Welcom to Kawashiri shuzoujou (Kawashiri brewery)

About us

Surrounded by the mountains of the Norikura,
Hakusan and Ontake ranges, Hida Takayama is the ideal location for a sake brewery. Blessed with rich soil that
produces excellent rice, a cold winter climate and pure water, it has all the elements required for crafting outstanding sake.

Our brewery was founded in the year Tenpo 10 of the Japanese calendar (1839 in a Gregorian calendar) at the end of the Edo period.
After more than 130 years of following the same brewing process, during the 1970s we shifted our focus to the limited production of very high quality sake.  
We abolished all use of sugar and seasonings, and brought all steps of the brewing process within our brewery where we also began offering direct sales to the public.
Our sake is generally characterrized as having a rich, strong taste,
It has a rather coarse flavour when fresh and thus requires a longer maturation period before it mellows to perfection.
My father and I (I'm the 7th generation of my familly to own and manage the brewery) established this style and today we specialize in Jukusei koshu made from only locally grown rice and aged several years before it is ready to drink.
We pay special attention to all of the details throughout the creation of our sake with our goal always being to provide the best possible taste to our customers.

About our SAKE

《The Concept of Aging》:
Sometimes a sake label will list the vintage of the koshu. However, we are not particular about the number of years our koshu has been aged.
We do not believe that a higher number of years of aging and better quality go hand in hand.
We do believe there is an ideal peak of maturation for each sake but this varies every year and with each type of sake.
Our experience allows us to determine the best time to consume a particular sake. This pinnacle of flavour can be maintained for a certain period but eventually will decrease little by little over time.  

《Facts and Figures》:
Sake's alcohol content and acidity are measures a brew master normally uses to manage moromi (unrefined sake).
These figures do not appear to be particularly important when determining the taste of aged sake.
In addition, we believe in the importance of bringing out the characteristics of raw rice but not in the necessity of getting a set of numbers right. Therefore, we do not publish detailed numerical values relating to our sake. Our yearly producion is very low at about 30,000 total bottles per year (720mL bottles), of which about20,000 are Honjouzoushu.
All of our products are hand crafted and limited in quantity. Depending on the specigic brand and season, we may run out of stock. On such an occasion please accept our deepest apology.

Flavour and Colour:
Like any natural product, the flavour and colour of handmade sake produced in small quantities usually vary depending on when it is brewed or shipped. Unlike manufactured products,
it does not always taste the same. In addition, compared to clear, colourless fresh sake, Jukusei koshu is slightly tinted. We recommend you enjoy the amber colour of our sake as well as its unique flavour.

How to Store:
Although there is no expiration date, bottled sake is not suitable for long term storage. Please consume it as soon as possible.
If it is stored for an extended time, please protect it from light in dark place with little temperature variation.

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