Sake Brands
in Kyoto

"Sho Chiku Bai" is Takara Shuzo's representative sake brand, named after pine, bamboo, and plum, which are symbols of celebrations. Leveraging the rich fermentation power of brewery-attached yeast, the expanding umami of rice and smooth mouthfeel are exquisitely harmonized. Long loved as the "Sake of Joy," it boasts high perfection that can be enjoyed deliciously at any temperature from cold to warm. As a national brand that nestles close to the Japanese lifestyle and delivers smiles and satisfaction to the dining table, it is an orthodox yet friendly choice.

"Gokai" is a brand within the Sho Chiku Bai brand that especially pursues "Dryness" (Karakuchi) with outstanding drinkability. Its greatest features are its dignified, clean throat-feel and the vivid finish the moment you take a sip, allowing for hearty enjoyment in any situation. Specifically, the flavor expansion when served as hot sake is magnificent; warming it further enhances the umami unique to dry sake and provides deep satisfaction. Possessing the strength to handle fatty dishes as well, it is a bottle chosen by many sake aficionados as an indispensable companion for evening drinks.

"Sho Chiku Bai Ten" is a sake that achieves both plump umami and a clean aftertaste at a high level through the uniquely developed "Two-stage Yeast Brewing." This technology, pursuing both richness and finish simultaneously, realizes a balanced taste that goes well with any dish, enriching daily evening drinks. Combining reliable quality and approachability, it is loved in many households across generations as a delicious sake that nestles close to daily life. Adding modern wisdom to traditional techniques, it is a long-selling brand of peace and satisfaction that delivers comfortable moments.

"Sho Chiku Bai Subaru" is a gem of a brand that brings together Takara Shuzo's technical strength, featuring a gorgeous aroma and mellow taste. Using carefully selected sake rice and brewed with unique low-temperature fermentation technology, the sake boasts perfection worthy of the name "Subaru" (the Pleiades), emitting a dignified radiance. Leveraging Fushimi's soft water, the fine and mellow mouthfeel elegantly presents the dining table on special occasions. The combination of refined aroma and deep richness provides the drinker with luxurious satisfaction, as a masterpiece of the Sho Chiku Bai brand.

"Haneda" is the fundamental brand of Haneda Shuzo, bearing the brewery's name. Using rice from Kyoto, the cold air of Kitayama reminiscent of harsh winters, and medium-hard water from the upper Katsura River, it brings out a crisp taste. As a local sake closely tied to the daily life of Keihoku, it features a simple yet core-driven deliciousness that one never tires of drinking. While maintaining traditional methods, it is a bottle long loved by local people as a supporting role that subtly colors the dining table.

"Datto" is a challenging limited brand from Haneda Shuzo for sake aficionados nationwide. Named after Sun Tzu's "At first like a maiden, then like a fleeing rabbit," its charm lies in the dramatic flavor change from a quiet mouthfeel to a dynamic finish. Committed to using 100% Kyoto-grown rice, the powerful fermentation brought by Kitayama's medium-hard water makes the balance of clean acidity and umami stand out. Showing different expressions each season, this brand is an advanced masterpiece expressing Kyoto's terroir with a modern sensibility.

"Hatsuhinode" is the long-standing representative brand of Haneda Shuzo, named with a freshness that celebrates the beginning of a new year. Through low-temperature long-term fermentation leveraging Northern Kyoto's severe winter cold, it achieves a sophisticated, high-aroma quality without off-flavors. The umami with a clear outline unique to medium-hard water possesses a dignity that adds bright light not only to celebrations but also to daily life. As an essential presence for local traditional events and auspicious days, it is a lucky bottle that connects Keihoku's terroir and people's thoughts to the future.

"Shukohai" is a brand born as a sake suitable for occasions where people exchange cups and share joy together. The well-balanced flavor created by Kitayama's pure water and skilled techniques has a gentle expression that enhances the taste of food. As a versatile sake that harmonizes with any scene, it has long been loved at local banquets and gatherings. Within its unpretentious deliciousness, Kitayama's terroir is gently felt, making it a cup that deepens community harmony.

"Rikuyu" is a brand from Haneda Shuzo that pursues perfect harmony among the six cardinal elements of sake brewing: rice, water, koji, yeast, skill, and heart. Brewed as a Junmai Ginjo Genshu (undiluted sake), it combines the umami of Kyoto-grown "Gohyakumangoku" rice with the inherent power of undiluted sake, offering a fruity aroma and deep afterglow. The complex richness polished by aging matches wonderfully with modern dining tables featuring robust dishes like meat. The "Six Friends" resonate together to richly fill the drinker's heart; it is a flagship existence symbolizing the brewery's technical strength.

"Jurakudai" is the flagship brand that Sasaki Shuzo is proud of. Named because the brewery stands on the site of "Jurakudai," the magnificent palace built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in Kyoto. The brewing water is groundwater from the same vein as "Ginmeisui," famously used by Sen no Rikyu for tea ceremonies. The Junmai Daiginjo is characterized by its brilliant aroma and elegant, mellow flavor. It is a masterpiece that expresses Kyoto's history and refinement in liquid form, perfect for special occasions.

