Sake Brands
in Kochi

"Tamanoi" is a brand that Minami Shuzojo has carefully cultivated locally since its founding. The sake name is derived from "Mannen no Izumi" (Spring of Ten Thousand Years), a well said to have been gushing out without drying up since the Edo period, located by the clear stream Yasuda River flowing near the brewery. It uses high-quality underground water from the Yasuda River as brewing water to express its pure taste. Even now, it is deeply loved by locals mainly as a brand for within Kochi Prefecture.

"Narukomai" is a traditional brand of Arisawa that has been loved locally for many years. It was named after the "Naruko" (clappers) essential to the Yosakoi Festival. The lineup includes special Junmai sake, characterized by a refreshing aftertaste while letting you feel the umami of rice. It has a taste that accompanies the local food culture and you won't get tired of drinking.

"Hanaoshiroi" is a brand with a unique personality created by Arisawa. Also written as "花おしろい" (Hanaoshiroi), it expresses the gorgeousness and delicacy derived from Koji, as the name suggests. While strictly observing traditional methods, it is a sake characterized by careful brewing where the craftsman's sensibility shines.

"Shimantoryojo" is a brand created with the image of the atmosphere of the Shimanto River, said to be Japan's last clear stream. It aims for a gentle and soothing taste that makes you feel the rich nature of Shimanto and the emotions of travel. It is a bottle that captures Kochi's nature and travel sentiments, making it a pleasing souvenir.

"Kagamino" is one of the sake brands brewed by Arisawa. It is thought to stem from the place names and climate around Tosayamada-cho, where the brewery is located. It is a local sake with an unpretentious taste, familiar to the locals.

"Doshudamashii" is a sake brewed with "the soul of Tosa (Doshu)," as the name suggests. It is thought to express a powerful and sturdy taste, like the men of Kochi known as "Igosso" (stubborn and spirited men). It is a brand filled with passion, symbolizing the climate and spirituality of Tosa.

"Taira" is one of the sakes produced by Arisawa. Although details are not revealed, it is possible that the name contains a wish for tranquility or peace, or the thoughts of the brewers. It may be aiming for a taste that gives comfort to the drinker.

"Yamada Daiko" is one of the flagship brands representing Matsuo Shuzo. It is brewed using local sake rice "Tosa Nishiki" and "Gin no Yume" and underground water from the Monobe River. It features a fruity aroma reminiscent of melon and banana, and sharp acidity. It is finished with a refreshing and easy-to-drink taste that makes you feel the climate of the local Tosayamada.

"Matsuokina" is a major brand of Matsuo Shuzo born after the war. The name was coined by combining "Okina" from the old brand "Okina Mirin" and the brewery's family name "Matsuo." It also contains wishes for the protection of Matsuo Shrine, which enshrines the god of sake brewing, and for the longevity of the drinker. It is a sake with a sharp taste that inherits the "Tanrei Karakuchi" (light and dry) tradition since its founding.

"Tosa Kikusui" is the flagship brand bearing the name of Kikusui Shuzo. It has the characteristics of "Tanrei Karakuchi" (light and dry) typical of Kochi sake, and its charm lies in its refreshing throat feel and sharpness. Brewed with the famous water of the local Aki City, it is a sake with a taste you will never get tired of drinking.

"Shimantogawa" is a fine sake bearing the name of the Shimanto River, said to be Japan's last clear stream. The blue bottle imaging its clear flow is impressive. Using high-quality water and rice, it is a Junmai Ginjo sake brewed without using any additives, characterized by a refreshing aroma and light taste. You can enjoy a clean mouthfeel that makes you feel the coolness of the Shimanto River.

"Tamagawa" is a traditional brand that Arimitsu Shuzojo has protected since its founding. It uses the clear stream of the Akano River flowing near the brewery as brewing water, with a taste expressing that purity. Loved by the people of the local Aki City for many years, it is familiar as a daily evening drink.

