Naminooto Sake Brewery 浪乃⾳

Located by the shores of Lake Biwa in Shiga, Naminooto Sake Brewery is a family-run small sake brewery that embodies the essence of Japanese craftsmanship and tradition. Founded in 1805, the name of the brewery was given by a high priest of Mount Hiei. Fast forward 200 years, the 10th generation Nakai brothers (Takashi, Hiroshi, and Satoshi) seamlessly blend modern technology with age-old techniques. Duties are shared between the three brothers which allow each person to focus on their own task at hand while supporting each other’s roles. 

“Kokonshinshu (古壷新酒)” which translates to “making new (or fresh) sake in an old pot” is a phrase very important to the brothers, allowing them to continually innovate and experiment with ideas while preserving the rich history. One such example is the sake named Te to Te, or Hand in Hand in English. This was actually the idea of Mitsuya Nakai, the next generation in line to run the brewery. Not a big sake drinker, he wanted to craft a style which is more approachable for people new to sake and the result is a more fresh, floral, softer type of sake using locally grown rice. Another example is the sake called Almost Shiga, which is a sake that is a varietal blend of different types of rice grown in Shiga (the current vintage 2024 was a 32-variety blend). This was an idea that spawned from the eldest of the Nakai brothers, Takashi, as he was thinking how a sake would taste if he were to blend every type of rice grown in Shiga, and has bloomed into an initiative which supports local rice farmers. There’s also a very tasty lineup of sake-based fruit liqueurs that are also produced and frequently sell out quickly.

Drawing on tradition, the brewery had always based production on the methods of the Noto Toji Guild. Master Toji, Taiichi Kanai, an industry veteran and said to be one of the best, helped the Nakai brothers at the age of 70 and worked with them for 7 years! Their Daiginjo is named in honour of the great Toji and was an award winner at the National Sake Competition. 

Naminooto is a small brewery and production is always in smaller batches but every bottle of sake is more than a beverage, it’s a reflection of the brothers’ dedication to their craft, their community, and their heritage. The sakes crafted are delicious and will continue to get even better. I’ll have to make sure to pick up a bottle when I can!