Sake Hakurou

Tokoname, facing Ise Bay on the west side of Aichi Prefecture's Chita Peninsula, is a town that has developed as a ceramic production area known for Tokoname-yaki. Sawada Shuzo was founded here in 1848 (Kaei 1). Choosing a land blessed with water quality and transporting sake by ship to Nagoya and Tokyo, the history of "Hakurou" began.

In the Meiji period, the brewery established its own brewing test facility and actively engaged in research to prevent spoilage and achieve stable quality — including developing yeast-starter making with lactic acid addition. Today, with the "five-way good" of "good for workers, good for sellers, good for buyers, good for society, good for nature" as its management philosophy, the brewery's mission is to continue brewing the "five goods" — not only for brewery workers, but including the region and natural environment.

In brewing, careful koji-making is done using koji-buta (koji lid trays), and rice such as the local Aichi-grown sake rice "Wakamizu" is used to pursue a sake quality with umami that pairs with meals. In addition to junmai, ginjo, and freshly pressed limited sake, the brand delivers the blessings of fermentation in diverse forms — including the plum wine "Hakurou-bai" made by preparing Sori plums with straw-ash water and soaking them in sake, as well as sake lees, syrups, and seasonings such as vinegar, soy sauce, and miso. Through the brewery's direct sales shop and brewery tours (subject to availability), it also focuses on creating places where sake, land, and people are connected.

A sake brewery rooted in the fermentation culture of Tokoname on the Chita Peninsula

Tokoname, where the brewery is located, is known as the production area of "Tokoname-yaki," one of Japan's Six Ancient Kilns. In a town where the history of maritime trade prosperity intersects with fermentation culture, the brewery continues sake brewing leveraging local water and rice.

"DNA of evolution and inheritance" — Technology that supported sokujo fermentation

In the Meiji period, the brewery established its own brewing test facility and took on the challenge of yeast-starter making with lactic acid addition to prevent spoilage. As a brewery involved in the technology that became the foundation of the current yeast-starter method "sokujo," it has worked on quality improvement with both tradition and innovation as the two wheels.

Five-way-good management philosophy and food-pairing sake that accompanies daily life

Under the "five-way good" of "good for workers, good for sellers, good for buyers, good for society, good for nature," the brewery brews sake looking toward a future where people, region, and nature circulate abundantly. Centered on rich, dry sake savored with meals, it pursues sake quality that accompanies the emotions of consumers.

Fermentation products extending to Hakurou-bai, sake lees, and seasonings

In addition to junmai and ginjo sake, the brand develops the plum wine "Hakurou-bai" using Sori plums from Chita City, as well as plum syrup, cooking sake, and seasonings such as vinegar, soy sauce, and miso. The wisdom of fermentation unique to a sake brewery is delivered to every corner of the dining table.