Yoshi No Gawa

Dating back to 1548, Yoshi No Gawa is the oldest sake brewery in the rice-growing heartland of Niigata Prefecture. Niigata Prefecture has a reputation for producing some of the best sake in Japan due in part to growing some of the best rice in the world. Using this legendary rice, Master Brewer Fujino focuses his team’s efforts on crafting the absolute finest sake. Together they draw from centuries-old knowledge and techniques, crafting diverse styles that reflect their beautiful, lush, and fertile agricultural region.

Brewing Since 1548

Fine Imports Yoshi No Gawa

Location

Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, Japan

Niigata Prefecture has a reputation for producing some of the best sake in Japan. A primary reason for this is that Niigata grows some of the best rice in the world. From table rice, all the way to sake-specific rice such as Gohyakumangoku or Koshi Tanrei, Niigata’s abundant and high-quality rice production is legendary, as is demonstrated in the sake from this beautiful prefecture.

Yoshi No Gawa not only makes exemplary use of Niigata’s delicious rice, it also brews with a very specific and delicate water. Tenka Kanrosen, which translates to “Sweet Water of Heaven and Earth,” is a spring water that combines streams of Japan’s largest river, the Shinano River, with melted snow from Niigata’s eastern mountain range. It is a soft water, yet rich in minerals that promote yeast growth. Since 1548 Yoshinogawa has been using this water to brew its clean and smooth tasting sake.

Yoshi No Gawa

History

Yoshi No Gawa was founded in 1548 and is the oldest brewery in Niigata prefecture (and one of the oldest in all of Japan). For almost half a millennium, Yoshi No Gawa is the pillar of Niigata’s distinct style of clean, crisp and elegant sake. Their motto remains the same: “to brew sake that makes you naturally reach for the next sip.”

One of the more recent testaments to Yoshi No Gawa’s resilience through its history was in 2004, when it survived the 6.8 magnitude Niigata Earthquake (Niigata Chuuetsu Shinsai). While fortunately no lives were lost, the earthquake destroyed more than 30,000 bottles worth of sake and significantly damaged the brewery. Using wooden beams to reinforce the structure, Yoshi No Gawa held steadfast and brewed in the damaged brewery until a new brewery, named Shinkou Kura, was built. This name honors the memory of the company’s late president.

Toji

Masatsugu Fujino

Masatsugu Fujino is at the helm of one of the oldest existing sake breweries in all of Japan, which is both a tremendous honor and a challenge. How do you carry on the long-standing tradition of Yoshi No Gawa’s sake brewing while embracing modern times? The answer comes in two distinct methods: 1. Mechanization, but not automation: while using new brewing technology to improve efficiency, Yoshinogawa’s Toji leaves the more meticulous and intricate part of sake brewing to be done by hand. 2. Stay true to sake that represents the spirit of Niigata’s iconic style: regardless of current fads or trends, stay classic, stay timeless.
SakeOne Tasting Room, Exterior

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Thursday through Monday: 11 am – 5 pm (Reservations Recommended)
Tuesday & Wednesday: Closed