"Akano" is a brand derived from the place name "Akano, Aki City," where Arimitsu Shuzojo is located. Using the water of the local clear stream Akano River as brewing water, it brews fine sake unique to this land. Deeply rooted in the region, it is a simple yet flavorful bottle expressing the local nature and climate.

"Momotaro" is the flagship brand of Fumimoto Shuzo, selected by public competition in the 1970s. It was named after the protagonist of a folktale with the wish that it would be "loved by everyone." Rare for Kochi sake, it is "slightly sweet," characterized by a plump aroma and gentle mouthfeel. It is particularly popular as a taste that is accessible to women and sake beginners.

"Irikoma" is a traditional brand that Fumimoto Shuzo has cherished since its founding. It was the former flagship brand, and products bearing the name are still being made today. It features a profound and deep taste that symbolizes the history and tradition of Fumimoto Shuzo.

"Shimantono" is a brand that shapes the blessings of the Shimanto River and the thoughts of the people living in this land. As the only brewery in Shimanto Town, it expresses the identity of the region. Insisting on locally grown rice and water, it pursues a taste that makes you feel the climate of Shimanto.

"Kirinosato" is a brand named after the climatic features of Shimanto Town, where morning fog often occurs. Using rice and water nurtured in this land with high altitude and temperature differences, it is finished with a delicate and profound taste that makes you imagine the silence and beauty of the foggy village.

"Chiyonobori" is a sake that inherited the brand of the formerly existing Chiyonobori Shuzo Partnership Company. Currently, Mutemuka protects that tradition and brews and sells it as sake from the source area of the Shimanto River. It is a brand that has been loved locally for a long time, with a taste that makes you feel the history and climate of the region.

"Tomiyama" is a community-based brand created in cooperation with farmers in the Tomiyama area of Shimanto City. As raw material rice, it uses 100% of specially cultivated "Gin no Yume" carefully raised using compost in the Tomiyama district. Brewed with underground water from the Shimanto River, it is a bottle filled with the passion of the region and the nature of Shimanto, from rice growing to sake brewing.

"Uchuno Yume" is a romantic sake brewed using "Kochi Space Yeast" that traveled to space. It uses yeast that was transported to the space station by a Russian Soyuz rocket in 2005 and returned after orbiting the earth about 160 times. You can enjoy a dreamy taste where science, romance, and reliable brewing techniques fuse.

"Fujimusume" is the flagship brand bearing the company name of Fujimusume Shuzo, and has been the main brand since its founding. Characterized by a light and dry, refreshing taste, it is loved locally as a daily evening drink. Its high quality is guaranteed, having won the Gold Prize many times at the National New Sake Appraising and Deliberating Fair. It is a mellow and sharp sake nurtured by the underground water of the Shimanto River.

"Hana to Koishite" (In Love with Flowers) is a sake named after the plants and flowers loved by Dr. Tomitaro Makino, a botanist. Brewed by Tsukasabotan Shuzo in Sakawa Town, the doctor's birthplace, it features a gorgeous aroma and light taste. It uses yeast from Kochi Prefecture, and the label is designed with botanical illustrations drawn by the doctor, making it a bottle filled with love for plants.

"Hitobito" is a Junmai sake using sake rice grown by Kazuho Yamashita, an organic farming researcher from Kochi Prefecture. The powerful umami of rice grown without using pesticides or chemical fertilizers fuses with Tsukasabotan's light brewing style. It features a taste that gently permeates the body, as if bottling the blessings of nature as they are.

"Sakurada" is a historic brand said to have been named by Dr. Tomitaro Makino. "Sakura" means cherry blossom, and "Da" represents hanging branches, conveying the meaning of gorgeous and beautiful sake like cherry blossoms in full bloom. It is a sake with a fragrant and elegant taste brewed with traditional techniques.

"Yukiyanagi" is a traditional brand of Nishioka Shuzoten that has been brewed since its founding. It is a daily evening drink that you won't get tired of, characterized by a refreshing mouthfeel and gentle aroma. It is the taste of the brewery's history itself, loved by the people of Kure locally for many years.