Kurosawa Shuzo (黒澤酒造株式会社)
Kurosawa Shuzo is a brewery in Sakuho town, Nagano, making sake under the Izutsucho and Maruto brands.
- Makes
- Sake
- Japan Sake Awards
- 1 gold
Where to buy
What kind of brewery is it?
The brewery was founded in 1858 (Ansei 5). In the Meiji period its sake was sold as Maruto Masamune. In the Taisho period, a good water source was found when the second well was dug, and the name became Izutsu Masamune. In the Showa period the name was changed to Izutsucho, meaning the head guardian of the well. The company was incorporated in November 1949. Today the toji and the brewery staff make the sake together.
What makes it distinct
- Water
- The brewery uses soft Chikuma River underground water drawn from a deep well inside the brewery.
- Ingredients
- Rice is mainly sourced from eastern Shinshu within 40 km of the brewery, along with prefectural sake rice.
- Master brewer
- The owner-toji and the brewery's craftsmen make the sake.
- Yeast
- Some sake is brewed with home-grown rice and the yeast that lives in the brewery.
Visiting
- Shop
- Tasting & food
The brewery shop, a sake museum and the Gallery Café Kurosawa are on site. The museum is open 10:00 to 17:00, and the café 10:00 to 16:30.
Compiled with AI from public pages, mainly the brewery’s own site (not yet checked by the brewery)Sources: kurosawa.biz
Japan Sake Awards
A prize-winner in 5 of the 9 contests from brewing year 2017 to 2025, with a gold prize in 1.
Source: the prize lists of the Japan Sake Awards (National Research Institute of Brewing and Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association).