Brands

"Tsukuba no Hakubai" is a brand that bears the name of Mt. Tsukuba, the symbol of Ibaraki, and white plum blossoms that symbolize the arrival of spring. It is brewed using the pure groundwater of the Mt. Tsukuba water system and carefully selected rice. It is known as a Honjozo sake characterized by a sharp finish and a rich taste that you will not get tired of drinking. It is crafted by Hirose Shoten's traditional technology as sake that adds color to the daily dining table. It can be enjoyed at various temperatures from chilled to hot, and its gentle aroma and flavor that bring out the taste of food are attractive.

"Fujiizumi" is the representative brand of Fujita Shuzoten, which boasts the second-oldest history in Japan, founded in 1462. Since moving to Ishioka to avoid the fires of the Onin War, it has continued to mark more than 550 years of history. The name embodies the philosophy of aiming for "sake that is as grand as Mt. Fuji and as pure as a spring," and it is a prestigious local sake that was praised by Lord Mito Mitsukuni in ancient times. It has a deep richness backed by tradition within a refreshing taste, and it is a cup full of historical romance that has been loved by locals for a long time.

"Keisen" is a traditional brand of Shimazaki Shuzo, which boasts the oldest history in Hitachi City, founded in 1716 (first year of Kyoho). Its name is derived from the "Otakaido" well on the premises that springs from a depth of 135 meters. The name contains gratitude for the precious well water that has provided blessings to people without ever running dry even in any drought. Sake brewed with this pure water is characterized by a smooth, refreshing, and fresh taste. It is a representative local sake of Hitachi that has walked a history of more than 300 years along with the local food culture.

"Shirakami Roman no Utage" is a Junmai Ginjo brewed with Hana-fubuki rice, featuring a 55% polishing ratio, a sake meter value of +1.0 to +2.0, acidity of 1.4 to 1.5, and an alcohol content of 15-16%. It captures the essence of traditional handmade brewing, bringing out the rice's umami to create a mellow yet sharp dry profile. The Daiginjo version is also well-known for offering a surprisingly rich flavor despite its refined grade.

"Tama no Shizuku" is a brand used by Shimazaki Shuzo for higher grades such as Junmai sake. It contains the brewery's hope to cherish each and every drop that is as beautiful and precious as a "Tama" (jewel). It is also certified as a regional brand of Hitachi City, and it features a taste in which a clean and refreshing mouthfeel and a rich and full-bodied flavor are in harmony. In particular, Junmai Ginjo with a gorgeous aroma is very popular with women, and it is a brand that conveys the new charm of Shimazaki Shuzo, where urban sophistication and traditional skills are fused.

"Any." is an innovative brand by Kikunoka Shuzo that embodies the concept of "Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime." While cherishing the tradition of sake, it pursues a taste that melts into modern lifestyles. By using traditional techniques such as Kimoto-style brewing, it is finished with a modern and clear mouthfeel, and is familiar to a wide range of people from sake beginners to enthusiasts. It is a brand that symbolizes a new era of sake, nurtured in the rich nature of Juo-machi, Hitachi City.

"Juokura" (available as "Juo-gura") is a brand that symbolizes local pride, bearing the name of the brewery's location, Juo-machi, Hitachi City. The name "Juo" is a very historical name derived from the local legend that ten kings were enshrined. It is brewed in a brewery open to the region within walking distance from JR Juo Station, and is brewing sake that reflects the local climate. It is a brand where tradition and familiarity loved by local people coexist, transmitting the charm of Juo-machi through activities rooted in the region.

"Suminotomo" is a historic brand representing Suminotomo Shuzo, founded in 1909. It is brewed in Hirakata-cho, Kitaibaraki City, a port town with a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean. The name "Suminotomo" (meaning "living friends") embodies the brewery's wish to be a local sake that stays close to the local people and blends into their lives. Using fresh spring water from the Hanazono mountain range as brewing water, it features a clean and dry taste pursued for compatibility with local seafood. It is a local sake with a simple and powerful flavor that has been loved by local fishermen and residents of Kitaibaraki for more than 100 years.

"Tenshinsho" is an artistic brand of Suminotomo Shuzo named after Okakura Tenshin, an art critic and philosopher who had deep ties to Kitaibaraki. It expresses Tenshin's spirit, who spent his later years on the Izura Coast, and the cultural scent of Kitaibaraki through sake. While being outsourced for brewing, its taste, which has been refined by the brewery's own dedication, features a refreshing mouthfeel and a gorgeous aroma that reminds one of Ginjo sake despite being a Junmai sake. The sake quality, which is slightly sweet and soft, providing a delicate beauty like a Japanese painting, evokes the beautiful natural landscape of Kitaibaraki that Tenshin loved, and is highly evaluated by people who love art and history.

