Urazato Shuzoten (brewery, Ibaraki)

What kind of brewery is Urazato Shuzoten?

The brewery stands in Yoshinuma, with Mt. Tsukuba to the northeast, and the pages give 1877 (Meiji 10). It brews with Ogawa yeast, discovered by the brewing engineer Ogawa Chikara. The sixth-generation owner has launched a new brand, Urazato, devoted to this yeast. It uses Gohyakumangoku rice from contract farmers and traditional tank pressing for some sake.

Yeast: Brews with Ogawa yeast.
Ingredients: Uses only carefully chosen sake rice varieties.
Style: Hatsushibori is a lightly cloudy nama sake pressed in a traditional tank.

Can you visit Urazato Shuzoten?

Tours

Tours are taken on working weekdays from April 24 to about October, at 1,000 yen paid on the day. Tours pause during the brewing season.

Tasting & food

Tasting covers 3 to 4 sake, or a 300 ml honjozo as a souvenir instead.

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: kiritsukuba.co.jp

Japan Sake Awards

A prize-winner in 8 of the 9 contests from brewing year 2017 to 2025, with a gold prize in 6.

Brewing year 2025Prize (nyusho)霧筑波PDF

Brewing year 2024Gold prize霧筑波PDF

Brewing year 2023Gold prize霧筑波PDF

Brewing year 2022Gold prize霧筑波PDF

Brewing year 2021Gold prize霧筑波PDF

Brewing year 2020Gold prize霧筑波PDF

Brewing year 2019Prize (nyusho)霧筑波PDF

Brewing year 2018Gold prize霧筑波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.