Sake Brands
in Shiga

"Biwa no Choju" is the flagship brand of Ikemoto Shuzo, imbued with the blessings of Lake Biwa and wishes for the health and longevity of the drinker. Distinguished from dry and light sake, it features a full-bodied taste with firm acidity and umami. Realizing a sake quality that you never get tired of drinking, with a clean aftertaste while letting you feel the sweetness. Please enjoy the delicate yet powerful taste created by the famous water related to Tokugawa Yoshinobu and time-consuming hand pressing.

"Chikubushima" is a brand named after Rikubushima, a god's island floating in Lake Biwa and designated as a Japan Heritage site. An honest and unpretentious taste that has been loved by people working in the port town of Kaizu and travelers. The compatibility with Lake Biwa fish dishes, especially tsukudani and funazushi, is outstanding. It is a bottle connecting the region and history, infused with the soul of "Yume Sakagura" which achieved revival in 2008.

"Ryokujukage" is the pinnacle brand of Yoshida Shuzo, named after a passage in the Noh play "Chikubushima." Like the verse "The shadow of green trees sinks, and there is a view of fish climbing trees," it expresses a fantastic and beautiful scene with sake. An artistic taste where the elegant aroma like faint white peach, delicate sweetness, and refreshing acidity harmonize. Please enjoy a dignified masterpiece that condenses the beauty of Lake Biwa and Japanese traditional culture.

"Akatsuki" is the flagship brand of Akatsuki Shuzo, bearing a hope-filled name that means dawn. A bottle carefully brewed using high-quality rice and abundant water from the grain-producing region of Yasu. It features a fresh and refreshing taste, as if blessing the beginning of a new day. Please enjoy the honest umami reflecting the climate of Yasu, unique to a small community-based brewery.

"Yuki" is a brand nurtured in Yasu, a post town on the Nakasendo with a long history. Brewed with sincere handmade craftsmanship using high-quality rice from the Omi Basin and clear water. It features a calm and deep taste that makes you feel eternal time. Please enjoy a deeply nourishing cup woven by the region's climate and history.

"Tamanoharu" is a brand with an auspicious name that seems to herald the arrival of beautiful spring. A unique mouthfeel where you can firmly feel the flavor of koji and the sense of alcohol, typifying old-fashioned sake. Rich umami and unique sweetness spread, a nostalgic taste that makes you feel the atmosphere of the Showa era. A bottle rooted in local life, walking along with the history of the post town Yasu.

"Chiyo Sekai" is a magnificent and auspicious brand combining "Chiyo," meaning eternal prosperity, and "Sekai" (World). Using high-quality rice, a blessing of the grain-producing region Yasu, and clear water flowing from the surrounding mountains. Carefully handmade, it draws out the umami of rice while finishing with a refreshing taste that you never get tired of drinking. It is a bottle brewed with the wish to be loved for a long time, nestling close to local dining tables.

"Omi Fuji" is a brand full of attachment to the local area, bearing the nickname of "Mt. Mikami," the symbol of the region. It expresses its beautiful and solemn appearance like Mt. Fuji with the taste of sake. A refreshing yet core taste created by the clear water and high-quality rice of Yasu. Brewed at the foot of Mt. Mikami, it is a dignified cup packed with regional pride and aesthetic sense.

"Kitcho" is the flagship brand of Tokuda Shuzo, bearing a supremely auspicious name meaning a sign of good luck. A radiant taste that adds grace to celebratory occasions and special days. A clear finish without off-flavors woven by the clear water and high-quality rice of Yasu. It is a heartwarming bottle brewed carefully wishing for the happiness of the drinker.

"Tokumusume" is a brand combining the brewery owner's name and "Musume" (Daughter), making you feel warmth like family. Brewed with great care, with the feeling of marrying off a daughter raised with tender care. A gentle and enveloping taste nurtured by the beautiful water and earth of Yasu. It is a friendly bottle loved by local people and nestling close to daily life.

