Embodying Beauty
Sake is a product of nature and people working together.
We believe that respect for nature coupled with our continuous dedication to
self-improvement will yield resplendent sake.
We are forever grateful to the gods of Ise, who have blessed us with many gifts,
and remain dedicated to brewing sake with the utmost devotion and craftsmanship.
This is the Kawabu Brewery's way of brewing sake.
About the Land of Ise
The Miya and Kushida Rivers of Ise flow from the luscious Kii Mountains to join with the vast and rich Bay of Ise.
Blessed with a mild climate and deep greenery, and oceans, Ise has long been regarded as the perfect place for sake brewing due to its pristine quality waters and quality rice.
Rich in produce from the mountains and the sea, Ise used to be known as "Miketsukuni," or "the land of food," which supplied food to the Imperial Court.
Even today, Ise is known as a land of exquisite cuisine.
In a place with a rich culinary culture, sake must also complement the dishes to enrich the soul.
We hope that sake made in Ise, the sacred heart of Japan, will gently fill the hearts of people from all over.
And we, who were born in Ise, will continue to brew such heartwarming beverages.
Cleansing Impurities, Evoking Joy
The key to sake brewing is good quality water and rice.
For this reason, Kawabu Brewery draws water from the Miya River system which links with the Ise Shrine via underground streams.
In ancient times, the Miya River was revered by pilgrims to Ise as a sacred place to purge themselves of the impurities of the mundane world. In ancient belief and even today, these waters are considered the most pristine in all Japan, being ranked number one more than a dozen times in water quality surveys of Japan. And, it is this water that cultivates Mie sake rices, including our Kawabu Brewery's proprietary "Yuminariho" rice.
For sake-brewing, we carefully select regional sake rices according to our desired taste and outcome.
These include the so-called kings of sake rice, Mie-Yamadanishiki” and “Mie-Gohyakumangoku,” as well “Kaminoho," a paddy rice variety for sake brewing.
Our sakes are created from pristine streams that purify the water, rice unique to the region, and the refined craftsmanship of our brewers.
Owing to our promise to deliver sake that will bring a smile to your face and embodies the essence of Ise.
Continuously Spinning Beauty
Even with the same timing, same ingredients, and same production process, the end result will never be identical.
Sake is like a lifeform that lives and grows from the blessings of the heavens, such as water, rice, and other living organisms.
If you listen quietly while inside the brewery, you can even the faint sound of fermenting unrefined sake... Thus, no matter far technology advances, the hands of the craftsmen are essential.
The aromas that drift up to the nose, the mélange of textures as it hits and feathers across the palate, the fragrances and flavors that arise and fall as it mingles with temperatures in the body, and trickle down the back of the throat...the echoes of the aftertaste.
Some sakes exude a refreshing finish, while others express a calmness that lingers in the mind forever.
Sake creation is the pursuit of those who know, master and seek to perfect the art of sake brewing.
We believe that the beauty of sake is the mindset of the continual pursuit of perfection.
Aromas, flavors, textures, and the emotions
Our pursuits for the beauty that will fill every soul, continue on...
Awards History
- 2021
- Kura Master (France)
Yuminariho Junmai Daiginjo, Platinum Medal (Junmai Daiginjo Division) - IWC (England)
Junmai Ginjo Red Label, Silver Medal (Junmai Ginjo Division) - IWC (England)
Junmai-shu brewed in Yamahai method, Silver Medal (Junmai-shu Division) - FEMINALISE (France)
Junmai-shu brewed in Yamahai method, Gold Medal (Junmai-shu Division) - IWC (England)
Shujun Standard Sake, Gold GVA Champion (Standard Jozo-shu Division),
- 2020
- FEMINALISE (France)
Yuminariho Junmai Daiginjo, Gold Medal (Junmai Daiginjo Division) - Japan fine Sake in Wine Glasses Awards (Japan)
Junmai Ginjo Red Label, Gold Medal (Junmai Ginjo Division) - IWC (England)
Junmai Ginjo Red Label, Gold Medal (Junmai Ginjo Division) - FEMINALISE (France)
Junmai-shu brewed in Yamahai method, Gold Medal (Junmai-shu Division) - IWC (England)
Junmai-shu brewed in Yamahai method, Gold Medal (Junmai-shu Division) - IWC (England)
Shujun Standard Sake, Bronze Medal (Standard Jozo-shu Division) - FEMINALISE (France)
Yuzu Nigori-shu, Gold Medal (Liquor Division)
- 2019
- Kura Master (France)
Yuminariho-Shizuku Junmai Ginjo, Gold Medal (Junmai Ginjo Division) - IWC (England)
Junmai Ginjo Red Label, Bronze Medal (Junmai Ginjo Division) - IWC (England)
Junmai-shu brewed in Yamahai method, Bronze Medal (Junmai-shu Division) - Milano Sake Challenge (Italy)
Junmai-shu brewed in Yamahai method, Gold Medal (Junmai-shu Division) - KAN SAKE Awards (Japan)
Shujun Standard Sake, Gold Medal (Standard Jozo-shu Division) - Milano Sake Challenge (Italy)
Shujun Standard Sake, Platinum Medal (Standard Jozo-shu Division)
- 2018
- Sake China (China)
Yuminariho-Shizuku Junmai Ginjo, Platinum Medal (Junmai Ginjo Division) - Sake Selections (Belgium)
Junmai Ginjo Red Label, Gold Medal (Junmai Ginjo Division) - IWC (England)
Junmai-shu brewed in Yamahai method, Silver Medal (Junmai-shu Division)