Sake Brands
in Ibaraki

"Botan Masamune" is a brand named with the aim of being a sake with elegance and gorgeousness like the peony flower, the king of all flowers, as the name suggests. Using high-quality underground water from the Tone River system and carefully selected rice, it is brewed carefully by hand. It features a rich scent that spreads when you put it in your mouth and a plump and mellow taste, finishing in a sake quality that you will never tire of drinking. In local Ryugasaki, it is also useful for celebratory occasions and gifts, and continues to be loved for a long time as a sake that adds color to the lives of the people in the region.

"Kimibandai" is a historic brand named after offering the well water of the brewery when Emperor Meiji visited. It contains the wish that "the monarch (monarch/nation) will continue for ten thousand years." Using high-quality underground water from the Tone River system and contract cultivation rice "Nihonbare" with local farmers, it is brewed with traditional handmade methods. It features the umami of rice and gorgeous flavor even within the refreshing dryness. It is also ideal as a sake during meals, and can be enjoyed in a wide range of temperature zones from cold sake to hot sake. It is a genuine taste that you will never tire of, nurtured by 370 years of history.

"Kinmon" is the representative brand of Kinmon Shuzo, derived from the name "Kinzaemon" inherited by successive brewery owners. It contains the wish to be a sake loved by everyone in the region. Using high-quality water from the Tone River system as brewing water, it is brewed carefully by hand. It features a fruity and mellow mouthfeel and a taste that harmonizes with the umami of rice. With a versatile sake quality that can be enjoyed in a wide range of temperature zones from cold sake to hot sake, it is familiar as a local sake essential for daily evening drinks and local gatherings.

"Yawara Sanmangoku" is a community-based Junmai sake born from a regional cooperation project with Tsukubamirai City (formerly Yawara Village). Using 100% sake rice "Gohyakumangoku" nurtured in the rich earth of Tsukubamirai City, Takemura Shuzoten brewed it with sincerity. It features a plump and rich taste where the umami of rice can be felt firmly. As a local specialty, it is loved by locals and is also popular as a return gift for hometown tax donation.

"Fujiryu" is the oldest traditional brand that has walked with the history of Takemura Shuzoten. The 7th head of the family named it by combining "Mt. Fuji," the symbol of Japan, and "Dragon," the symbol of strength. It has been familiar for many years as a daily evening drink centered on local Joso City. It features a refreshing taste that you will never tire of drinking, utilizing the original umami of rice. While staying close to changes in the times, it is a sake that can be said to be the origin of Takemura Shuzoten, continuing to protect the unchanging traditional taste.

"Kyo no Yume" is the flagship brand representing Takemura Shuzoten. It is an elegant brand with a literary origin, named from the essay "Kyo no Yume Osaka no Yume" after the 8th head of the family consulted with the great writer Junichiro Tanizaki. Expanding widely from Junmai sake to Daiginjo sake, it is brewed carefully using high-quality sake rice and water. It features an elegant mouthfeel where a rich scent and a deep taste harmonize even while being light and smooth. As a brand loved by sake fans widely as well as in local Ibaraki, it carries the signboard of Takemura Shuzoten.

"Ruri" is a premium brand newly established in 1991 (Heisei 3) that pursues particularly high quality among Takemura Shuzoten products. It was named after the gemstone Lapis Lazuli (Ruri). It is brewed without sparing time and effort, such as highly polishing carefully selected sake rice and fermenting slowly at low temperature. It features a gorgeous and elegant scent and a transparent and sophisticated taste. It is also popular as a gift, and is attracting attention as a sake that colors special days and as a brand symbolizing the new challenge of Takemura Shuzoten.

"Judai" is a brand that Aoki Shuzo brews for local Koga. While "Gokeiji" is a special sake suitable for celebratory occasions, it was named with the aim of being a sake that can be enjoyed more on a daily basis. It features a refreshing taste that you will never tire of drinking, close to the daily evening drinks of the locals. As a brewery rooted in the region, it is a simple and warm local sake that has walked with the food culture and life of Koga.

"Gokeiji" is the representative brand of Aoki Shuzo, meaning "the greatest joy" just as the name implies. It was named by the 3rd head of the family in commemoration of the wedding of Emperor Taisho. While inheriting the tradition since its establishment, they incorporate modern technology and pursue high-quality sake brewing. Junmai Ginjo using Ibaraki's sake brewing suitable rice "Hitachi Nishiki" has received high praise for its gorgeous scent and plump taste. It is familiar not only as a sake that colors the seat of celebration but also as a sake during meals that enhances the meal.

