Shirataki Sake Brewery is based in Echigo Yuzawa Town, Niigata Prefecture, an area renowned for its heavy snowfall. In spring the snow melts to provide an abundance of clear natural mineral water a prime ingredient for sake, which consists of 85% water. The molten snow passes though a coal seam when running downhill from mountain peaks: thus a natural charcoal filtration process further accentuates the taste and quality of the water.

The other main ingredient for sake is rice: the abundance of clear natural water provides irrigation for rice-paddies - creating the best quality ingredients for sake. Echigo Yuzawa is home to “Koshihikari” the most famous, high-quality rice brand in Japan.

‘Echigo’ is the traditional name for Niigata Prefecture. The name ‘Echigo Yuzawa’ is often shortened to Yuzawa Town. Yuzawa is nestled in the heart of the Japan Alps and is famous for its stunning scenery and countryside though the Japan shinkansen bullet train network means that this onsen spa and ski resort town is only 70minutes from Tokyo. In winter, huge amounts of snowfall make Yuzawa a winter sports paradise with the added attraction of an abundance of natural volcanic mineral water hot-spring spa baths, and traditional Japanese culture. This area is called ‘Snow Country’; Yuzawa is the setting of a famous novel of the same title, which has given this small town worldwide prominence. The author of this novel, Yasunori Kawabata, was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1968.

Minatoya Tosuke had the idea of making sake from the pristine clear water of the Yuzawa area. This dream was fulfilled in 1855 with the establishment of Shirataki Sake Brewery. This belief in using locally sourced, finest quality ingredients in the production of sake has been passed down through seven generations. Shirataki sake is made using the same principle today. Whilst our sake is made using traditional principles, we are aware of new tastes and new markets as the popularity of sake increases around the world. We invite you to try some of the best sake to be found in Japan, as produced by Shirataki Sake Brewery.