Basic introduction of Brewery

 

Nanbu Bijin Brewery was founded in 1902 (Meiji 35) in Ninohe City, Iwate Prefecture, by the first brewer, Kuji Sakuta. Originally named “Hori-no-yu”, the brewery used water from local wells and the well of Takeuchi Shrine.
Birth of the brand: In 1951, the third-generation brewer, Hideo, under the guidance of the tax commissioner of Ninohe, named the brand “Nanbu Bijin,” combining the names of the places in northern Iwate Prefecture and southern Aomori Prefecture and the pursuit of beautiful sake quality. Company name change and internationalization: In 2001, we changed our name to “Nanbu Bijin”.

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Brewing process

 Nanbu Bijin has inherited the traditional brewing techniques of the Nanbu Doshi family, while introducing modern technology. For example, the brewery has adopted the whole koji technique to brew plum wine with no added sugar, and has obtained a patent for this technique. In addition, the brewery is also trying to combine brewing technology with artificial intelligence in order to pass on and enhance the brewing process.

Water source and raw materials

The brewery uses medium-hard water from the Fushin Gorge in Ojoumasen, Iwate Prefecture, which has a soft taste and is suitable for brewing high-quality sake. At the same time, the brewery uses mainly locally produced sake rice, such as “Gin Gin” and “Gin Maiden”.

Product Series

Sake: Nanbu Bijin's sake is known for its lightness and purity, with an average of 54% junmai-bushi. Its Junmai Daiginjo was once selected by Japan Airlines as the only sake served in first class.
Plum Sake: The brewery began brewing plum wine without added sugar, using locally cultivated plums, the tips of which are removed by hand, to produce plum wine with the characteristic sweet and sour flavor of the koji.