Sake Brands
in Nara

"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.

"Shinomine" is a brand representing Chiyo Sake Brewery, a sake limited to special contract stores brewed carefully in small quantities. The brand name "Shinomine" comes from "peak of dwarf bamboo" in the Katsuragi mountain range, expressing a deep connection with the Katsuragi mountains towering behind the brewery. Focusing on the "Rokumaru" series (rice polishing ratio 60%), they use diverse sake rice such as Yamada Nishiki, Omachi, Aiyama, and Akitsuho properly, maximizing the individuality of each rice. The charm is the fresh and sharp taste unique to unfiltered raw undiluted sake and the goodness of balance where you can firmly feel the umami of rice.

"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.

"Yatagarasu" is a representative brand of Kitaoka Honten derived from the guiding divine bird "Yatagarasu" appearing in Japanese mythology. From the legend that it guided Emperor Jimmu from Kumano to Yamato, it is considered a symbol of victory and success. With a sake quality that cherishes the umami of rice and sharpness through traditional brewing, it has been loved for a long time as a sake to accompany food. They have a wide lineup from Junmai sake to Daiginjo, and it is a brand that makes you feel the history and romance of Yoshino.

"Shojo" is a representative brand of Kitamura Sake Brewery derived from the sake-loving sprite "Shojo", a legendary Chinese animal also known as a Noh play program. It embodies the wish to be a sake that brings joy and happiness to the drinker, like the Shojo who possesses a sake jar said to be "inexhaustible no matter how much you draw". Rooted in the climate of Yoshino, it is characterized by a mellow and savory taste, and is familiar as a sake for festive days.

"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.

"Amairo" is a brand derived from the pillow word "Amairo" in Waka poetry, imaging the beautiful nature and colors also sung in the Manyoshu. It is a dessert sake-like sake that achieves rich sweetness and deep richness by the "re-brewing" method, where sake is used instead of normal brewing water. You can enjoy a luxurious taste where natural sweetness and acidity harmonize.

"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.