Wakabayashi Shuzo

Wakabayashi Shuzo is a brewery with a history of over 150 years, founded in Yunotsu-cho, which once prospered due to the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine. As the only remaining sake brewery in Yunotsu, they continue to protect the region's traditions.
A unique feature of their brewing is that, because the brewery is located near the sea, they do not use well water but instead use rock spring water from mountains 4 kilometers away. Using over 50% sake rice from contract farmers, they aim to create "one-of-a-kind" sake that can only be made in this brewery in that specific year, taking advantage of the differing characteristics of the rice each year.
They practice brewing that emphasizes rice umami over aroma and excel at using the traditional "Kimoto" method. The current master brewer, Ryoma Yamaguchi, is known as the first brewer in Shimane to revive the Kimoto method, which had fallen out of use until recently. As an all-Junmai brewery, all produced sake is Junmai, characterized by a relaxed and wild quality brewed with "passion" rather than relying on data.