sake brewing license proved difficult.

Determined not to give up, he applied instead for a happoshu (low-malt beer) license.

Soon after submitting his application, the Great East Japan Earthquake struck.

A tax office official suggested postponing his plans, but Seki refused. “This is exactly why I have to do it now,” he insisted.

He launched his brewing project under the name “Nanakusa Beer,” using local ingredients such as persimmons, yuzu, and pears.

His beers are unfiltered, allowing the yeast to remain alive, creating rich and expressive flavors.

Building a Winery Together

In 2010, while drinking with local farmers, the idea of revitalizing the town through a new project emerged.

“Why not make wine?” someone suggested.

The idea quickly gained momentum, and in autumn 2012, “Fukushima Farmers Dream Wine Co., Ltd.” was established.

Initially, they began by producing cider using apples that had lost their market value due to post-disaster rumors.

Over time, the winery expanded by planting thousands of vines each year on abandoned farmland.

Their wines gained recognition, appearing in airline magazines and being served on JR East’s luxury train, TRAIN SUITE Shiki-shima.

In 2022, marking the 10th anniversary, Seki stepped back from management and became a supporter, passing leadership to a younger generation.

A Life Enriched by Sake

Seki loves drinking more than almost anything else.

When he drinks, his cheerful personality becomes even more vibrant. Every winter, he gathers friends for private sake brewery tours.

Between working in the fields, he reflects on life while enjoying the beer he has brewed himself.

For him, alcohol is not just a luxury — it connects people and expresses the culture of the land.

His creations carry deep respect and affection for both people and place.