Vertical rice polisher (Tategata seimaiki)

A vertical rice polishing machine (tategata seimaiki) is a specialized rice mill used in the sake brewing process. Because sake rice must be polished to a much higher degree than ordinary table rice, special machinery is used. In a vertical rice polisher, the rotating shaft of the roll is installed vertically, which allows the rice to be polished efficiently and evenly. This polishing step removes off-flavors (zatsumi) and is an important task that directly affects the taste of the sake.