Akishika Brewery is situated in mountains between Kyoto and Osaka in the Kansai region of Japan’s main island, a rich land of terraced rice paddies and dense bamboo forests. All of the rice used at Akishika Brewery is locally grown, contracted to local farmers committed to “bio-dynamic” (junkan) farming practices. The 6th generation brewery owner of Akishika, Oku-san, is also proud to have pioneered new methods of seasonal composting and flooding of the fields that enable him to grow all his rice naturally, without additives or chemical pest control. As Mr. Oku says, “I grow the rice carefully so you can taste the true quality of the rice.”

Founded in 1886, Akishika has acquired a reputation amongst connoisseurs as a producer of top-quality sake with a robust and unique character. Because they are also dedicated to not using any charcoal filtration, the full flavors of their carefully grown rice are able to shine.

Akishika is a very small brewery: a staff of just five people work during the winter months to produce the year’s sake. Most of their sake is consumed locally––and quickly!––so we are very excited to be able to bring a limited quantity to the United States.