Kaiun means Good Fortune. Pioneer of Shizuoka ginjo revolution under legendary advisor Kawamura Denbe. Numerous gold medals at Annual Japan Sake Awards.

Named after Hakuin Ekaku the famous Rinzai Zen master. Uses Mt. Fuji underground water. Current generation revitalized brand with modern approaches.

Named after the Tedori River. Noto Toji guild is one of Japan’s most famous. Food-friendly style. Yoshida Gura label highlights single-tank bottlings.

Oldest brewery in Kanazawa. Became 100% junmai brewery in 2001. Famous Hyakunen-sui water source (takes 100 years to filter through rock). Also produces sake-based cosmetics.

Famous for yamahai brewing. Yamahai Junmai helped popularize yamahai style internationally. Tengumai means Tengu Dance (long-nosed mountain spirits). Rich umami character.

Discovered Association Yeast No. 7 (Kyokai #7) in 1946 – one of the most widely used brewing yeasts in Japan. Operates two kura: Suwa and Fujimi.

Known for hand-harvested (tezumi) rice approach. Name means Great Shinshu. Strong emphasis on terroir-driven sake from Nagano-grown rice.

Unique dual wine and sake producer. Pioneered aging sake in wine barrels. Highly sought after by collectors. Obuse town famous for chestnuts and Hokusai art.

Kurosawa Junmai Kimoto became very popular in USA through New York sushi restaurants. Named after the family not filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. Extensive use of traditional kimoto method.

One of the five historic breweries of Suwa’s Gozo (five brewery walk). Also brews craft beer. Suwa area has unusually high concentration of breweries.