Sake Brands
in Fukushima

Nagurayama is a traditional brand loved in Aizu-Wakamatsu since its founding in 1918. Embodying the brewery's pursuit of "beautiful sweetness," it features a balanced taste where the umami of local rice and pure underground spring water melt together. It is a sake where Aizu's history and sincerity live, accompanying a peaceful daily life.

Hirotogawa, named after the old name of the Shakado River, is a highly acclaimed brand leading the modern sake scene. Owner-brewer Hiroyuki Matsuzaki pursues a meticulous process to draw out the ultimate potential of the ingredients. It is characterized by a soft sweetness that spreads the moment you taste it, a surprisingly smooth mouthfeel, and a pleasant aftertaste. Mainly using Ten'ei-grown "Yume-no-Ka" rice, it embodies a unique balance of delicacy and strength. A masterpiece that accompanies food and brings comfort at any time, thrilling many sake enthusiasts.

Aizu Chujo is the flagship brand of Tsurunoe Shuzo, conveying the spirit of the Aizu clan to the present day. Preserving traditional handcrafted methods, it pursues the "gentle umami of rice with warmth." Its mellow aroma and soft mouthfeel, yet with a dignified core, have earned high praise in numerous competitions. It is a leading sake representing Aizu, echoing the dignity of Aizu's samurai culture.

Ninki-Ichi is the flagship brand of Ninki Shuzo, pursuing only handcrafted Ginjo-class sake. Fermented in one of Japan's largest wooden vats made of 100-year-old cedar, it achieves a high-level fusion of deep, complex wood-born flavors and the brilliant aroma of Ginjo. Their commitment to steaming in Japanese cauldrons and bottle-aging creates a pure sweetness free of impurities, with a sophisticated transparency despite being dry. As proven by its selection for the Nobel Peace Prize award banquet and numerous top awards worldwide, its quality is global standard. It delivers Fukushima's proud "ultimate cup" that turns everyday moments into special ones.

Gensai is the pinnacle Daiginjo of Suehiro Shuzo, named after the famous Aizu clan councillor Tanaka Gensai. Crafted with the utmost skills of the Toji and brewers using the finest rice and water, its character features a noble melon-like aroma and a profound richness. Its overwhelming perfection, proven by five consecutive years of Gold Medals, makes it a jewel of a sake that embodies the pride of Aizu.

Hiroki is a modern treasure that has continued to enthuse sake fans across Japan since its 1999 birth. Sweetness, acidity, umami, and crispness resonate in perfect balance, giving fresh surprise and emotion every time one drinks. The representative "Muroka Nama Genshu" is a revolutionary bottle sealing the juicy energy of rice. It is an ongoing legend embodying the "King of the Road" of sake.

Bandaiho is a traditional brand that has stayed close to the local people since its 1765 founding. Using underflow from Mount Myojingatake and Aizu rice, it conveys the warmth of good old manual brewing to the present. Its name encompasses the wish "to be an eternally fragrant sake," acting as the original landscape of life in Aizu Misato, gently coloring the family dining table.

Aizu Yoshinogawa is a brand filled with astonishing community love, with 98% of its sales being in the local Kitakata area. It boasts high-level skills as a regular Gold Medal winner in the National New Sake Awards, putting in selfless effort comparable to Daiginjo and using 100% handmade koji. The taste features rice sweetness and umami with a transparent aftertaste reminiscent of pure water. It is a gem of a sake that richly colors the daily life of Kitakata, where locals take pride in saying "This is our sake," brewing true local pride.

Hanaharu is a traditional brand that has walked alongside Aizu's history since its founding in 1718. As the representative "face" of Aizu, it pursues a "slightly dry" taste with transparency that leverages the original umami of rice. It pairs perfectly with Aizu's local cuisine and has won numerous top awards in competitions both at home and abroad. It is an immortal sake that combines brilliance and purity, like a flower announcing spring to Aizu.

Okunomatsu is the brewery's flagship global brand, brewed with subterranean water from Mount Adatara and carefully selected brewing rice. Its flavor, which won the title of "World's Best" at the IWC, features overwhelming balance and freshness created by the fusion of traditional handcrafting and pasteurization technology using state-of-the-art pasteurizers. Its perfection as a food sake that complements any dish, along with sophisticated umami recognizable in a single sip, is loved worldwide as a new standard for Japanese sake.

Roman is a premium brand carrying the soul of Hanaizumi Shuzo, named after the brewers' pure passion that "Brewing is a romance." Characterized by a silky-smooth mouthfeel and a deep, gentle umami produced by the traditional "Mochigome Yondan" (sticky rice 4-stage brewing). Fruit aromas and refined acidity harmonize, creating a dramatic resonance even in the aftertaste. It is a supreme series embodying the pride and romance of Minami-Aizu.

