Brands

Notaka is the flagship brand of Tanaka Shuzo, its name deriving from the Japanese proverb 'the skilled hawk hides its talons' (meaning a wise person hides their skills). Taking the character 'No' from the brewery's former house name 'Notoya,' it was named with the image of a humble hawk that possesses excellent skills but does not show them off. In the Joetsu region where many sakes are sweet, its quality sticking to a stoic 'Tanrei Karakuchi' style lets one feel the rice umami clearly while the aftertaste is surprisingly clean. Highly perfected as a food-pairing sake, it harmonizes with any dish in an exquisite balance. It is an essential bottle for dining tables in the local Naoetsu area, deeply rooted in the region.

Katanoi is a representative brand named by combining the 'Gata' (lagoon) of Ogata-ku, where Koyama Shuzoten is located, and 'I' (well), the lifeblood of brewing. It contains gratitude for the beautiful scenery of Ogata, where many lagoons were once scattered, and for the high-quality water nurtured by the earth. Its quality is characterized as 'Tanrei Umakuchi,' where the mellow umami of rice perfectly melts into the clean and light mouthfeel typical of Niigata sake. Its versatility, being delicious both chilled for a sharp taste and warmed for a plump flavor, is also attractive. It is loved as a great supporting player at the dining table, enhancing local dishes blessed with seafood.

Echigo Jiman is a representative brand brewed by Koyama Shuzoten with pride in the history of Echigo (Niigata) and their own skills. It features a sincere flavor that directly shapes the brewery's philosophy of 'careful brewing without cutting corners.' Niigata-grown sake rice is brewed with underground water from the sacred Mt. Yoneyama and carefully matured using traditional handmade methods. While based on the 'Tanrei' sharpness typical of Niigata sake, it pursues a balanced quality that lets one feel the solid presence and umami of rice. It combines the approachability of a daily evening drink with the dignity suitable for special occasions. The 'pride' (Jiman) of the flavor nurtured by the terroir of Echigo has been loved by many local drinkers for years and is familiar as the face of the community-based brewery.

Katafune is the face of Takeda Shuzoten and a world-standard signature brand that rewrote the international evaluation of sake. Written as 'Lagoon Boat' in Kanji, it derives from the emotional scenery of Ogata-ku where lagoons once were scattered and boats came and went. Its greatest feature is a 'rich and round sweet' style, extremely rare in Niigata Prefecture. With one sip, the dense inherent sweetness of rice spreads throughout the mouth, yet it has a refined sharpness where the aftertaste disappears quickly. Its outstanding quality has been proven internationally, including winning the World's No. 1 title three times at IWC. It is a masterpiece with superb elegance that changes the concept of sweet sake.

Haruki is a dedicated brand carving out the future of the brewery, bearing the name of Takeda Haruki, the ninth-generation owner of Takeda Shuzoten. Pouring all his passion and skills as a master brewer responsible for the next generation, it was born as a special bottle where the inheritance of tradition and new challenges fuse. While based on the supreme sweet style that 'Katafune' has protected, it adds a modern refined sensibility. It features a dignified core within the sweetness and an afterglow that resonates incredibly beautifully. The brewer's stance of pursuing sake that he himself can truly call 'delicious' and pouring his soul into every bottle has captured the hearts of many sake fans. It is a brand showing a new frontier for Takeda Shuzoten, shedding new light on tradition.

Sesshu is a brand familiar as a sake that stays close to the local daily life, based on the knowledge of sweet sake brewing cultivated by Takeda Shuzoten over many years. Like the master painter Sesshu of the Muromachi period, it pursues universal beauty and flavor loved across eras. It features a deep and mellow flavor that boasts outstanding compatibility with local Joetsu cuisine and home cooking with sweet and spicy seasoning. The attractiveness lies in the balance that maximizes the sweetness of rice, which only a brewery sticking to sweet style for over 150 years can achieve. It is a trusted long-selling brand that continues to be chosen by local people as 'the usual delicious sake.'

Kubiki is the signature brand symbolizing Kubiki Shuzo, its name deriving from the ancient name of the Joetsu region. Missioned to convey the regional history and terroir to the present, it is a sake that condenses the blessings of the rich land of local Kakizaki into every drop. While light, it features a balanced quality where the powerful umami of rice is firmly alive. Designed in pursuit of perfect harmony with meals, every sip enhances the attractiveness of dishes and invites the next sip. It is an orthodox brand filled with the brewery's pride, embodying a sincere brewing stance in harmony with the nature of Kakizaki.

Echigo Toji no Sato is a brand named with deep respect for the professional brewers of Niigata, the Echigo Toji. The Kakizaki district is a historical base that has produced many famous Toji, and the soul of that tradition is passed down to modern brewing. Leveraging the traditional brewing techniques of Echigo Toji, it features a warm flavor of rice that makes one feel a sense of nostalgia. Staying close to local food culture, it has outstanding compatibility with Kakizaki regional cuisine and seafood. It is a simple and sturdy brand unique to Kakizaki, the 'hometown of toji,' conveying regional culture and pride to future generations.

Koshiji no Kohbai is a brand imagining the beauty of red plums blooming with dignity along the roads of Echigo. Like red plums blooming in the cold of early spring, it expresses the pure charm of sake brewed through the severe winter of Niigata. Using traditional brewing techniques and locally produced sake rice, its flavor is based on the 'Tanrei' taste typical of Niigata sake, while also offering a flowery and elegant aroma like red plums and balanced umami. It has a broad depth that exerts its potential at wide temperature ranges from chilled to warmed, and it is an emotional bottle that one wants to enjoy along with the changes of the seasons.

