Why did we have to get up so early, our small group bleated when we saw that our visits to breweries in Hiroshima in January had us needing to be at the brewery no later than 9am? The brewery staff would have scoffed at the idea that getting up at 7 am was early because they’d already be washed, dressed and eating their breakfast in order to be ready for this vital stage in the sake-making process. Time was when the Kamaya would get up at 3am to stoke the boiler, so rising at 6am to switch on the heater is almost a lie-in for him.