A quake-hit Japanese sake brewery in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, has begun its production at a facility borrowed from another brewery.

Matsunami Brewery in Noto Town suffered heavy damage in the massive quake that struck on New Year's Day. Its production facility collapsed, but about three tons of its rice inventory, the main material for brewing, escaped the damage.

Kaetsu Brewery in Komatsu City, southern Ishikawa, offered Matsunami to bring the rice to its facility and produce sake there.

The production process began at full scale on Tuesday. Kinshichi Seiko, the seventh-generation heir to the family that founded Matsunami Brewery, was at the factory.

The process of cleansing the rice and soaking it in water was ongoing. Kinshichi used a watch to ensure that the rice is taken out from specialized equipment at the right time.

The company says its new sake is expected to go on the market in early April. Kinshichi said she hopes to deliver the brewery's sake this year again to people in her home town and other places. She said she feels invigorated when she uses her mind and moves her body at the factory after having spent a long period living in a shelter.

Kaetsu Brewery says it is ready to accept rice from other quake-hit brewers and let them use its facility. The company's chief brewer, Okuda Kazumasa, said it is not certain whether the producers from Noto can reproduce the exact taste of their sake because the water in Komatsu is different. He added that he wants to do his best to help them create the taste they want.