Tour of Yamamura Shuzo Brewery

The town of Takamori is wedged between the southern rim of Aso's outer caldera and the five peaks that stand in the middle of the caldera. Even as the temperature remains below freezing for days on end in winter, the brewery's water stays around the same temperature year-round, as it springs from deep below the earth. This is one of the many conditions that makes the region perfect for brewing sake.
Yamamura Shuzo was founded in 1762 by Aso brewers who used locally grown rice and the caldera's groundwater to create the quintessential Aso sake. The white walls of the Man'enkura storehouse house enormous sake tanks. The sake within, Reizan, is brewed in a three-step process (san-dan jikomi) and is only available in the winter. Although many breweries are creating more and more aromatic sakes due to the popularity of ginjo sake, Reizan's traditional style remains unchanged out of respect for the brewers and their loyal customers. We hope you will join in learning about Yumamura Shuzo sake brewing journey and their storied history in Kumamoto.