Aizu Otokoyama Kai Junmaishu Yumenokaori
Never forgetting the original spirit: Gratitude infused into every bottle of sake.
In Aizumisato Town, a sake brewery stands, having overcome the threat of closure.
Around 2017, its representative, Yasushi Kobayashi, heard that the previous generation intended to shut its doors. "It was my mother's ancestral home, a place I dearly loved," Kobayashi recounts. "The idea of it disappearing was something I just couldn't digest. I thought that perhaps, as a newcomer, I could bring a new kind of challenge." He subsequently left the company where he had worked for over two decades and plunged headfirst into the world of sake.
The task of reopening was, by all accounts, fraught with difficulty. Yet, by relying on the help of those around him, he persevered, solving one problem after another. Having surmounted these hardships, the brewery won an award at The Annual Japan Sake Awards in its very first year of restart. "I feel this award was given to us, supported by so many people. It solidified my resolve to never, ever forget my gratitude."
The sake of Aizu Otokoyama Shuzoten is defined by two brands: the "Kai" series, which embodies the meaning of "a return to the origin," never forgetting one's roots, and the meticulously crafted "INOMATA65."
The latter is a sake that expresses deep gratitude to Mr. Inomata, who took on the role of Toji (master brewer), and it has earned high praise even from prominent figures. This approach to brewing profoundly communicates the brewery's guiding principle: "Never forget gratitude."
Expectations for their future endeavors are only growing.
Otokoyama Shuzouten
Today, we introduce the "revival of Otokoyama Shuzouten," a brewery that resumed sake production after 20 years.
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Otokoyama Shuzouten, founded in 1865, had a period where production was halted for about 20 years. Upon hearing that "the brewery might be demolished," it was Mr. Kobayashi, the nephew of the previous generation, who decided to revive the brewery. He left his IT job in Tokyo and moved to Aizu. Later, through the kindness of a certain brewery in Aizu-Wakamatsu, he studied sake brewing as an apprentice while attending the Fukushima Sake Academy, deepening his knowledge alongside people from other breweries. Mr. Kobayashi says, "In reviving the brewery, I received so much kindness from the people of Aizu."
🏘 Otokoyama Shuzouten @aizuotokoyama
📍 94 Higashiotsu, Asahisugihara, Aizumisato Town, Onuma-gun, Fukushima Prefecture
He named the brand "Kai" with the desire to never forget the gratitude for the many kindnesses he received, and to expand the circle of human connection in ripples through sake. After winning a gold medal in the Junmai category at the U.S. National Sake Appraisal, the longest-running sake competition outside Japan, he has become proactive about overseas expansion. Its juicy and robust flavor profile is reportedly popular for pairing well with meat dishes. This is a brewery whose future global success we look forward to.
Good rice, good water, good people. Fukushima sake 🍶
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