Kobayashi Shuzo (小林酒造株式会社)
Kobayashi Shuzo is a sake brewery in Kuriyama, Hokkaido, making the Kita no Nishiki brand with rice grown in Hokkaido. Its grounds hold historic brick and stone buildings along with a shop and a memorial museum.
- Makes
- Sake
- Japan Sake Awards
- 2 prizes
What kind of brewery is it?
Denshiro, father of the first Yonesaburo Kobayashi, came from Niigata to Hokkaido and began brewing in Sapporo in 1878. The brewery moved to Kuriyama in 1900. To brew reliably in the severe cold, the second Yonesaburo brought tile craftsmen from Niigata and spent ten years building brick buildings and a coal-heated brewing method. The brewery grew with demand from coal miners, and in 2009 it switched to using only Hokkaido rice.
What makes it distinct
- Ingredients
- Since 2009 the rice used is entirely from Hokkaido.
Visiting
- Tours
- Shop
- Tasting & food
Brewery tours are by reservation. The shop, Kita no Nishiki Memorial Hall, is open daily except Dec 31 to Jan 3 and the third Monday of April; in 2026 it is open 10:00 to 17:00 from April 1 to October 31.
Compiled with AI from public pages, mainly the brewery’s own site (not yet checked by the brewery)Sources: kitanonishiki.com
Japan Sake Awards
A prize-winner in 2 of the 9 contests from brewing year 2017 to 2025.
Source: the prize lists of the Japan Sake Awards (National Research Institute of Brewing and Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association).