Nagai Shuzo (永井酒造株式会社)
Nagai Shuzo is a brewery, founded in 1886. A sake brewery in Kawaba Village, Tone District, Gunma, brewing sake such as Mizubasho with soft water from the headwaters of the Tone River. KIKI lists 3 of its bottles.
- Bottles listed
- 3
- Makes
- Sake
- Japan Sake Awards
- 4 golds
What kind of brewery is it?
In 1886 the first head, Shoji Nagai, was drawn to the water of Kawaba Village and began brewing sake there. The brewery bought up the forest on both sides of the stream that supplies its brewing water, bit by bit, to protect the source. It launched its main brand Mizubasho in 1992, and in 1994 completed a new brewery, the Mizubasho Kura, aimed at ginjo brewing. It then released a bottle-fermented sparkling sake in 2008, Vintage Sake in 2013 and Dessert Sake in 2014, forming the NAGAI STYLE of pairing sake with meals.
What makes it distinct
- Ingredients
- Mizubasho uses Yamada Nishiki, or Yukihotaka and Gohyakumangoku grown in Kawaba Village.
- Water
- The brewing water is soft natural water of Kawaba Village, linked to the Oze mountains.
- Also
- The rice is grown under contract with producers the brewery has long-standing relationships with.
Compiled with AI from public pages, mainly the brewery’s own site (not yet checked by the brewery)Sources: nagai-sake.co.jp
Bottles from this brewery
The app finds 7 bottles from this maker by their label (3 on this site).
Japan Sake Awards
A prize-winner in 8 of the 9 contests from brewing year 2017 to 2025, with a gold prize in 4.
- Gold prize水芭蕉PDF
- Prize (nyusho)水芭蕉PDF
- Prize (nyusho)水芭蕉PDF
- Gold prize水芭蕉PDF
- Prize (nyusho)水芭蕉PDF
- Prize (nyusho)水芭蕉PDF
- Gold prize水芭蕉PDF
- Gold prize水芭蕉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.