Breweries
Katsuyama
Founded in 1688 in Sendai, the Date clan is the only surviving clan in the castle town of Date Masamune. Over 320 years old, Katsuyama Sake Brewery is located in a granary area centred on rice, and the spring water from Izumigatake is pumped from a deep well and used for Katsuyama. The soft and clean water quality is suitable for sake brewing, containing a lot of natural silica, which is a beauty ingredient. Katsuyama specializes in pure rice sake prepared one tank a week. A luxurious method but necessary to produce the quality sake the brewery desired. It goes well with various dishes and you can enjoy various ways of drinking sake.
View CollectionNiizawa
Niizawa-san, the 5th generation President and Touji of the company founded in 1873, had a vision to create an "ultimate food sake" – the Hakurakusei series. Unlike premium sake of the time, Niizawa-san was crafting for restraint and clean acidity to match with food, taking inspiration from the ancient Chinese story of Hakuraku, the god who could pick the best horse at a glance. Initially, the response was gradual. However, over time Niizawa-san's elegant food sake gained traction, winning top awards at the most prestigious tasting competitions and being selected to serve in Japan Airlines' business and first classes.
Chiyo
Chiyo Sake Brewery, located in Kushira, which is rich in natural wonders, takes advantage of the underground water from Mt. Katsuragi and the fortuitous land conditions. Established in 1873, they moved to their current location in the southwest region of the Nara basin near the Shinomine mountain range in 1902. Their meigara, produced in limited quantities, are highly sought after due to their excellent quality.
Fukurokuju
Founded in Gojome-machi, Akita, in 1688, Fukurokuju Brewery has become renowned for its use of local ingredients, having formed close alliances with the local rice farmers. Consequently, the Ippaku Suisei brand was introduced in 2006 and rapidly rose to become one of the most popular drinks in the market. This success can be attributed to their medium-hard well water, which gives the sake a crisp, smooth finish.
Hamakawa
Originally located in the remote village of Tano in Kochi, the Hamakawa Brewery's sake, Bijofu, has become well-known in Japan and internationally for its clear, clean, and well-defined taste. The brewery is situated between the Pacific Ocean and the soaring mountains, spanning a half-mile of land.
Hatsukame
Established in 1636, the oldest sake brewery in Shizuoka Prefecture, the "Ginjo Kingdom", the locally-made "Junmai Daiginjo Kame" created a stir with its price and quality and was awarded numerous gold medals in 1967, making it famous throughout the country.
Isojiman
Isojiman Shuzo was founded in Yaizu City, Shizuoka Prefecture in 1830. In those days, it was common for major landowners and heads of villages to use their land to collect/transport the annual rice tax, and to produce sake as an alternate job during the off-season. After WW2, many breweries were closed and only a few survived, especially those who worked with major manufactures to buy and blend sake under their own brands.
Miyaizumi
Raifuku
For three centuries, Raifuku Brewery was located in the Ibaraki prefecture of the Kanto region, just north of Tokyo. They use very pure water from the Tsukuba mountains and specialize in developing yeast from flowers called "Hanakobo" (Hana for flowers, kobo for yeast). These different species of flowers produce a wide range of yeasts that enable the production of unusual and distinct flavor sakes.
Sumikawa
With a history dating to 1921, Sumikawa Shuzo is one of the younger sake breweries in the country, The brewery is emblematic of the new generation of sake makers who have inherited small family businesses making simple sake for local consumption and transformed them into producers of stunning Sumikawa Brewery Sake with defined personalities.
Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten
Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten, Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture. Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten Brewery was created by Seizaburo Shimizu in 1869. The clear water from the local Suzuka mountains and the rich resources of good rice from the Ise fields created the perfect conditions for establishing a sake brewery.
Matsuse
"Matsuse Sake Brewery" has produced many famous sakes and has now become a sake brewery that represents Shiga Prefecture. For sake brewing, the subsoil water of the Aichi River in the Suzuka mountain range, which flows under a large bedrock 120 meters underground, is used as water for brewing sake. Matsuse Sake Brewery's sake is characterized by its fresh, refreshing taste and overflowing with delicate umami. In addition, it has a dignified dignity and a deep taste that attracts people, is known nationwide, but it is a brand that boasts tremendous popularity in the Kansai region, mainly in Shiga Prefecture.