Ito Shuzo (伊藤酒造)
Ito Shuzo is a brewery in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, that makes sake under brands including Uzume. The fifth-generation owner works as toji, and the brewery also sells fermented foods such as sake lees and vinegar. It was founded in 1847.
What kind of brewery is Ito Shuzo?
The brewery traces its start to 1847, when the founder began making sake alongside farming. The sake served travelers at a post town on the Ise Kaido road. In the Meiji and Taisho eras it was shipped by boat to the Kanto region and became a celebration sake as the silk industry grew. Wartime brewing rules forced a closure, but the brewery was revived so that the local sake tradition would continue. It became a company in 1952, and in 1985 its source water was selected as one of Japan's 100 famous waters. In 2002 the fifth-generation owner began brewing as toji and opened the shop Bokura.
- Water
- The brewing water is groundwater from the Suzuka mountain range in Mie. The source of the brewing water, called Chiseki Yosui, is one of Japan's 100 famous waters.
- Ingredients
- The brewery has started a project to use Mie-grown rice for all of its sake.
- Master brewer
- The fifth-generation owner works as toji.
- Style
- The brewery aims to avoid added sugar and additives where possible.
Can you visit Ito Shuzo?
- Tours
Brewery tours are by reservation: a 30-minute tasting course for 1,000 yen per person and a 60-minute premium tour with a tasting set. Tour fees are paid in cash.
- Shop
The Bokura shop next to the brewery is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and open from 10:00 to 17:00.
Hours and booking rules change, so check before you go. Official website
Compiled with AI from public pages, mainly the brewery’s own site (not yet checked by the brewery)Sources: uzume-sake.com