Located in Akita, Japan, Takashimizu Brewery prides itself on its long history of traditional sake making. The premier method of sake brewing that is used today was invented in Akita. However, as important as technique is the brewery’s location. Cold winters and mountainous terrain produce high quality, soft riverbed water at its purest state. It is here that technique and Mother Nature share a deep connection, allowing Akita to be one of the top sake-producing regions in Japan.

Small family breweries, dating back to 1656, came together in 1944 to reestablish themselves as one. To honor their new partnership, they gave up their names and embraced “Takashimizu,” the name of the hill on which the Akita castle once stood. The credo of the brewery is a simple set of beliefs: we value quality first, we are one with the land on which we stand, and our sake is a reflection of the toji spirit. For the first time, this historic brewery is exporting their luxury line of sakes: shimizu-no-mai.