Akishika Shuzo

Osaka is the second smallest prefecture in Japan, with an area of only 1,892 km2. It’s neighbours are the prefectures of Hyogo and Kyoto in the North, Nara in the East and Wakayama in the South.  Surrounded by mountains to the North, East and South, Osaka Prefecture faces Osaka Bay to the West and is blessed with weather that is generally mild, but that also has four distinct seasons. The Yodo and Yamato Rivers flow through the prefecture and expansive alluvial plains extend around the Yodo River estuary running into Osaka Bay.  Osaka is part of the Kansai region of Japan’s main island Honshu which covers a broad area including the neighbouring cities of Kobe, Kyoto and Nara.  Sake brewing in Osaka began in the Middle ages.

Akishika Shuzo was founded in Osaka prefecture in 1886 and under the present 6th generation Kuramoto [Brewery Owner] this tiny brewery is creating some of Japan’s most exceptional and unique sake. Hiroaki Oku is the Kuramoto at Akishika and his belief and skill in creating quality sake shows in every bottle. His son Kotaro Oku is the Toji [Master Brewer].

Oku Hiroaki

Most sake brewers buy their rice – some from contracted farmers, most from unknown sources. “From our own fields to bottle” is the motto of Akishika Shuzō, where 6th-generation kuramoto Oku Hiroaki made a decision to take the brewery as close as it gets to being self-sustained for rice production.

Akishika Shuzo own around 50 acres of rice fields with the remaining rice sourced from 20 local farmers. All of the rice is grown by Oku-san and the local farmers is done so organically. Akishika since 2000 have shunned the use of herbicides, pesticides and agricultural chemicals preferring to work organically in their fields. Oku-san makes his own natural fermented fertiliser by reusing the byproducts of rice growing and sake brewing. Utilising rice husks, rice straw, rice bran, sake lees and re-fermenting them. This natural byproduct is then used in the rice cultivation process the following year.

Breaking with the production methods of postwar Japan and going against the trend of the time, Oku-san was one of the initial pioneers of junmaishu, sake made without any additives; and in 2009, he achieved the goal of the brewery’s entire production being made that way. Akishika ages a big part of their production until it reaches perfect drinking condition, allowing them to offer an unrivaled variety of matured sake.

Using their unique fermentation method of dissolving a very high portion of the fermentation rice into the brew while maintaining low amino acid levels, Akishika’s sake is medium-bodied yet very flavorful, complex, and layered.