Abukuma is the flagship brand of Genba Honten, named after the rich nature of the Abukuma region where the brewery is located. It embodies the ideal of a "never-tiring food-pairing sake" pursued by owner-brewer Yujiro Genba. A pleasant harmony is found between the swelling rice umami characteristic of local "Yume-no-Ka" and the soft mouthfeel born from Abukuma's underground water. Reliant on essential quality rather than flashy aromas, its balanced nature straightly draws out the materials' goodness, becoming a regional pride that subtly yet richly colors the daily table.

Tajima is a community-rooted brand bearing the local place name, empathizing with the terroir of Minami-Aizu. The mellow mouthfeel of 100% underground water and the simple yet powerful umami of Minami-Aizu rice melt together, a cup that sings of gratitude for the land's bounty.

Azuma Toyokuni is the traditional brand of Toyokuni Shuzo, protected since its founding in the Tenpo era. For over 200 years, it has stayed close to the joys and sorrows of the people in Furudono Town, deeply loved as the "taste of the hometown." It features a soft, deep-hearted flavor where rice umami and gentle sweetness harmonize. It is a dignified drop backed by the certain peace of mind from traditional handwork and gold-medal-winning skills.

Miharukoma is the flagship brand of the brewery, named after the traditional wooden horse craft of Miharu Town. Its solid quality is proven by many gold medals at the National New Sake Awards. It features balanced, high-quality umami and a sharp finish, highlighting Nanbu Toji skills. Worthy of the name Miharukoma, which symbolizes an indomitable spirit, it is a cup where regional pride and tradition breathe.

Sasamasamune is a traditional prestigious brand embodying the aspiration "To create the real thing," inherited since 1818. Rejecting excessive modernization and brewed slowly and carefully, its quality features a sincere umami that warms the heart. This dignified taste, which once captivated the US President, is loved across generations and stands as an unwavering masterpiece that continues to lead the Kitakata sake boom.

Kinsuisho is the flagship brand of tradition protected as the only one in Fukushima City. It features a sharp and high-aroma flavor created by brewing with pure hard water from the Arakawa River. This water, boasting top-class quality in Japan, brings out the maximum umami of Fukushima rice like "Yume-no-Ka" and "Fuku-no-Ka," creating a fresh yet solid profile. Aiming to be the "ultimate food-pairing sake" for any dish, it pursues a balance of gentle mouthfeel and crisp acidity. It is a proud cup that stays close to the hearts of Fukushima lovers and continues to walk with the community.

Gakki Masamune is a brand carrying the passion of Oki Daikichi Honten, originating from an era when a court musician praised that "Brewing and musical performance are both offerings to the gods." Revived with a modern touch by the 5th generation Yuta Oki, it gained sudden limelight as a "rich and transparent Honjozo" that defies common sense. Using pesticide-free rice, its quality—where the sweetness of koji and the brilliance of yeast harmonize exquisitely—delivers a beautiful rhythm and joy as if playing a musical instrument.

Yauemon is the soul of Yamatogawa Shuzoten, inheriting the passion and skills of the founder since 1790. Brewed through an integrated process starting from rice cultivation at their own farm, its sake features a sincere taste where the powerful life force of rice resides. In particular, the Junmai Dry is highly acclaimed as a skilled sake whose umami blossoms even further when warmed. It is a masterpiece that Kitakata takes pride in, continuing to promote Aizu's terroir both domestically and internationally.

Kokken is a dignified brand symbolizing the pride of Minami-Aizu, continuing since 1877. As evidenced by its record of 12 consecutive Gold Medals, its quality is extremely stable and praised for having "no failures." The meticulous skills of the Nanbu Toji sublimate Oku-Aizu's pure water and rice into a dry yet deep umami. It is a masterpiece representing Aizu's local sake world, adding a quiet dignity to any dish.

Aizu Homare is an immortal prestigious brand that made Aizu's pride known to the world, notably selected as an official gift at the Ise-Shima Summit. The taste woven from Mount Iide spring water and strictly selected rice combines overwhelming dignity and power. Boasting a high level of perfection that enchants every drinker from standard sake to supreme Daiginjo, it is a treasure of Japanese sake that continues to inherit the orthodoxy of Kitakata's traditional sake culture.

Kaito Otokoyama is an orthodox brand bearing the name of the third-generation Harumasa, who rewrote history over 300 years since 1716. Polished in the severe cold of Minami-Aizu, its quality features a clear drinking profile without hesitation, perfectly harmonized with powerful rice umami. Possessing a style like a samurai unfettered by the times, it is an ultimate cup where the weight of history resides, conveying Minami-Aizu's harsh nature and traditions to the present.

Issho Seishun (Always Youth) is a brand entrusting the brewery's decision to brew by their own hands to the desire of "continuing new challenges no matter how old one is." The brilliant aroma and dignified mouthfeel bestow young vitality to the drinker's heart. It is the starting point of Akebono Shuzo, which never rests on tradition and always pursues the highest quality.

Aizu Ryugasawa is a limited brand born from reverence for Mount Bandai's "Dragon God Legend" and the rich spring water groups. Its true value lies in its fresh and dynamic quality, letting one directly feel the bounty of the western Bandai foothills. It is a new-era Aizu local sake where dragon-like power and water's purity melt together.