01
Rice Selection
We source Yamada Nishiki from the terraced paddies of Hyōgo Prefecture — the strain prized for its plump, starch-rich core. Every grain is hand-inspected for uniformity.
Est. 1892 · Fushimi, Kyoto
The Art of
Wind & Water
Born from the pure waters of Fushimi's ancient springs and the finest Yamada Nishiki rice, Kaze sake carries the quiet intensity of Kyoto's brewing tradition — refined across five generations.
風
Since Meiji 25
Traditional Junmai Brewery
Our Heritage
Five Generations
of Quiet Devotion
"Sake is not made — it is tended. Like a garden, it asks only for patience, precision, and an understanding of water's temperament."
In 1892, beneath the shadow of the Fushimi Inari shrine, our founder Takeshi Matsumoto discovered a spring whose water carried an uncommon softness — low in iron, rich in potassium, beloved by the kōji mold that would become the soul of our sake.
For over 130 years, the Matsumoto family has brewed at this exact site, following the rhythm of the seasons. Each winter, when the air grows cold enough to slow fermentation to its most expressive pace, the toji (master brewer) begins the annual cycle that transforms raw rice into something transcendent.
132
Years of Brewing
5
Generations
7
Sake Varieties
The Process
From Rice to Revelation
Drag to explore
02
Polishing
Our Ginjō-grade rice is milled to 40% of its original size, stripping away proteins and lipids that cloud flavour. Only the pure starch heart remains — a process taking up to 72 hours.
03
Washing & Soaking
In the cold winter mornings, each batch is washed by hand in Fushimi spring water, then soaked for a precise duration determined by the toji based on humidity, temperature, and intuition cultivated over decades.
04
Steaming
The soaked rice is steamed until the exterior firms while the interior grows soft — a duality essential for kōji cultivation. The steam rises through our traditional koshiki steamer unchanged for a century.
05
Kōji Cultivation
Aspergillus oryzae spores are dusted over the steamed rice in our cedar-floored kōji room. Over two days, the mold transforms starch into sugar — this is the engine of sake, and the most delicate stage of all.
06
Fermentation
Kōji rice, steamed rice, water, and yeast join in a single tank — a simultaneous process unique to sake where saccharification and fermentation occur side by side, lasting up to 35 days at near-freezing temperatures.
07
Pressing
The matured moromi mash is pressed through canvas bags in a traditional assaku press, yielding sake clear and aromatic. The first press — arabashiri — is reserved for our limited-edition spring release.
08
Maturation
The freshly pressed sake rests in temperature-controlled tanks for six months to a year, developing the rounded depth and layered umami that define Kaze. Time is our most expensive ingredient.
The Collection
Seven Expressions
of Wind & Water
Junmai Daiginjō · Flagship
Kaze 風 —
Kaze 風 —
Imperial Wind
Our pinnacle sake, polished to 35%. White peach and anise lift from the glass, dissolving into a mineral finish that lingers like temple incense. Served at the Kyoto Imperial Palace for three decades.
Tasting Notes →
Ginjō
Hikari 光 — Light
Melon, green apple, and white florals. 50% polish ratio. Best served chilled in a whites-only tasting glass.
Tokubetsu Junmai
Tsuchi 土 — Earth
Roasted grain, mushroom, steamed rice. Full-bodied with rice-driven umami. Wonderful warm.
Junmai
Mori 森 — Forest
Cedar, dried pear, and a whisper of toasted sesame. The everyday sake our brewers drink at home.
Nigori
Tsuki 月 — Moon
Clouded, sweet, creamy. Coconut milk and sweet rice. Serve well-shaken, ice-cold.
Sparkling Junmai
Sora 空 — Sky
Light effervescence, yuzu zest, and honeysuckle. A celebration sake bottled alive in spring.
Koshu · Aged 5 Years
Toki 時 — Time
Amber depth: caramel, walnut, dried persimmon. Complex and meditative. 500 bottles per year.
Tasting Room
Taste the Wind
at Its Source
Our tasting room overlooks the original Fushimi spring — the same water that has nourished our kōji for over a century. Join us for a guided flight of five sakes paired with seasonal Kyoto appetisers, and learn to read sake the way our toji reads the weather.
Sashimi Flight
Pacific saury, sea bream, and fatty tuna paired with our Ginjō and Daiginjō
Yakitori Course
Charcoal-grilled chicken thigh, skin, and liver with Tokubetsu Junmai
Tofu Kaiseki
Silken yudofu, agedashi, and yuba with warmed Junmai Mori
Wagashi & Nigori
Matcha warabimochi and seasonal Kyoto confections with Tsuki Nigori
Visit Us
The Brewery
on Narutaki Lane
Kaze Sake Brewery42 Narutaki-chō, Fushimi-ku
Kyoto, 612-0001 Japan
+81 75-571-2345
- Tasting Room
- Tuesday – Sunday · 10:00 – 17:00
- Brewery Tours
- Wednesday & Saturday · 11:00 & 14:00
- Seasonal Note
- January – February: Observe the toji at work during winter brewing season
