Sake Brands
in Chiba
Uhei
卯兵衛"Uhei" is a brand bearing the name of the founder, Uhei Ishige. It is a Junmai Ginjo polished to 55% using sake-brewing suitable rice "Fusa no Mai" developed by Chiba Prefecture, characterized by a smooth texture and gentle aroma. It maximizes the charm of Chiba Prefecture's sake rice and embodies the attitude of sake brewing that values regional characteristics. It is a flavorful bottle where the founder's passion and the region's blessings are fused.
Kozen
糀善"Kozen" is a sake brand derived from "Kojiya," the trade name of Baba Honten Shuzo. Available in Ginjo and Honjozo varieties, it is brewed while stubbornly protecting methods transmitted from ancient times. It features a traditional taste that conveys the history of sake brewing and Sawara's Suigo culture to the present. It pairs well with meals, can be enjoyed cold or warmed, and is a brand with a sake quality that you never tire of drinking.
Suigo Sakari
すいごうさかり"Suigo Sakari" is a brand bearing the name of the rich climate of Suigo, Sawara. The lineup, including Junmai Sake, Junmai Ginjo, and Junmai Genshu, values the umami of rice. Utilizing the blessings of Sawara's high-quality water and rice, it embodies the tradition of sake brewing unique to the Suigo area. With a gentle and calm aroma harmonized with the original full-bodied taste of rice, it is a friendly sake suitable for daily evening drinks.
Sawara Bayashi
佐原ばやし"Sawara Bayashi" is a Honjozo sake named after the "Sawara Bayashi" music played at the Grand Festival of Sawara. It is highly rated for its soft and easy-to-drink mouthfeel without the stinging sensation peculiar to alcohol. Deeply linked to the local festival culture of Sawara, it has a friendly taste loved by the community. It can be enjoyed in a wide range of temperatures from cold to warmed, and is also ideal as a food sake that brings out the taste of dishes.
Choshi no Homare
銚子の誉"Choshi no Homare" is a brand named by playing on the words "choshi" (sake server) and the place name "Choshi." Brewed using mineral-rich well water and sake rice from Chiba Prefecture with the skills of Nanbu Toji. The standard sake features a light mouthfeel, mildness, and a refreshing medium taste without quirks, an all-mighty taste that is liked by everyone. With suppressed aroma and specialized in umami, you can enjoy the unique taste peculiar to the easternmost brewery in Kanto.
Gankomono
がんこ者"Gankomono" was a brand brewed by Iida Shuzojo. The brewery has closed, and it is no longer produced.
Tokumei
徳明"Tokumei" was a brand brewed by Iida Shuzojo. The brewery has closed, and it is no longer produced.
Shocho
祥兆"Shocho" is the flagship brand of Kobayashi Shuzojo, named with a congratulatory meaning of a sign of good luck, and also by punning "Cho" of Choshi and "Cho" of omen. It features drinkability that is accepted by everyone; for example, even the Honjozo Genshu with the highest alcohol content has a gentle mouthfeel and soft sweetness, making it popular among women. The Daiginjo uses Hattan Nishiki rice polished to 50% and has a rich taste amidst a faint aroma. The Junmai Sake is brewed by hand and has a profound and broad taste, an exquisite item that is also delicious when drunk cold.
Daigo no Shizuku
醍醐のしずく"Daigo no Shizuku" is a sake that recreates in the present day the ancient brewing method "Bodaimoto," said to have been born at Shoryaku-ji Temple over a thousand years ago. It adopts a production method that can be said to be the origin of sake brewing, using wooden barrels and brewing with the power of natural lactic acid bacteria and wild yeast. It is characterized by rich sweetness and acidity, a unique taste that sets it apart from general sake. The thick mouthfeel is a luxurious item worthy of the name "Daigo(mi)."
Musuhi
むすひ"Musuhi" is a rare sprouted brown rice sake made from 100% completely pesticide-free sprouted brown rice. The greatest feature is that the taste changes daily because living yeast and microorganisms continue to be active even after bottling. It has a unique acidity and effervescence, and is so full of vitality that it may bubble over when opened. It is a one-of-a-kind sake where you can directly feel the spirit of ancient sake brewing and the energy of nature.
Gonin Musume
五人娘"Gonin Musume" is the first brand produced when Terada Honke started natural sake brewing. It was named because there used to be many daughters in the brewery. Using pesticide-free rice, it is brewed only with the power of nature without using any additives. It features natural and gentle sweetness like honey, a rich and full-bodied taste, and a round and soft acidity. It is the representative brand that most symbolizes Terada Honke's philosophy of natural sake brewing.
Katori
香取"Katori" is the most historic brand of Terada Honke, named after the local Katori Shrine. Adopting the traditional Kimoto method, it is brewed with low-polished rice with a polishing ratio of 80-90%. This allows you to enjoy the original powerful umami and body of rice, and sturdy acidity, close to the sake brewing of the Edo period. The unadorned, rustic, and bold taste is a connoisseur's sake that further demonstrates its charm when warmed.
