酒造りに使うお米は、外側が硬く、内側が軟らかいのが理想と言われています。
これを「外硬内軟（がいこうないなん）」といいます。

外側が硬いことで蒸米がつぶれにくく、手にべたつきません。

内側が軟らかいことで、この後振りかける麹菌が米の内側の水分を求めて、内へ内への入り込んでくれます。

今日の蔵の気温は3.5℃。
外気でアツアツの蒸米を冷ましていきます。

冷ましたら、麹を育てる専用のお部屋、「麹室（こうじむろ）」へ。

さあ！米に麹菌を振りかけていきます！

☆ Rice is steamed ☆

The sake rice that becomes “Koji” of “S.tokyo” has been steamed!
That’s too hot!

It is said that rice used for sake brewing is ideally hard on the outside and soft on the inside.
This is called “outside hard, soft inside”.

Because the outside is hard, steamed rice is hard to be crushed and does not stick to hands.

Because the inside is soft, the “koji” mold sprinkled afterwards will seek the moisture inside the rice and enter the inside.

The temperature of Kura today is 4 ℃.
Hot steamed rice cools down with fresh air.

When it cools down, go to the Koji Room, a room dedicated to growing koji.

here we go! Sprinkle koji mold on rice!