Imayo Tsukasa Sake Brewery

Little knownBarely documented in English. This is the kind of place the site exists for.

調査・執筆 Hinato

sake breweryjunmaidaiginjotastingNiigata

新潟県 · Niigata City

37.9269°N, 139.0700°E

Imayo Tsukasa Brewery (今代司酒造) is a 250-year-old sake producer in central Niigata City that has committed entirely to junmai sake — no added alcohol, pure rice fermentation only — a relatively rare stance that prioritizes traditional methods over production efficiency. The brewery offers guided tours (Japanese/English) showing the entire sake-making process: rice polishing, koji cultivation, fermentation tanks, and bottling. The tour concludes with tasting of 5–7 sake varieties ranging from everyday junmai to ultra-premium daiginjo.

The brewery's flagship product, 'Iku' (生酛 daiginjo), is made using the kimoto method — a labor-intensive, pre-modern fermentation starter that requires manual mashing of rice/koji paste for 2 weeks. The resulting sake has more acidity and complexity than modern styles, and represents what Niigata sake tasted like in the Edo period.

基本情報

営業時間

Varies by restaurant — confirm before visiting

定休日: Open year-round

料金

Tour and tasting free

ベストシーズン

October–February for active brewing season with most processes visible; year-round for tours and shop

滞在目安

1–1.5 hours for guided tour and tasting; add 30 minutes for shop browsing

アクセス

アクセス情報

1110 Kagamigaoka, Chuo Ward, Niigata City. A drive from Niigata Station or a taxi. Free admission + tasting.

インサイダーガイド

**English tour reservation:** Email the brewery 1 week ahead requesting English-speaking guide (eigo-tour available, no extra charge). The English tour includes more detailed explanation of koji cultivation and kimoto starter process — worth the advance planning. **Tasting strategy:** The free tasting includes 5 sake (junmai, junmai ginjo, daiginjo, aged sake, seasonal). The aged sake (10-year koshu) is extraordinary — amber color, sherry-like oxidation, totally unlike standard sake. This style is rarely served in restaurants; trying it here is valuable. **Bottle purchase:** The brewery shop sells all products at brewery-direct prices (¥1,200–4,500 for 720ml). The 'Iku' kimoto daiginjo (¥3,200) is the prestige bottle — it won gold at the International Wine Challenge Sake category. They will pack bottles securely for air travel.

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