On the early morning of November 28, 2008, steam once again rose from freshly steamed sake rice—for the first time in 20 years.

Our brewery, which had been dormant since 1988, came back to life with a single wish:

to restore vitality to this sake brewery once more.

 

It took 13 years from that decision to reality.

At a time when sake consumption was declining, I repeatedly asked myself:

What kind of sake do I truly want to make?

How should it be shared with the world?

 

Through constant self-reflection and with the generous support of many people, we were finally able to take this step forward.

 

The year 2008 marked the beginning of a new chapter in our brewery’s history.

We are a small, family-run sake brewery, but by continuing to brew year after year,

we are committed to refining our craft and producing better sake with each season.

 

Junpei Komatsu

6th Generation Toji (Master Brewer)

Sake for the Table

Crafted to complement food

Today’s dining table is more diverse than ever—

Japanese, Western, Chinese, and modern creative cuisine coexist side by side.

As food evolves, the role of sake is changing as well.

 

What we set out to create is a sake that pairs beautifully

with richer flavors and dishes prepared with oil.

 

Lean tuna sashimi, vinegared dishes, fried foods, meat dishes—

our sake stands up to bold flavors, yet finishes clean and refreshing.

 

It is a sake that naturally invites the next bite.

This is the kind of shokuchu-shu—sake for the table—we envision in our brewing.

 

With modern yeast technology, producing highly aromatic sake has become easier than ever.

However, we believe that overly assertive ginjo aromas can overpower food.

 

The true star should always be the dish.

Sake should play a supporting role—quietly enhancing the flavors on the plate.

 

 

Our goal is to craft sake that turns everyday meals into something memorable.

Trusting the power of brewing water

Water is the heart of sake brewing.

 

The water we use is underground spring water from Nagasu, Usa City—

rain and snow that fell on the Aso caldera rim, the Kuju mountain range, and Mt. Yufu,

slowly filtered through layers of earth over many years before reaching us.

 

This brewing water is medium-hard, with a hardness of 160–170.

Rich in minerals—rare even by national standards—it strongly supports yeast activity and promotes steady, vigorous fermentation.

As a result, our sake develops a firm core of umami and a clean, crisp finish, forming the backbone of Hojun’s flavor profile.

 

The character of this water is most clearly expressed in nama sake (unpasteurized sake).

Bottled without heat treatment, with yeast and enzymes still alive,

the minerals and natural energy of the water are carried directly into the sake,

creating depth of flavor alongside a sharp, refreshing finish.

 

At the same time, this water also provides an excellent foundation for long-term aging.

Even as the sake slowly mellows over the years, its core remains steady,

developing a gentle yet layered complexity without losing balance.

 

Pure yet powerful—the water of Usa, Nagasu.

Its unique character gives our sake two distinct expressions:

sake to be enjoyed fresh in the moment, and sake that deepens with time.

 

 

With gratitude for nature’s blessings, we continue to work honestly with this water,

striving each day to brew sake that can only be made in this land—truly one of a kind.

Reviving “Oita Mitsui”

Rice born in this land, brewed into sake in this land—

a cup that can only be encountered in Oita.

 

Oita Mitsui is a table rice variety once developed in Oita Prefecture

and widely enjoyed by the local community.

Despite its large grains and rich flavor, its difficulty to cultivate

led to its disappearance in the late 1960s.

 

Even so, we saw potential in this rice.

We wanted to brew sake that expresses a flavor unique to this land,

using rice shaped by the local soil, water, and climate.

 

With this belief, we received a small handful of original seeds

and began the challenge of reviving Oita Mitsui.

 

After years of trial cultivation,

we finally achieved a harvest sufficient for sake brewing.

 

 

“There is a depth of flavor that can only come from table rice.”

By embracing this character and choosing to brew it as sake,

we reaffirm our belief in brewing with Oita’s rice and Oita’s water—

a philosophy at the very core of our sake making.