"Matsunotsukasa" is a brand that masters terroir, reflecting the climate of Ryuo-cho, Shiga Prefecture. A taste full of transparency created by high-quality sake rice from contract farmers and clear underground water from the Suzuka Mountains. Pursuing the possibilities of sake with innovative approaches such as "Soil-specific Brewing" expressing individuality due to soil differences. The refined umami and beautiful finish bring an experience where you feel the memory of the land with your five senses.

"Kinsen" is a brand that was once brewed at Hattori Iwahiko Shuzojo, meaning a golden spring. Derived from the tradition of calling high-quality water "Kinsen," it contains gratitude and respect for the clear water indispensable for sake brewing. The taste loved in the land of Ritto has now become a phantom, but its name remains as a memory of sake brewing in the region. It was a dignified brand layering the images of valuable gold and a clear spring.

"Myojin" is a brand that embodies the sincere philosophy of "Exhaustively revealing." It contains the attitude of not hiding the sake brewing process, revealing everything, and serving with sincerity. A bottle brewed carefully with local rice and water, inheriting the history of Tokaido Ishibe-juku. The honest and upright taste is the very sincere thought of Takeuchi Shuzo towards sake brewing.

"Tada Tada" is a brand of challenge and innovation that Takeuchi Shuzo sends out to the whole country. A dedicated brand filled with the pure desire to "Just want to brew delicious sake." While basing on traditional techniques, they explore new tastes tailored to modern preferences. Packed with passion and creativity for the next generation released by a brewery with a history of over 150 years.

"Omi Manyo" is a brand born as an homage to the history and culture of Omi continuing from the era of Manyoshu. Expressing the beautiful scenes of Omi recited in numerous poems and ancient romance in the taste of sake. An elegant and modest flavor brewed on the historical road of Ishibe-juku. It is a cup that makes you feel the richness of the timeless climate that Manyo poets might have loved.

"Kanoizumi" is a traditional brand of Takeuchi Shuzo that has been loved locally for over 150 years since its founding. Inheriting the mellow and fragrant taste once praised as "The silent sake." It features a clear mouthfeel like the clean water nurtured by the nature of Ishibe. It is a proud local sake that has nestled close to the joys and sorrows of local people and continued to color daily dining tables.

"Biwako Yumegokochi" is a brand imaging the beauty and peace of Lake Biwa, the symbol of Shiga. Offering a blissful moment of getting pleasantly drunk, like a gentle time spent by the lake. A refreshing scent like the wind crossing Lake Biwa and a gentle taste that makes you feel dreamy. It is a bottle that makes you feel regionality, perfect for memories of a trip to Shiga or as a gift for a loved one.

"Kitajima" is a brand of determination and challenge that the historic brewery Kitajima Shuzo releases to the world bearing its own name. Using production methods that spare no effort, such as traditional Kimoto brewing, they have maximized the umami and acidity of rice. A powerful yet delicate and deep taste created by the soft water of the Suzuka Mountains and Omi rice. It is an innovative bottle that opens up the next generation of sake brewing while carrying 200 years of history.

"Miyosakae" is a traditional brand of Kitajima Shuzo, bearing a prestigious name derived from a poem in the Manyoshu. For over 200 years, it has been loved by travelers coming and going on the old Tokaido road and local people. A plump and gentle mouthfeel and a taste you never get tired of, created by the soft water of the Suzuka Mountains. It is a warm local sake that nestles close to the daily dining table, filled with the wish for peace and prosperity.

"Beiun" is a brand once brewed by Shigeta Shuzo, bearing a name wishing for good luck and bountiful harvest in rice growing. It contained gratitude for the high-quality rice nurtured in the rich earth of Koka and pride in sake brewing using that rice. Although it is a phantom brand that cannot be drunk now, the memory of being familiar to local people still remains. It was a local sake with an auspicious name where the blessing of rice and fate were connected.