Sake regions and breweries

Japan has well over a thousand sake breweries, and almost every prefecture makes sake. What shapes the taste: water, rice, climate and the toji (brewmaster).

Tōhoku

Long, cold winters allow slow, cool fermentation. Yamagata calls itself the "ginjo kingdom" and the whole prefecture is a geographical indication (GI Yamagata). Akita, Fukushima and Miyagi are regulars at the national sake awards.

Niigata

One of the prefectures with the most breweries, famous for tanrei karakuchi (light and dry) from snow-melt water and Gohyakumangoku rice. Home of the Echigo toji.

Hokuriku (Ishikawa, Toyama, Fukui)

Ishikawa, with its Noto toji tradition, is known for rich, savoury sake. Sake from the foot of Mt. Hakusan carries the GI Hakusan.

Nada (Hyōgo)

Japan's biggest sake district. Hard, mineral miyamizu water and Yamada Nishiki rice (grown mainly in Hyōgo) give firm, crisp "masculine" sake (otokozake). GI Nada Gogō.

Fushimi (Kyoto)

Soft groundwater makes smooth, gentle "feminine" sake (onnazake). With Nada, one of the two great historic districts.

Hiroshima

The soft-water brewing method was developed here in the Meiji era. Saijō is famous for its street of breweries.

Shikoku and Kyushu

Kōchi loves dry sake. Kyushu is mostly shochu country, but Saga and Fukuoka have many highly regarded sake breweries.

Toji guilds

The head brewer is the toji. Guilds such as Nanbu (Iwate), Echigo (Niigata), Noto (Ishikawa) and Tanba/Tajima (Hyōgo) each pass on their own techniques and styles.

Sake rice

Rice bred for brewing is called shuzō kōtekimai. Yamada Nishiki, Gohyakumangoku, Miyama Nishiki and Omachi are the classics: large grains with a starchy white heart (shinpaku) that polish well.