"Ine no Mori" is an extremely rare local sake brewed by Asakawa Shuzo, located in Kami-oga, Hitachiomiya City. The brand name was chosen to pay respect to the beautiful rural landscape of Ibaraki, where golden ears of rice ripen abundantly. The brewery is an extremely small family-run operation, and it is known as a "phantom sake" that is only found in limited local liquor stores, with no direct sales or distribution in general retail stores. It features a simple, handmade taste closely connected to the lives of local people, far removed from mass production. Rooted in the local food culture and spoken of only by word of mouth, it is truly a hidden treasure of Ibaraki known only to those in the know.

"Nishizawa" is a brand of Shirakami Shuzo, named after the original Nishizawa Shuzoten.

"Bijinzuru" is another traditional brand handled by Asakawa Shuzo. Since ancient times, the crane (tsuru) has been a symbol of longevity and good fortune, and its noble and beautiful appearance is reflected in the sake name. In Asakawa Shuzo, which adheres to community-based sake brewing, it has been carefully served for many years as a drink to color local ceremonial occasions and celebrations. The appeal lies in the simple taste that conveys the warmth of the craftsman's hands, unique to a family-run brewery that does not engage in mass production. It is a warm brand that symbolizes the climate of Ibaraki and the bonds of the local people.

"Suifu" is one of the representative brands of Hitachiomiya City, brewed by Suifu Meijo, founded in 1917. Located in Nakatomi-cho near JR Hitachiomiya Station, it was loved by local people for many years. The main lineup included various products such as the signature brand "Suifu," the top-quality "Suien no Mato," "Junmai Kinuhikari" using rice produced in Ibaraki Prefecture, and the uniquely named "Kudoite." Although it supported the local sake culture for many years, due to equipment damage from the Great East Japan Earthquake and declining demand, production was suspended in 2016, ending its more than 100-year history. Even now, its solid taste is deeply engraved in the memories of local sake fans.

"Seikoshu" is a traditional lineup of Kahoku Shuzo, including Honjozo sake. It is a drink that captures the pure and transparent aroma and taste created by the fresh water and air of Okukuji. The brewery's gallery displays calligraphy of celebrities who wrote the letters for this brand, conveying the cultural value deeply rooted in the region today. Characterized by a gentle and elegant aroma, it is a standard local sake that has been loved for many years by the people of Daigo-machi, staying close to the daily dining table.

"Tsukiorehime" is an elegant and mysterious brand that symbolizes the cultural and artistic background of Kahoku Shuzo. Its name is derived from a painting by Suzuki Koson (a painter of the Maruyama-Shijo school) displayed in the brewery's gallery, expressing the fusion of historical artwork and sake. It is brewed with the aim of a delicate and modest taste, like a princess standing under the moonlight. The fresh water of Okukuji supports its transparent quality. As a brand that combines narrative and artistry, it plays a role in conveying the rich culture and traditional aesthetic sense of Daigo-machi to sake fans both in Japan and overseas.

"Yodo no Taki" (The Waterfall of Four Times) is the highest-grade brand of Kakucho Honten, founded in 1868. Its name is derived from "Yodo no Taki," which is another name for Fukuroda Falls, one of Japan's three major waterfalls located in Daigo-machi. Just as Fukuroda Falls shows its beauty four times in each season, this sake aims for a delicate and profound taste, brewed only during the severe winter in Okukuji Daigo. The Daiginjo sake, woven by the fresh underground water of the Yamizo mountain range and traditional skills, features a noble and gorgeous aroma and a crystalline mouthfeel. Bearing the name of the famous waterfall, a symbol of the region, this sake is truly loved as a special drink that encapsulates the climate and history of Daigo-machi.

"Kakucho" is the representative brand bearing the house name of Kakucho Honten, which has its roots in the late Edo period and was established as a full-scale brewery in 1868. It is a traditional drink with an auspicious name that embodies the wish for the "family (ka) to prosper long (ku) and forever (cho)." Using the fresh underground water of the Yamizo mountain range in Okukuji Daigo and carefully handmade during the severe winter, its taste lets you feel the rich umami of rice within a crisp and sharp dry (Danrei Karakuchi) profile. It has long been close to the lives of local people, coloring celebratory occasions and daily dining tables. It is a historic local sake that symbolizes the traditional methods passed down through generations and the rich climate of Ibaraki.