Yachiyo Zakura
八千代桜"Yachiyo Zakura" is a special Junmai sake made using 100% "Fusa Kogane," a suitable rice for sake brewing grown with care by the Yonemoto Agricultural Producers' Cooperative Corporation in Yachiyo City, Chiba Prefecture. It is a brand of local production for local consumption created in collaboration between Nabedana and regional agriculture. New sake is released from October every year, allowing you to enjoy the umami of rice and a fresh taste. It is a warm bottle filled with regional bonds and harvest.
Sobe
惣兵衛"Sobe" is the flagship brand named after Sobe Hirayama, the second generation head of Iida Honke. Using "Fusa no Mai," a sake rice harvested in the local Katori City, it is brewed by hand with the management and employees working together as one. It features a "Tanrei Umakuchi" (light and savory) taste where you can feel the solid umami of rice and moderate body even while being light. It has a sharpness that you won't get tired of drinking, making it ideal as a sake to accompany meals.
Ohime
大姫"Ohime" is a historic brand of Iida Honke, named by combining the initials of Omiya Shrine and Himemiya Shrine, which are worshipped locally. It is loved as a brand exclusive to this region. Distinguishing itself from general light and dry sake, it features a taste that balances a solid body and sharpness. Brewed by hand under the leadership of the management without a dedicated Toji, this sake has a powerful taste that reflects the passion and personality of the brewers.
Shinmei
神明"Shinmei" is a brand derived from the local Shinmei Shrine. It features a gentle aroma and a slightly rich and dry taste. It has few off-flavors, and while you can feel the rich umami of rice, the aftertaste is refreshing and sharp. The quality is stable, and it has a strong core that does not collapse even when warmed. It is a rare local sake that is hardly distributed even in the local Tonocho Town, a phantom brand that is practically only available at the brewery.
Adumahime
東姫Hana Ichimonme
花いちもんめ"Hana Ichimonme" is the flagship brand of Hana no Tomo. The Special Junmai Sake is made with rice polished to 60%, expressing the umami of rice straight with a polishing ratio comparable to Ginjo Sake. It has a Tanrei Karakuchi (light and dry) taste with a soft mouthfeel and a lingering full finish. In addition, the Honjozo Genshu with an alcohol content of 19% has a rich and powerful flavor, and the Daiginjo Sake offers an exquisite balance of flavor and aroma.
OCEAN99
OCEAN99"OCEAN99" is a series themed on the seasonal scenes of Kujukuri Beach, which spreads out right in front of the brewery. It expresses the changing seasons with sake quality and labels, such as "Kukai -Inflight-" (early summer), "Seikai -Summer Sea-" (summer), "Tokai -Arrival-" (autumn), and "Hakuginkai -Snow Sea-" (winter). It is a modern and stylish sake characterized by a fresh fruit-like aroma, lively gas feeling derived from fermentation, and juicy and clear umami.
Hikari Onimai
光鬼舞"Hikari Onimai" is a carefully crafted Junmai Sake brewed using only local Koshihikari rice polished to 60%. Using high-quality water like snowmelt, it is fermented slowly over time at low temperatures, similar to Ginjo Sake. This results in a clean taste with high aroma and no off-flavors, while bringing out the umami of the rice.
Sasamidori
篠緑"Sasamidori" is a traditional brand of Aoyagi Shuzo that has been cherished for a long time in Sasamoto, Yokoshibahikari Town, which is blessed with a warm climate and high-quality water. It is drunk with love by local people as a local sake that inherits the rich nature and history of the region.
Maizakura
舞桜"Maizakura" is a local sake born from a commitment to Chiba Prefecture rice and cooperation with local farmers. Under the simple yet powerful philosophy of "brewing with Chiba rice and selling in Chiba," it cherishes the taste woven by local rice, water, and people. It is a brand that values interaction with drinkers, actively engaging in activities open to the community such as brewery tours, original label creation, and spring brewery concerts.
Fujinotomo
富士乃友"Fujinotomo" is the flagship brand of Miyazaki Honke, named with the meaning of "peerless friend" (Fuji no Tomo) or "unique best friend," playing on the name of the sacred mountain Fuji. It develops a diverse lineup such as Ginjo sake with full aroma and clean umami, Junmai Ginjo with a light throat feel, and Tokubetsu Honjozo and Junmai sake with rich body. All of them have a friendly taste that becomes a good friend to the drinker.
Kichiju
吉寿"Kichiju" is the flagship brand of Yoshizaki Shuzo, the oldest brewery in Chiba Prefecture. It is carefully brewed using "Kururi Water," one of the "Top 100 Famous Waters of the Heisei Era" that springs up in Kururi, the "Village of Famous Water," and carefully selected sake rice. It features a soft and gentle mouthfeel created by high-quality water pumped from deep underground. It is a taste loved by many people that you won't get tired of drinking.
Gekka
月華"Gekka" is a Daiginjo Sake made by polishing Yamada Nishiki from Hyogo Prefecture to 40%. The fruity and gorgeous aroma harmonizes with the refined taste created by Kururi's famous water. The clean, refreshing, and elegant slightly dry taste is ideal as an aperitif. It is a supreme bottle brewed by the oldest brewery in Chiba Prefecture.