"Koto" began when literary master Yasunari Kawabata praised Sasaki Shuzo's sake as "the taste of Kyoto" and provided his own calligraphy for the label. Characterized by a taste that embodies the elegance and delicacy of the thousand-year capital, it is designed to complement the subtle flavors of Kyoto cuisine. With a fragrance that is brilliant yet not overbearing, and a smooth finish, its perfection is like capturing the aesthetic of ancient Kyoto in a bottle. It is a brand with high historical and cultural value, where literature and sake intersect.

"Marutake Ebisu" is a brand intimately familiar to Kyotoites, named after the famous nursery rhyme used to memorize the names of Kyoto's streets. As a Honjozo brewed with Ginmeisui water from Rakuchu, it features a clean mouthfeel with a gentle umami from the rice. Finished with a taste that never tires, making it suitable for daily evening drinks, it is truly a cup that stays close to "daily life in Kyoto." By encompassing the street names of Kyoto, it also plays a role in passing down the city's history and memories to the present day through its flavor.

"Nishijin" is a brand bearing the name of Nishijin-ori, Kyoto's representative traditional craft. Like the delicate fabrics woven by Nishijin weavers, it was developed with the goal of being a sake that possesses multi-layered flavors and elegance. This Tokubetsu Junmai, carefully brewed at low temperatures, is characterized by a full-bodied rice umami and a clean finish. With respect for traditional techniques, it is a high-class sake that, along with its brilliant label, broadcasts Kyoto's craftsman spirit to the world.

"Heian Shishin" is named after the four guardian deities (Blue Dragon, Vermillion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise) that govern the four directions of the capital. It is a mysterious and stylish brand that embodies Kyoto's historical Feng Shui philosophy and the prayers for tranquility continuing from Heian-kyo. Particularly, "Heian Shishin Blue" features a fruity aroma unique to Ginjo sake and a light finish, offering a refined taste that is easy for young people and women to drink. Combined with the beauty of the Shishin labels, it is an art-like sake that brings Kyoto's protection and elegance to modern dining tables.

"Kyo Kissui" is a local sake born from the pure essence of Kyoto: rice grown in Kyoto, Kyoto's groundwater, and Kyoto's brewers. Using the Ginjo yeast "Kyo-no-Koto" developed by the Kyoto Municipal Institute of Industrial Technology and Culture, it features a brilliant aroma and a dignified taste where latest technology blends with tradition. Bearing a name that carries pride in being born and raised in Kyoto, its sophisticated and transparent quality maximally enhances the delicate umami of Kyoto cuisine. It is a gem of a sake dedicated to those who deeply love local Kyoto, where the tradition of "Kyoto pure-blood" lives on.

"Utsukushii Kamogawa" (Beautiful Kamogawa) is a brand named in praise of the clear stream and beauty of the Kamogawa River, a symbol of Kyoto. Produced by the Kyoto Sake Brewers Association, it was born as a joint project gathering the wisdom and skill of multiple breweries within Kyoto Prefecture. Characterized by a pure and sophisticated taste like the flow of the Kamogawa River, it carries the wish to protect Kyoto's beautiful natural environment and pass it on to the next generation. It is a graceful sake intended for everyone who loves Kyoto, with Kyoto's identity packed into a bottle.

"Kyo Chitose" is a representative brand of Matsui Shuzo, named with a prayer for the eternal prosperity and peace of the thousand-year capital, Kyoto. It is brewed using traditional hand-crafting techniques in a beautiful brewery embraced by the clear stream of the Kamogawa River and the Higashiyama mountains. Characterized by a quality where the "five tastes"—sweet, sour, spicy, bitter, and astringent—are exquisitely balanced, carefully drawing out the rice umami. It is a high-class yet warm sake that makes one feel the weight of Kyoto's history and hope for the future with every sip.

"Fuji Chitose" is a high-class brand with a name that connects Mount Fuji, Japan's highest peak, with the elegance of the thousand-year capital, Kyoto. Brewed with carefully selected ingredients and the passion of the brewers, it aims to reach the pinnacle of Japanese beauty and tradition. Characterized by a beautiful, transparent quality as if Mount Fuji's clear image and Kyoto's sophisticated culture were blended together. It is a dignity-filled cup suitable for toasts on special days or as a gift.

"Gion Bayashi" is a brand inspired by the "Kon-chiki-chin" sound of the musical accompaniment (hayashi) of the Gion Festival, synonymous with summer in Kyoto. It expresses the heat and bustle of Kyoto in summer and the spirit of celebrating tradition. It is characterized by a sharp finish and refreshing throatfeel that can be enjoyed comfortably even in midsummer. Drinking it chilled further enhances its freshness. Along with the excitement of the festival, it is a special sake for fully enjoying summer Kyoto cuisine.