"Nisai no Kamoshi" is a project brand launched in 2014 by Chisa Aoki, Managing Director and Master Brewer of "Aoki Shuzo," with the desire to "convey the charm of sake to young people in their 20s." The brand name is derived from "Nisai (Two-year-old fish)," which is a success fish of the blue fish "Mullet," and contains the wish that young people will grow and succeed. Every year, young people in their 20s participate in sake brewing, creating a unique taste for that year. The fresh and juicy taste characterized by acidity is a sake quality that is easy to get close to for sake beginners and the younger generation.

"Toku Masamune" is a local sake that has been loved by people in the region since its establishment in Ansei 2 as the representative brand of Hagiwara Shuzo. It was named after "Sake Toku" in a Chinese historical event. Using the mellow water of the Tone River system as brewing water, it is brewed with rice from local Ibaraki and traditional skills. It features a rich scent and a rich taste where the umami of rice can be felt firmly. As a sake that accompanies various scenes of life from daily evening drinks to sunny days, it is rooted in the food culture of Sakai Town.

"Shuroku" is a brand that was once brewed by Otsuka Shuzo. Meaning "excellent green," it was familiar as a sake nurtured in the nature-rich land of Bando. Currently, it remains as the name of a tourist facility, honoring its historical value and contribution to the region. Also, thanks to local enthusiasm, a reprinted version is brewed by Raifuku Shuzo, making it a rare brand that continues to be loved by people in the region even after the closure.

"Buyu" is the only brand of Buyu that continues to be loved in the land of Yuki. Beyond the framework of dry and clear (Tanrei Karakuchi), it features a sake quality that emphasizes umami and richness due to aging. They practice careful brewing by hand, such as highly polishing carefully selected sake brewing suitable rice and using the box koji method (Hako Koji Ho) for koji making. From the taste that is clear when chilled to the mellow umami that spreads when warmed, it is a sake during meals that you will never tire of drinking, showing various expressions depending on the temperature range.

"Tsumugi Musume" is a traditional brand of Yuki Shuzo that has been loved for many years in the land of Yuki, known for Yuki Tsumugi. It is light and easy to drink, and is loved as a local sake essential for the evening drinks of local people. Overcoming the damage caused by the fire, they are currently protecting its taste through consignment brewing and other means. It features a delicate and warm taste like Yuki Tsumugi.

"Fukufuku" is a historic brand that has continued since the founding of Yuki Shuzo. It contains the wish that "Wealth (Fuku)" and "Fortune (Fuku)" will continue for a long time (Hisashiku). Currently, the "Yui" brand is the mainstay, but Fukufuku is supported by strong local fans and continues to protect the traditional taste. It features an old-fashioned rich taste where you can firmly feel the umami of rice.

"Yui" is a brand launched by Michiko Urasato, a young female master brewer of Yuki Shuzo. Just as the character implies connecting "Good Fortune (Kichi)" with "Thread (Ito)," it contains the wish to connect people with people and the region with people through sake. Although they suffered the difficulty of the brewery being destroyed by fire in 2022, they are currently continuing sake brewing with the cooperation of Michizakura Shuzo in Hokkaido and Raifuku Shuzo in Ibaraki Prefecture. It features a plump taste and beautiful acidity, and is a sake of hope that continues to evolve even in adversity.

"Sakuragawa" is a brand that was once brewed by Horikawa Shuzoten. It was named after the cherry blossoms of Sakuragawa, which is also known as the stage for Noh songs and Kabuki. Using local rice and water, it was familiar as a sake that reflected the climate of this land. Although it has now become a phantom brand, its name has been handed down along with the history of Sakuragawa City.

"Tokai" is the representative brand of Muto Shurui Jozo that has been loved in the land of Kasama since the Edo period. It was named with the image of the rising morning sun vigorously, like "Kyokujitsu Shoten (Rising Sun)." Currently, the traditional taste is protected by consignment brewing at Meiri Shurui. Also known as the sacred sake (Omiki) of Kasama Inari Shrine, it features a taste where you can feel the umami of rice even in a refreshing dry taste.

"Futabasan Matsumidori" is the representative brand of Sasame Sobe Shoten, also known as the sacred sake of Kasama Inari Shrine. It is an auspicious name derived from Mount Futaba, located in the mountain range connecting the Nikko mountain range and Mount Tsukuba, and the lush green pines. Using the underground water of Mount Sashiro, it features "Harmony of Five Tastes" where sweetness, dryness, acidity, bitterness, and astringency are harmonious. It is a local sake with a deep taste that you will never tire of drinking, making you feel the history and tradition of Kasama.

"Inasato" is a brand used since the founding, derived from the place name "Inada" where the brewery is located. "Inada" is named after the fact that it was originally called "Ina no Sato (Village of Rice)." It is a brand that embodies "Sake that tastes and smells like rice, sake that is like sake" aimed by Isokura Shuzo. As sake that accompanies the daily lives of local people, it continues to be loved during festivals and at the daily dining table.