ABOUT FUKUMITSUYA
Sake is a product of nature, and we believe that human should play a supporting role in bringing out the highest quality sakes possible through a natural fermentation process. Toji, head sake brewer, and Kurabito, brewery workers, always respect Mother Nature, and improve what nature has provided in sake making. Our brewers are committed to making pure Junmai sake.
Hyakunensui, one-hundred-year-old water in English and water used to brew our sakes, begins as rain and snow falling at the foot of the Mt. Hakusan. This water spends at least 100 years slowly filtering through deep underground. It then reaches the well of our brewery, blessed with minerals that are necessary for fermentation. We thank the wonder of nature everyday.
In order to make the finest sakes, we need the finest sake rice. Since 1960, we have cooperated with sake-rice farmers to produce great sake rice to brew our sakes. Under strict quality control, Yamada Nishiki, the highest quality sake rice available today, is produced in Hyogo, Kimmon Nishiki in Nagano, Gohyakumangoku in Toyama and Fukunohana in Hyogo.
We have the old traditional sake-making skills the brewers have passed down from generation to generation, and we know the importance of maintaining and improving the skills to provide the taste of real sake to everyone. Our skilled brewers listen to what nature provides, and understand what to do. This process can never be replaced by machine.
The culture of Kanazawa flourished during the Edo period. Kanazawa became famous for its craftsmanship in kimono, gold beating, lacquer craft and ceramics. The town, surrounded by the sea and mountains, has also enjoyed rich food culture. Today, it is known as a modernized city with history of old traditional Japanese cultures still being enjoyed to this day.
The history of Fukumitsuya Sake Brewery starts in the Edo period in 1625. With the highest level of craftsmanship and traditional family secret recipe, the brewery has enjoyed a reputation as one of the finest sake breweries in the area. Today, without leaving the tradition behind, we are evolving into a sake brewery of the future.
Our Junmai sakes are rich in rice flavors and leave pleasant after-taste, and also make a great company with dishes. This is the taste we have been pursuing. Our mission is to provide great sakes to give our customers unforgettable sake experience, and we spare no effort to achieve a high level of customer satisfaction. We also continue to challenge consumer needs that have changed over time.
We make sakes using only fine quality sake rice and mineral water. With these natural ingredients and brewers' skills, our sakes are brought to perfection. In order to provide the best taste of sakes to our customers, we will continue to pursue to bring the highest quality sakes ever as "Junmai-Gura", the brewery that makes only Junmai sakes. This is our commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.
Hiromu Fukumitsu, who became the 12th owner of the brewery in 1947, had always wondered why there was no such thing as “aged” sake at that time. He visited the most renowned wine regions in Europe and returned home with the belief that aging should be a key factor to sake culture to achieve greater appreciation. In 1959, he started leading research on long-term aged sake, exploring how different types of sake rice and the fermentation process affect aging. Through this unprecedented initiative, “3-Year Aged Fukumasamune Old” was born in 1969. Fukumitsuya’s challenge passed on to the 13th owner, Matsutaro Fukumitsu. The brewery established two different types of aging process; one is “Nojuku” that is aged at room temperatures and the other is “Tanjuku” that is cellared at low temperatures. This approach led to launch of quality aged sake brands, “Momotose” and “Mizuho” in 1994 and “Hatsugokoro” in 1996.