Chibitagawa is the signature brand representing Yoyogiku Jozo, its name deriving from the 'Chibitagawa' spring at the foot of Mt. Yoneyama. This pure water, which has a legend of being praised as the 'miraculous water of eternal youth' by the famous Edo-era monk Ryokan, is the source of their brewing. Its greatest feature is a silky smooth and gentle mouthfeel that maximizes the characteristics of Mt. Yoneyama's underground water (ultra-soft water). The pure sweetness of rice spreads softly, and the aftertaste is crystal clear. It is one of the famous sakes representing Joetsu, created by the natural blessings of Kakizaki and careful work using traditional 'Funashibori' pressing.

Gataichi is one of the signature brands of Kato Shuzo, a local sake bearing the name of 'Gata' (lagoon) that symbolizes the Joetsu region. Affection for the regional landscape and history, which once had scattered lagoons and was blessed with rich water, is contained in its name. In pursuit of a clean and light 'Tanrei' mouthfeel that one never tires of, so it can be enjoyed for daily evening drinks. Within that, a certain umami derived from rice can be felt, finishing into a flavor that provides comfort. It is a bottle loved as the closest existence to the local people, staying close to the nature and food of Yoshikawa-ku.

Kiyomasa is a mainstay brand that Kato Shuzo has carefully brewed for many years, its name said to derive from the Sengoku military commander Kato Kiyomasa. It is a sake possessing both a firm core of strength and a pure sharpness, overlapping with the image of a military commander. Using sake rice from local Yoshikawa-ku and clear water, it is carefully finished with traditional brewing methods. Its characteristic is a balance that does not interfere with dishes but rather enhances their flavor, making it a versatile quality that can be enjoyed with daily meals. It is a trusted brand long loved locally, embodying the pride of the brewery rooted in the region.

Echigoya is a brand developed by Kato Shuzo bearing a traditional business name. It is brewed with the good old business spirit of Niigata (Echigo) and a sense of gratitude to the community. Using rice and water blessed by the rich nature of Yoshikawa-ku, it achieves both unpretentious approachability and certain quality. While light, it features a harmonious taste that never tires the drinker. As a sake that supports community life, it values a gentle personality that blends into the scenery of daily life.

Arigatashi is an innovative brand from Yoshikawa Toji no Sato that challenges conventional wisdom in sake. While it is usually considered that higher polishing (lower percentage) removes impurities and leads to higher quality, this brand dares to set the rice polishing at '90% (low polishing).' One can enjoy a unique taste that maximizes the powerful umami and potential inherent in rice. The raw material is the highest-grade Yamada Nishiki cultivated without pesticides or chemical fertilizers using the Nagata-style natural farming method. The name 'Arigatashi' contains deep gratitude for the blessings of nature and the farmers who nurture every grain of rice. It stands apart from conventional fruity Ginjo sakes, its mellow and complex umami that makes one feel the energy of the earth gaining enthusiastic support among sake fans.

Yukizakari is a brand containing thoughts for the severe winter of Niigata and the snow symbolizing it. Using pure snowmelt water of Yoshikawa-ku, a heavy snowfall area, it is a sake brewed by utilizing the maturation environment unique to a snow country. Its greatest feature is a pure and transparent mouthfeel like silently falling and accumulating snow. While not flashy, as one continues to drink, the plump flavor of rice spreads gradually, finishing into a quality that warms the heart. A sincere and simple local sake that lets one feel the winter emotions of Niigata.

Yoshikawa Toji is a brand bearing the regional history and technology, the pride of the brewery, in its name. It is a bottle that straightly conveys the tradition of Yoshikawa-ku, famous as a production area of Echigo Toji, and the certain skilled techniques of the brewers to modern drinkers. Based on traditional methods, it features a warm umami of rice and a clean aftertaste that one never tires of even if drinking every day. It is a 'community-focused' flavor that stays close to local food culture and further enhances home cooking. An orthodox brand that can be called the symbol of the brewery, crystalizing love for the land of Yoshikawa and pride as a brewer.

Tenkeiraku is a major brand representing Yoshikawa Toji no Sato, containing the wish to 'enjoy the blessings of heaven (nature) harmoniously.' As its name suggests, it is a well-balanced sake where skilled craftsmen harmonize good rice produced by the rich nature of Yoshikawa and pure water. Its greatest features are a flowery and transparent aroma and a smooth mouthfeel. Designed in pursuit of drinking comfort, it harmonizes beautifully not only with Japanese food but also with Western and modern dishes. Its approachable and elegant quality is highly evaluated especially by women and those new to sake, and it has gained popularity as an 'evolved local sake' suitable for modern dining tables.

Natsuko Monogatari is an iconic brand of Kusumi Shuzo named after the legendary manga 'Natsuko no Sake.' It conveys the emotion and passion of the grand story based on the brewery's real story of resurrecting the extinct miraculous sake rice 'Kamenoo.' Using the pure water of Niigata and raw material rice carefully grown by the brewers, it is brewed with care for the simple umami inherent in rice. A sip brings to mind the rural landscape where golden rice ears sway and the thoughts of people who dedicated their passion to brewing, characterized by a somewhat nostalgic and warm flavor. It is a bottle that has moved many people's hearts beyond the framework of sake, making one feel the weight of history.