Saketime Regional Sake Ranking 2025 (1)

No.1

Machida

Gunma / Machida Sake Brewery

Rating 4.25 points (1313 reviews)

Founded in 1883 in Komagata-machi, Maebashi, Gunma by Machida Usaburo, originally from Nagano Prefecture, under th e name "Kanoya". With the motto of "strict selection only", they continue to brew sake with a fine and rounded flavor. Their representative brand is "Seiryo". Other popular brands include "Kanoya Usaburo", "Fubuki no Mai", "Horoyoi Bijin", "Teishun kanpaku" and "Kaaka Tenka". "Machida Shuzo", which uses the company name as its sake name, is a limited distribution br and that fans covet.
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No.2

Shichisui

Tochigi / Toraya Main Store

Rating 4.24 points (834 reviews)

Founded as a sake brewery in Utsunomiya in 1788 (8th year of Tenmei) during the mid-to-late Edo period. At that time, th ey started brewing sake using one of Utsunomiya's seven famous wells (Niji no l). The name they used was a familiar one, as the seven wells in Utsunomiya are collectively called "Nanasui". Toji Tenmaya used to work for a food trading company i n the prefecture, but in the fall of 2003 he moved to Toraya Honten because he "wanted to create things".
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No.3

Ohmine

Yamaguchi / Omine Sake Brewery

Rating 4.23 points (945 reviews) 

Omine Shuzo was founded in 1822 and was revived by Takeshi Akiyama in 2010, more than 50 years after it closed in 19

55. It began a new challenge in Akiyoshidai, Yamaguchi Prefecture, known as a karst land. The spring water from Beppu B enten Pond, which is said to grant eternal youth and longevity, contains calcium and minerals, and when used in the brewi ng process, it promotes fermentation and produces a clean, pure sake without any unpleasant flavors. Omine Shuzo is par ticular about only handling pure rice sake that is not diluted. Their pure rice sake, with an alcohol content of around 14%, brings out the best of the ingredients' flavor, and will provide a new experience for sake lovers. They aim to make sake tha t is possible only with modern technology while incorporating traditional methods.
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No.4

Senkin

Tochigi / Senkin

Rating 4.14 points (4988 reviews)

The brewery was founded in 1806, the third year of the Bunka era, during the late Edo period. The brand "Senkin," which means a crane serving a hermit, is made by the duo of Kazuki Usui, the 11th generation owner, and his brother Masato, th e master brewer. The 11th generation owner, a former sommelier, has focused on the characteristic taste of wine, "acidit

y." He pioneered a sake quality that emphasized the citrus acidity of grapefruit, something that was not seen in sake in th e past, and attracted attention as a sake that goes well with Western food.
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No.5

Banshu

Hyogo / Sanyo Cup Brewery

Rating 4.13 points (799 reviews)

They use rice and water from Banshu (southwest Hyogo Prefecture) to brew robust sake. They are the only sake brewery in the Kansai region with a mine cellar, and store their sake in the "Akejugura" inside the tunnels of the historic Akenobe M ine in Oya-cho, Yabu City. The temperature inside the tunnels changes little throughout the year, making them a natural ce Ilar ideal for long-term storage of sake. Sake made in winter is aged slowly and gently inside the tunnels, and some long-te rm aged sake is aged for over three years, which gives it a deep, mellow flavor. "Banshu Ikken Junmai Super Dry" is made using 100% Banshu-grown Hyogo Yumenishiki rice, and the mash is fermented for a long time at low temperature to creat e a dry taste. It would be a good idea to pair it with soba noodles.

No.6

Okunokami

Tokyo / Toshimaya Sake Brewery

Rating 4.12 points (795 reviews)

Toshimaya Sake Brewery's representative brand "Okunokami" was named with the desire to continue brewing sake that protects the prosperity of liquor stores that value the brewery and sake. The fourth-generation owner, Koji Tanaka, brewed this famous sake by carefully brewing small batches by hand, which is completely different from the traditional method, aiming to make sake that can be delivered nationwide from Tokyo. The sake is characterized by its fragrant and gentle taste, as it is bottled freshly pressed without filtration or water addition. 
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No.7

Nito 

Aichi / Maruishi Brewery

Rating 4.12 points (1073reviews)

This is a new brand from Maruishi Brewery, a long-established brewery in Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture. Founded in 1690, the brewery is known locally for its brands "Mikawa Bushi" and "Tokugawa leyasu," but "Nitto" was released in 2015 after a long wait by the brewery, which has been pursuing "sweetness, aroma, and acidity." There is a proverb that says, "He who chases two rabbits catches neither," but the concept of this brand is "He who chases two rabbits catches both." The brew ery explains the true meaning of this as follows: "It is a sake that pursues seemingly contradictory elements such as "flavo r" and "aroma," "acidity" and "deliciousness," "heavy" and "light," "sweet" and "spicy" in a luxurious way so that you can enjo y them in the best balance and flavor."
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No.8

Ozeno Yukidoke 

Gunma / Ryujin Sake Brewery

Rating 4.1 points (1072reviews)

The brewery is said to have been founded back in the Northern and Southern Courts period, and began its sake business in Tatebayashi, a castle town with a rice yield of 250,000 koku, by building a storehouse on top of the famous water sourc e "Ryujin no Ido" (Dragon God's Well), which was formed by the accumulation of melting snow from Oze. The malted rice u sed for the sake is mainly Yamada Nishiki, and in order to obtain good quality malted rice, the rice is hand-polished and wa shed to completely remove the bran.
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No.9

Matsumidori

Kanagawa Prefecture / Nakazawa Sake Brewery

Rating 3.99 points (337reviews)

Matsumidori Junmai Ginjo Hiyaoroshi Omachi 50%
Hiyaoroshi Kai 4 is a surprisingly small amount of Omachi Hiyaoroshi from Matsumidori in Tanzawa, Kanagawa . The rich fruity sweetness typical of Omachi is pleasant, and the rich umami flavor coats the mouth, but it doesn't linger and makes you want to drink more.
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No.10

Gozenshu

Okayama / Tsujimoto store

Rating 3.81 points (377 reviews) 

The name "Gozenshu" comes from the fact that it was once presented to the Mimasaka Katsuyama Domain. The specialty of Gozenshu is that it is "delicious and crisp." It is dry and never gets boring, so when paired with food, you will naturally drink more and more. Tsujimototen was founded in 1804 in Katsuyama, Okayama Prefecture, where the perfect elements for sake brewing are "high-quality rice, water, and a cold climate." For sake brewing, they use local Omachi rice from Okayama Prefecture and underground water from the Asahi River that flows next to the brewery. They are particularly particular about rice, and from 2022 they will be brewing all of their sake with Omachi rice from Okayama Prefecture. 
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