Sake Brands
in Shiga

Shiga Prefecture is a granary region centered on Lake Biwa and surrounded by mountains, producing not only table rice but also high-quality sake rice. Brewing has flourished here using high-quality underground water sourced from the mountains surrounding Lake Biwa. Shiga's representative sake rice, 'Tamasa,' is characterized by starch that doesn't easily form a shinpaku, making it easy to create crisp, dry sake. 'Ginfubuki' is an original prefectural sake rice born from Yamada Nishiki (mother) and Tamasa (father). It is more resistant to lodging than Yamada Nishiki and develops shinpaku more easily than Tamasa, offering a light flavor, clean mouthfeel, and soft, rich umami. The area around Lake Biwa, covering about one-sixth of Shiga's area, has excellent compatibility with freshwater fish cuisine. Sake that leverages the umami of sake rice and the delicate taste of freshwater fish create an exquisite combination that enhances both flavors.