Inaba Shuzo (株式会社稲葉酒造)
Inaba Shuzo is a sake brewery at the foot of Mt. Tsukuba in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, making sake under the Minanogawa and Stella brands.
- Makes
- Sake
- Japan Sake Awards
- 3 golds
Where to buy
What kind of brewery is it?
The family has lived at the foot of Mt. Tsukuba for sixteen generations. Brewing of Minanogawa began in the Keio 3 era (1867) using local rice and spring water on the grounds, and the sake has been offered as the sacred sake of Tsukuba Shrine since the start. In 2000 the sixth-generation kuramoto toji, Nobuko Inaba, took over the brewery and combines traditional techniques with her own study of brewing science and food culture. The brewery building from the late Edo period is preserved and still in use.
What makes it distinct
- Water
- Brewing water is spring water from Mt. Tsukuba rising on the hill behind the brewery
- Style
- Pressing is done by hanging bags, producing drip-pressed shizuku sake. No charcoal filtering or blending; bottled unfiltered
- Ingredients
- Some sake uses Gohyakumangoku grown at the foot of Mt. Tsukuba
Visiting
- Tours
- Shop
- Tasting & food
Open 9:00-18:00, closed Wednesdays. The brewery guide is by phone reservation: 1,760 yen with three sake tastings, about 45 minutes, minimum 8 people; book 5 days ahead, cancel by 2 days before. The sake cafe runs 10:00-17:00.
Compiled with AI from public pages, mainly the brewery’s own site (not yet checked by the brewery)Sources: minanogawa.jp
Japan Sake Awards
A prize-winner in 8 of the 9 contests from brewing year 2017 to 2025, with a gold prize in 3.
- Prize (nyusho)すてらPDF
- Prize (nyusho)すてらPDF
- Prize (nyusho)すてらPDF
- Prize (nyusho)すてらPDF
- Gold prizeすてらPDF
- Prize (nyusho)すてらPDF
- Gold prizeすてらPDF
- Gold prizeすてら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.