Gensaka Shuzo

Gensaka Shuzo (元坂酒造) is a historic sake brewery established in 1805 in Mie Prefecture. The brewery was founded at its current location during the late Edo period, around the time when Ino Tadataka (伊能忠敬) began his national survey. The brewery’s flagship brand is Sakeya Hachibei (酒屋八兵衛), and they focus on producing sake from locally grown rice, supporting the local community through their operations.

Gensaka Shuzo employs the traditional Yamahai Moto (山廃酛) brewing method, which has been in use since the Meiji period. This method incorporates multiple microorganisms to cultivate pure sake yeast, a process that takes twice as long and requires more labor than the faster Sokujo Moto (速醸酛) method. However, it produces a robust yeast with strong alcohol tolerance, contributing to a sake that is rich in umami and complexity while maintaining a clean finish.

With a small team of only 10 employees, Gensaka Shuzo continues to refine their sake-making process each year. Despite limited resources and facilities, they remain dedicated to improving the quality of their products, focusing on craftsmanship and innovation within their traditional framework.