The brand "Shirakami" was named after the concept that World Heritage Shirakami-Sanchi equals "Nature," which in turn equals "Sake." Brewed with low-impurity well water (underground flow from Shirakami-Sanchi) filtered through the beech forests over centuries, it offers an exceptionally mild sweetness and rich umami. Primarily using the "Yamahai" method, they strive to create sakes that harness nature's power. Their Yamahai sakes are characterized by a clean, crisp finish without the typical gamey aroma, while retaining depth and body. The Daiginjo variety features a magnificent bouquet and refreshing mouthfeel, crafted using "Hana-omoi" sake rice and pure Shirakami-Sanchi spring water.

"Reisui Yamizo" (Sacred Water of Yamizo) is a Junmai brand that makes the most of the fresh water springing from the sacred peaks of the Yamizo mountain range. As the name "Reisui" indicates, it expresses the characteristics of the excellent water believed to have sacred and special power within the sake. Using soft water from the Yamizo mountain range, which is selected as one of the top 100 waters, it features a delicate and modest taste brewed through the harmony of the cool air of "Yamizo Oroshi" and Ibaraki yeast. The pure quality, as if the excellence of water nurtured by the rich nature of Daigo-machi were bottled as is, is highly evaluated by sake fans who love the individuality of water.

"Kitsuregawa Yasuragi no Sato" is a brand by Toraya Honten, brewed with affection for the local region. It was named after the relaxing scenery of the Kitsuregawa area near Utsunomiya. Drawing on the traditional techniques of Toraya Honten, the sake aims for an approachable flavor enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. Using Utsunomiya's famous "Nijinoi" water, it is characterized by a soft mouthfeel and a gentle aroma. Presented as a drink that lets you feel the local climate, it colors travel memories and daily dining tables in the region.

"Nijinoi" is a prestigious brand named after the famous water source "Nijinoi," which is the starting point of Toraya Honten's founding. In 1788, the first generation of Omi merchants began brewing sake, impressed by the excellence of this water springing up in Utsunomiya, marking the beginning of the brewery's history. "Nijinoi" is known as one of Utsunomiya's seven famous waters, "Nanamizu." Brewed with gratitude for the blessing of water that is the origin of the brewery, this brand is characterized by a transparent and pure taste. It is an iconic brand that can be called the soul of Toraya Honten, conveying the memory of the famous water preserved in the heart of Utsunomiya and more than 230 years of tradition to the present day.

"Nanatsuido" is a brand that was once brewed by Kobayashi Mokusaburo Shoten in Utsunomiya City. Currently out of business, it remains a valuable record conveying the history of sake in Tochigi Prefecture. The name "Nanatsuido" evokes the "Nanamizu" (seven famous waters) of Utsunomiya, symbolizing the brewery's stance of coexisting with the city's rich water culture. Utsunomiya's high-quality groundwater has supported sake brewing for centuries. Even after the brewery's closure, this brand is passed down as a local sake once brewed in the heart of Tochigi, alongside the history of the region.

"Daieiyu" is a brand once brewed by Kobayashi Mokusaburo Shoten in Utsunomiya City, featuring a powerful and heroic name. It is no longer produced due to the brewery's closure. Literally meaning "great heroic courage," the name "Daieiyu" evokes a robust flavor that seems to energize the drinker. This naming reflects the cultural background of sake from the Meiji to Showa eras, conveying an aesthetic of simplicity, fortitude, and good fortune valued at the time. In Utsunomiya, the heart of Tochigi Prefecture, this brand was once loved by locals and remains remembered as a historical fragment telling the story of Tochigi's sake industry even after its closure.

"Uroko" is the synonymous brand for "Cave Aged Sake," which Shimazaki Shuzo has pioneered in Japan. Based on Yamahai-shikomi, a traditional technique since the brewery's founding in 1849, it is completed through long-term aging in a cave that was formerly an underground factory for tank manufacturing. Inside the cave, the temperature remains extremely stable at around 10°C year-round, in an ideal environment completely shielded from sunlight. This "Cave Aging" eliminates the roughness of new sake, creating a deep richness and a silk-like smooth finish that cannot be achieved through conventional storage. The mellow flavor brewed by the magic of time is truly a luxurious cup for adults. From chilling it for freshness to enjoying the full-bodied aroma and umami at a lukewarm temperature, it shows various expressions depending on the temperature, embodying the passion of Shimazaki Shuzo.