Niseko Shuzo's Resilient Journey: The Passion Behind Hokkaido's Craft Sake Revival

Niseko Shuzo, located in Niseko Town, Hokkaido, inherited a brewery on the verge of closure and has since been producing local sake with its unique brewing methods. Their dedication to maximizing the use of pure water and natural blessings has captivated many sake enthusiasts.

The History and Challenges of Niseko Shuzo

Founded in 1916 as Tanaka Shuzo, the brewery faced a crisis of closure in 1972 due to a lack of successors. At this critical juncture, the Mizuguchi family took over its tradition, rebranding it as "Niseko Shuzo." However, Hokkaido sake at the time had low national recognition, making management extremely challenging. Despite these difficulties, they persevered, continuously pursuing sake brewing that leveraged Niseko's rich natural environment.

Sake Brewing Nurtured by Niseko's Nature

At the core of Niseko Shuzo's brewing philosophy are the spring waters from Mount Yotei and Niseko's snowmelt, combined with natural low-temperature fermentation utilizing a "Kamakura structure" – an igloo-like environment unique to heavy snowfall regions. This method maximizes the umami of the rice, and their commitment to producing undiluted sake (genshu) without added water results in distinctive sake unique to Niseko.