Tsunan Jozo (津南醸造株式会社)
Tsunan Jozo is a sake brewery in Tsunan, Niigata, a heavy-snow area. It brews sake such as GO in a snow-covered brewery using locally grown sake rice.
- Makes
- Sake
- Japan Sake Awards
- 1 gold
Where to buy
What kind of brewery is it?
The company was established in January 1996. It is now led by its representative, Kengo Suzuki, who has a background as a researcher. Brewing takes place mainly in the snow season, using Tsunan-grown Gohyakumangoku rice and the three-stage mashing method. The brewery also works on sustainability, such as turning sake lees into gelato and making sake with horse-plowed rice.
What makes it distinct
- Ingredients
- Uses Gohyakumangoku rice grown in Tsunan.
- Water
- The brewing water comes from snowmelt of high mountains and is soft water.
- Style
- Uses three-stage mashing, giving a light, smooth sake with rounded umami.
- Also
- Brewing is done mainly in the snow season.
Visiting
- Tours
- Shop
Brewery tours are free, take about 30 to 35 minutes, run 9:00 to 16:00 and require advance booking. Three standard sakes can be tasted free, a paid glass is 550 yen including tax, and a brewery shop follows the tour.
Compiled with AI from public pages, mainly the brewery’s own site (not yet checked by the brewery)Sources: tsunan-sake.com
Japan Sake Awards
A prize-winner in 4 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). Brewing year 2019 had no final judging, so no gold prizes.