Sake Brands
in Nara

"Fuka" is a brand proposing a new style of sake, meaning "Scent of the wind". Imagining the scent drifting on the wind of Katsuragi, it pursues gorgeousness and freshness not bound by the framework of conventional sake. Characterized by fruity and refreshing Ginjo aroma and a transparent taste, it is designed to be friendly to sake beginners and younger generations. It is a modern sake symbolizing the new challenge of Umenoyado Sake Brewery.

"Matsunosei" is a brand of sake formerly brewed by Kishimoto Sake Brewery. It is thought to have been named with the hope that it would prosper vigorously like an evergreen pine, and was loved mainly in the local Gose City. Currently, it is not produced due to the closure of business, but it was one of the local sakes supporting the regional food culture, brewed using the underflow water of Mt. Katsuragi and high-quality rice.

"Kaze no Mori" is an innovative brand launched by Yucho Sake Brewery in 1998. Sticking to a unique style of bottling only unfiltered and unhydrolyzed raw sake, it is characterized by a refreshing gas feeling of slight sparkle and a fresh and juicy taste like fruit. Practicing sake brewing that maximizes the individuality of diverse sake rice such as Akitsuho, Tsuyuhakaze, Omachi, and Aiyama, the "ALPHA" series also conducts experimental efforts beyond the framework of conventional sake. It is one of the popular brands leading the modern sake scene.

"Takacho" is a brand inheriting tradition since the founding of Yucho Sake Brewery. Walking along with the history of the brewery, it is a sake loved in the local Gose City, and in contrast to "Kaze no Mori", it protects traditional sake brewing techniques. It is also conducting efforts to explore the roots of Nara's sake brewing, such as the revival brewing of "Bodaimoto", a monk's sake of the Muromachi period. Characterized by a firm taste with structure where you can firmly feel the umami of rice, it is an important brand symbolizing the traditional aspect of Yucho Sake Brewery.

"Chiyo" is a traditional brand of Chiyo Sake Brewery, a venerable sake bearing the brewery's name "Chiyo". "Chiyo" means "thousand years, eternity", and has often been used for sake brands as an auspicious name wishing for long-lasting prosperity and happiness. It is a brand that has been loved for a long time mainly in the local Gose City, and uses the clear underflow water of the Kongo-Katsuragi mountain range as brewing water, characterized by a traditional sake quality where you can firmly feel the umami of rice. It continues to be loved as a sake that accompanies the daily lives of local people.

"Kujira" is a sake rooted in the region, naming the brand exactly after the place name Kujira, Gose City, where Chiyo Sake Brewery is located. Kujira, where the brewery is located, is a nature-rich area at the foot of Mt. Katsuragi, where high-quality rice cultivation has been carried out since ancient times. It is a brand particular about expressing terroir (individuality of the land), such as using Yamada Nishiki cultivated in their own fields. Characterized by a sake quality integrated with the local climate, using the clear underflow water of the Kongo-Katsuragi mountain range and sake rice cultivated locally.

"Hyakurakumon" is a representative brand of Katsuragi Sake Brewery named with the aim of being a sake that can be enjoyed in diverse ways, meaning "Gate of a hundred pleasures". The ideal is a sake to accompany food that demonstrates its true value when enjoyed with cuisine. Noteworthy is the effort to revive brewing with "Bodaimoto", considered Japan's oldest sake brewing method created at Bodaisan Shoryakuji Temple in Nara. Junmai sake by this method is characterized by a rich and profound taste where natural acidity derived from lactic acid bacteria and sweetness of rice are exquisitely harmonized. It is a precious brand conveying the roots of Nara's sake brewing to the present.

"Yoshino Senbonzakura" is a brand named after the overwhelming beauty of cherry blossoms, which is synonymous with the World Heritage Site, Mt. Yoshino. Using the underflow water of the Omine mountain range, they aim for a taste where you can feel the gorgeousness and the umami of rice, reflecting the rich nature of Yoshino. It is also familiar to tourists as a sake that conveys the elegance of Yoshino.

"Oni" (Demon) is a powerful and impactful brand named after the legend that En no Gyoja reformed demons and the Omine mountain range, a sacred place of Shugendo. They develop a diverse lineup such as "Onigiri", "Onikiri", and "Kishin", each having a unique taste. They pursue a satisfying sake quality reflecting the history and spirituality of Yoshino.

"Tanize" is a brand derived from "Tanize Suspension Bridge" in Totsukawa Village, Nara Prefecture, which boasts one of the longest lengths in Japan. It expresses the deep nature and culture of Yoshino District, and is a sake born from collaboration with the region. It aims for a powerful yet pure taste that makes you feel the majestic nature of Totsukawa Village.

"Hanatomoe" is the representative brand of Miyoshino Brewing, a name combining "Flower" symbolizing Mt. Yoshino, a famous place for cherry blossoms, and "Tomoe", a pattern representing a water swirl. Utilizing traditional techniques from the Nara period in the present day, they make full use of the Muromachi period brewing method "Mizumoto" and "Yamahai-moto" to perform unique sake brewing that maximizes the umami and acidity of rice. It is characterized by a powerful and profound taste that makes you feel the climate of Yoshino and the power of fermentation.

"Hanatsudoi" is a brand filled with the wish that people will gather like "flowers gathering" and spend a happy time. Imaging the scene where people gather under the cherry blossoms of Mt. Yoshino, it is finished with a familiar and easy-to-drink taste. It is enjoyed by a wide range of people as a sake that adds glamour to daily dining tables and gatherings with friends.

"Hanatomoe Masamune" is a brand inheriting the tradition of Miyoshino Brewing. "Masamune" is a name used for a long time as a synonym for sake, indicating the legitimacy of quality. As a local sake of Yoshino, they continue to protect the taste loved by local people for a long time. It is a sake suitable for daily evening drinks with a clean taste that you never get tired of.

"Nansen" is a brand named after the history of "Nansen" (Move to the South), where Emperor Go-Daigo moved the Imperial Court to Yoshino during the Nanboku-cho period. It is a sake that pursues the potential as aged sake by Yamahai brewing, characterized by firm acidity of organic acids and deep umami from aging. It is a masterpiece that you want to taste slowly while feeling the deep history of Yoshino.

"Hyakunen Sugi" is a sake brewed in wooden barrels of Yoshino cedar symbolizing the forestry town Yoshino, or stored in cedar barrels. The scent of Yoshino cedar over 100 years old is transferred to the sake, and you can enjoy a refreshing flavor with a cooling sensation. It is a tasteful brand unique to this land, where Yoshino's forest resources and sake brewing tradition fuse.

"Zaouzakura" is a brand combining "Zao Gongen", the symbol of Mt. Yoshino, and "Sakura" (Cherry blossoms). It expresses the harsh nature of Mt. Yoshino, a sacred place of Shugendo, and the grace of cherry blossoms blooming in spring in sake. It is also popular as a souvenir sake familiar to people visiting Yoshino as a memory of their trip.