Wednesday Flight #8: Hiroshima: Birthplace of Ginjo Brewing

WEDNESDAY FLIGHT #8: Hiroshima: birthplace of ginjo brewing 5/6/2026

In the 1800s and before, Hiroshima was not known for quality sake. The soft, nutrient-poor water led to weak fermentations that often spoiled, lacked body and alcohol, and could not compete with the sake from Hyogo. Faced with this challenge, an Akitsu, Hiroshima brewer named Senzaburo Miura eventually figured out how to brew at a lower temperature over a longer period of time: a stable, low-and-slow fermentation. The sake that results is smooth, clean, and full of flavor: this is old-school ginjo brewing, common to Kirei (#4), Kamoizumi (#5), Ryusei, and many Shimane/Tottori breweries as well. An unintended consequence of this is that when certain strains of yeast are stressed by the low-and-slow, nutrient-starved and cold conditions of ginjo-style brewing, they release aromatic molecules: peach, banana, and so on. This gave rise to modern-style ginjo, like #1 , 2 and 3.

1. FUKUCHO “SEASIDE” SPARKLING 500ml ($30)

Tokubetsu Junmai Sparkling (single pasteurized) Imada Shuzo

Location: Akitsu, Hiroshima Rice: Shinsenbon (local table rice), Polishin: 60% (Koji), 70% (kakemai) | Other: White koji (produces citric acid), Hiroshima yeast (undisclosed), ABV 13%, secondary fermentation in bottle.

This sake comes from a tiny (~3-4 person) brewery in Akitsu, seaside along the Seto Inland Sea, run by Miho Imada: one of Japan’s most highly respected toji-owners, who also happens to be a woman. She’s made a name for herself maintaining incredible technique while also pushing the envelope of brewin experimenting with different rice polishing methods, heirloom rice varieties, and more. Imada Shuzo is neighbor to the old brewery of Senzaburo Miura, an early pioneer in Ginjo fermentation techniques and the reason we call Hiroshima the “birthplace of Ginjo sake--” Fukucho even got their brand name from Miura-san. This sake was made to highlight the local seafood, particularly oysters, for which Akitsu is famous.

2. SEIKYO JUNMAI GINJO NAMAGENSHU 720ml ($41)

Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu Nakao Shuzo

Location: Takehara, Hiroshima

Rice: Omachi (Hiroshima), 55% polishing Other: ABV 15.5%, SMV: +3.0, Acidity: 1.5 Yeast: #1601 (Gekkeikan-developed high aroma yeast)

Based in the historic town of Takehara, the Nakao Brewery was established in 1871, only a few decades before Hiroshima would take center stage in Japanese sake. Seikyo Namazake is brewed with Omachi rice, characterized by a deeply rich and soft taste as well as a crisp finish. Omachi was discovered more than 150 years ago in neighboring Okayama and is the oldest sake rice still in production, plus more than 70% of all sake rice traces Omachi heritage. Nakao Shuzo made a name for themselves in the 1940’s when their yeast changed the course of ginjo brewing forever. In 1935, vertical rice polishing machines were first developed and drastically increased the degree to which rice could be polished, enabling an ... (cont. in #3)

3. JOTO JUNMAI NIGORI 720ml ($25)

Junmai Nigori Nakao Shuzo

Location: Takehara, Hiroshima Rice: Shinsenbon (local table rice), 65% polishing Other: ABV 15%, Yeast: #10

(cont. from #2)...evolution in ginjo brewing. Enter Kiyoma Nakao, 4th gen owner of Nakao Shuzo. For 14 years, he experumented with over 2000 sake yeasts looking for one with fragrance. One day in 1940 he was going to Kure for a day trip, when he bought some apples from a cart, brought them home and swabbed yeast from the apples to experiment on. The results were promising, but limited: the brewery’s indigenous yeast was stronger, and overpowered the apple yeast. Years later, after the war, he developed a new shubo (starter) method called koon tooka, which allowed delicate yeasts the clean slate they need to thrive-- finally unlocking apple yeast’s potential. In 1948, it won first prize at the national new sake awards and from 1949-1950 Nakao’s apple sake was used in the Imperial Household because it was considered the best and most unique. Thus began the first aromatic yeast, and the start of a new age in ginjo brewing. ...No, unfortunately, neither of these Nakao sake are made with apple yeast! At many PDX sushi restaurants (Zilla, Momoyama), you can often find glass pours of Joto “72 Clocks” to check it out.

4. KIREI HACHIKU GO-DAN JIKOMI

720ml ($30) Junmai Kirei Shuzo

Location: Saijo, Hiroshima (45m from Hiroshima City)

Rice: Shinsenbon (local eating rice), 70% polishing Other: 89% kojibuai, 5-stage addition (3 is typical). ABV 17%, SMV: -14 (sweet), Acidity: 3 (high), Yeast: Kirei #9 (house)

Saijo is located on a plateau basin 200 meters above sea level and surrounded by mountains, makin the local environment unique compared to coastal breweries: cooler mountain air, cold Winters, & high quality rice fields. Hiroshima University and the National Tax Agency Brewing Test Center are also located in Saijo, fostering a unique blend of academic and industrial collaboration. It’s also the center of the largest sake festival in Western Japan, drawing well over 200,000 people per day each October for Saijo Sake Matsuri. Saijo’s Sakagura Dori, or Sake Brewery Street, is home to 9 breweries. Among them, Kirei is unique in its exclusive use of Maneki Well water, the soft character of which informs Kirei toji’s brewing methodology, which has been passed down from generation to generation. Kirei Shuzo makes Junmai sake only, specializing in exceptional koji. Rice is carefully nurtured for 72 hours (48 is usual), creating a unique blend of enzymes to sustain a low and slow fermentation (50% longer than other brews). All of Kirei’s sake is uniquely flavorful, delicious and affordable, but at 89% koji rice (20% is usual) and built from 5 stages (3 is usual), Hachiku is particularly representative of the low-and-slow, deeply flavorful style Kirei is famous for, driven by the flavors of koji and rice, rather than the fruity aromatics of yeast.

BONUS: KAMOIZUMI “RED MAPLE”

$5

720ml ($36)

Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu Nakao Shuzo

Location: Saijo, Hiroshima Rice: 58% Polish Hattan Nishiki (koji; Hiroshima), Shinsenbon (kakemai, local). Other: ABV 18%, SMV: +1.0, Acidity: 1.7, Yeast: KA-1 (Setouchi 21).

In the words of Philip Harper, toji of Tamagawa, Kamiozumi “Retains a convincing elegance despite its big bones. How do they do it?” -- this is the magic of Saijo Ginjo. The Maegaki family who run Kamoizumi started out as rice farmers, and while they were always involved in local brewing during the Winter months they became an independent brewery only in 1910. In 1965, Kamoizumi became one of a pioneering group of ten breweries across Japan who stopped using added alcohol and decided to make junmai only. Today, Kamoizumi is a community leader, for years organizing the Saijo Sake Matsuri and Maegaki-san directing the Sake Samurai Association. “Red Maple” is a US exclusive: a single-pasteurized, undiluted, 2y cold-aged version of their flagship junmai, Shusen.

1) FUKUCHO

Printed on the sheet as #8; sequenced here by date.