Senryu Shuzo

Senryu Shuzo traces its origins to 1688 (Genroku 1), when the first-generation Yamashita Shozaemon, who served as the Nanaura Magistrate of the Hirado domain, began the sake brewing business at its current location by order of the domain. It is a brewery that has continued for over 300 years in Emukae-cho, Sasebo City.
It is said that the 10th lord of the Hirado domain, Matsuura Hiroshi, was so moved by the deliciousness of the sake brewed at the brewery that he bestowed the name Senryu (Hidden Dragon) upon it. The honjin residence of the Hirado domain adjacent to the brewery was used as the exclusive lodging for the lord of Hirado during sankin-kotai and other occasions in the Edo period.
The three-star mark of the main brand Honjin uses the mitsuboshi (three stars) of the Matsuura clan of Hirado. Honjin is a nihonshu brewed with traditional techniques that stand the test of time, where the koji-making process relies not on machines but on the meticulous temperature management guided by the experience and intuition of the master brewer. The moto-gura (yeast starter storehouse) still in use today is said to date from the founding during the Genroku era and is a designated tangible cultural property of Nagasaki Prefecture.
Shiroboshi is an active sake made by the traditional brewing method where the fermentation bacteria are not heat-treated and the roughly strained moromi is bottled as raw sake. It is a seasonal sake with rice particles and yeast still remaining, cherished as a nihonshu to drink during the winter season. The brewery continues to produce nihonshu that captures the blessings of the seasons, preserving traditional methods while practicing locally rooted sake-making.