Ibaraki Shuzo (茨木酒造合名会社)
Ibaraki Shuzo is a sake brewery in Uozumi, Akashi, Hyogo, making sake and amazake under the Rairaku brand by hand. KIKI lists one of its bottles.
- Bottles listed
- 1
- Makes
- Sake
- Japan Sake Awards
- 3 golds
What kind of brewery is it?
The brewery was founded in 1848 and still uses its traditional late-Edo kura. The south wall is earthen to block summer sun, while the north side lets in cold winter winds. Akashi lies on the Harima Plain with good well water and seasonal winds, and once had 70 breweries, now 6. A ninth-generation toji leads the brewing, working by hand in small batches with a kurabito. The brewery also makes amazake and sake with flower yeast.
What makes it distinct
- Ingredients
- Uses rice grown for sake brewing, such as Yamada Nishiki.
- Water
- Brews with local well-known spring water.
- Yeast
- Makes a flower-yeast sake called Abelia.
- Style
- All steps from rice washing to bottling and labeling are done by hand in small batches.
Visiting
- Tours
- Shop
Brewery tours are available and there is an on-site shop. Both are closed every Tuesday except in December.
Compiled with AI from public pages, mainly the brewery’s own site (not yet checked by the brewery)Sources: rairaku.jp
Bottles from this brewery
The app finds 16 bottles from this maker by their label (1 on this site).
Japan Sake Awards
A prize-winner in 7 of the 9 contests from brewing year 2017 to 2025, with a gold prize in 3.
- Prize (nyusho)来楽PDF
- Gold prize来楽PDF
- Gold prize来楽PDF
- Gold prize来楽PDF
- Prize (nyusho)来楽PDF
- Prize (nyusho)来楽PDF
- Prize (nyusho)来楽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.