Brewing Sake

98% special designation sake. Premium sake.
An obsession with details is our biggest asset.

Not every step in our sake brewing process is done by hand.
We aim to better our processes by using our hands when our hands are needed, and our heads when our heads are needed.

We use Bizen Omachi rice grown by contracted farmers and our original apple yeast that swept the sake industry.

Made without compromise, every one of our sake products is delivered to customers unfiltered.

Takehara Townscape
  • Takehara Townscape
    Takehara historic preservation district
  • Nakao Brewery
    Nakao Brewery
Harvest
  • A 1000㎡ rice field yields about 650 bottles of sake (Junmai-shu, 720ml)
    A 1000㎡ rice field yields about 800 bottles of sake (Junmai-shu, 720ml)
  • Ready for harvest. From one field 420 kg of brown rice is harvested.
    Ready for harvest. From one field 420 kg of brown rice is harvested.
Rice Polishing
  • It takes 72 hours to achieve rice polished to 45% its original size.
    It takes 72 hours to achieve rice polished to 45% its original size.
Rice Washing
  • In this step also referred to as “second polishing”, washing unmasks the surface of white rice grains.
    In this step also referred to as “second polishing”, washing unmasks the surface of white rice grains.
Soaking
  • Water absorption rates are carefully controlled.
    Water absorption rates are carefully controlled.
Koji Muro (Koji Making)
  • Steamed rice is cooled before being taken to a special room called koji muro.
    The key to making quality koji is in carefully regulating the moisture content of the steamed rice.
  • And the most important element in making delicious sake is the production of quality rice koji.
    After being taken to the koji muro, the moisture content and temperature of the steamed rice is carefully controlled over 4 hours.
  • Koji mold is sprinkled over a fine silk cloth and allowed to propagate on the surface of the steamed rice over a 52-hour period, resulting in rice koji. The temperature and moisture content of the rice at this stage has a major impact on subsequent koji making.
  • Wrapped in silk cloth, the temperature is maintained until the next morning.
Shubo Yeast Starter
  • Yeast is added to the shubo, which has undergone high-temperature saccharification.
    Yeast is added to the shubo, which has undergone high-temperature saccharification.
  • Stirring the shubo (water + steamed rice + rice koji + yeast). The mash is fermented for 12 days.
    Stirring the shubo (water + steamed rice + rice koji + yeast). The mash is fermented for 12 days.
Wringing/ Pressing the Mash
  • Daiginjo sake being pressed in traditional cloth bags.
    Daiginjo sake being pressed in traditional cloth bags.
  • Traditional cloth bags. The moromi mash that has completed fermentation is visible inside the bags.
    Traditional cloth bags. The moromi mash that has completed fermentation is visible inside the bags.
Bottling
  • Sake is heated in bottles to 60℃.
    Sake is heated in bottles to 60℃.
  • Bottles are rapidly cooled after heating to ensure no loss of quality.
    Bottles are rapidly cooled after heating to ensure no loss of quality.