Brands
Mikkaodori
三日踊"Mikkaodori" is a brand with a friendly name that evokes the tradition of Yamatokoriyama and the bustle of festivals. You can feel the concept of "sake that can be drunk happily", and it aims for a sake quality suitable for daily dining tables and regional gatherings. Thanks to Nakatani Sake Brewery's technology, it balances stable quality and ease of drinking, playing the role of local sake loved locally. Backed by the history and culture of the castle town Yamatokoriyama, it is a community-based brand.
Sanka
山香"Sanka" is a brand of Umenoyado Sake Brewery brewed at the foot of Mt. Katsuragi, meaning "Scent of the mountain". As the name suggests, it is characterized by freshness that makes you feel the breath of nature and a gorgeous aroma due to Ginjo brewing. The balance between fruity and elegant Ginjo aroma and a refreshing mouthfeel is good, and the compatibility with meals is also outstanding. It is a fragrant sake where the tradition and technology of Umenoyado Sake Brewery breathe.
Unfeigned SAKE
Unfeigned SAKE"Unfeigned SAKE" is an innovative brand of Umenoyado Sake Brewery conscious of global expansion, meaning "unfeigned, pure". While utilizing the goodness of traditional sake, it pursues a modern taste and design that is familiar to overseas fans and younger generations. Focusing on Junmai Daiginjo, it is characterized by a refined aroma and clear taste, and is an ambitious work proposing new possibilities for sake.
Fuka
風香"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
松の勢"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
風の森"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
鷹長"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.
Kamuro
醸室Kamuro is a Ginjo sake that shares the same name as the commercial facility "Shoku no Kura Kamuro" operated by Hashihei Shuzo Store, and is a popular brand among tourists.
Chiyo
千代"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
櫛羅"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
百楽門"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
吉野千本桜"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
鬼"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
谷瀬"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.
Yoyo Kitakami
洋々きたかみYoyo Kitakami is one of the brands brewed by Hashihei Shuzo Store.
Hanatomoe
花巴 EC
"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
花つどい"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
花巴正宗"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
南遷"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
百年杉"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
蔵王桜"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.
Yorokobi no Sake
よろこびの酒"Yorokobi no Sake" (Sake of Joy) is the flagship brand of Hatsuhikari Shuzo, brewed to color celebratory seats and scenes of joy as the name suggests. Using the underground water of the Kinokawa River, it balances the umami of rice and a clean aftertaste. With a familiar taste that can be enjoyed both cold and hot, it is loved as an indispensable sake for the special days of local people in Wakayama.
Omedeto
おめでとう"Omedeto" (Congratulations) is a brand dedicated to auspicious occasions, perfect for giving with the words "Omedeto". Carefully brewing carefully selected sake-brewing rice, it achieves a gorgeous aroma and a plump taste. As a toast sake to celebrate life's milestones such as marriage, longevity, and promotion, it conveys the heart of gratitude and blessing.
Kinokawa
紀の川"Kinokawa" is the representative brand of Nakao Shuzoten, named after the clear stream Kinokawa River representing Wakayama Prefecture. It is brewed carefully using the underground water of the Mt. Koya system and carefully selected sake-brewing rice. Characterized by an elegant taste combining full-bodied richness, a crisp aftertaste, and good sharpness, it is a local sake that makes you feel the climate of Kishu.
Yume Ippai
夢いっぱい"Yume Ippai" (Full of Dreams) is a long-term aged pure rice vintage sake brewed by Tsuho Shuzo. Using Yamada Nishiki polished to 60%, it is carefully aged at low temperature over time in the brewery. You can enjoy the amber color and mellow aroma unique to vintage sake, and a mellow and deep taste with rounded edges. Please enjoy the dream-like taste nurtured over time.