Hara Shuzo (原酒造株式会社)
Hara Shuzo is a brewery in Kashiwazaki, Niigata, making sake under the Koshinohomare brand, with a local-only label and a newer third brand alongside it.
- Makes
- Sake
- Japan Sake Awards
- 4 golds
Where to buy
What kind of brewery is it?
The brewery's roots lie in the late Edo period, when the founder, born into a family of metal casters, took up sake brewing and opened a shop. Locals called it by the shop name, which means pot shop, and its early brands were named after nearby places. A fire destroyed the brewery and the family home, and the fourth-generation head rebuilt it with new brewhouses. The brewery then took over the Koshinohomare name from a brewery it had been close to when that brewery closed. In the Heisei era it set up an all-in-house rice supply and worked with contracted farmers. After the Chuetsu-oki earthquake destroyed most of its office building, the seventh-generation head led the staff in rebuilding, including a new brewhouse and a direct shop.
What makes it distinct
- Ingredients
- The brewery set up an all-in-house rice supply in the Heisei era and works with contracted farmers.
- Also
- The third brand applies the four-stage starter method (shubo yondan).
Compiled with AI from public pages, mainly the brewery’s own site (not yet checked by the brewery)Sources: harashuzou.com
Japan Sake Awards
A prize-winner in 7 of the 9 contests from brewing year 2017 to 2025, with a gold prize in 4.
- Gold prize越の誉PDF
- Prize (nyusho)越の誉PDF
- Prize (nyusho)越の誉PDF
- Gold prize越の誉PDF
- Prize (nyusho)越の誉PDF
- Gold prize越の誉PDF
- 1 gold, 1 prize越の誉PDF
Source: the prize lists of the Japan Sake Awards (National Research Institute of Brewing and Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association). Brewing year 2019 had no final judging, so no gold prizes.