Fukumitsuya

Fukumitsuya's history dates back to 1625, when it began brewing sake in the Ishibiki district of Kanazawa. Alongside the food culture of Kanazawa — which flourished as the castle town of the Kaga domain — it has pursued "sake brewing faithful to rice and water" for around 400 years.

A major turning point was its move into contract-farmed rice, begun in 1960. Working with farmers from the soil up, the brewery reexamined its sake rice and built a system to secure high-quality brewing rice reliably. By using "Hyakunensui" — groundwater that takes a hundred years to reach the brewery from the foot of sacred Mt. Haku — as its brewing water, it established a framework devoted to ingredients from the very start.

The natural extension of this was "all-junmai brewing," achieved in 2001. All of its sake became junmai, junmai ginjo and junmai daiginjo, made with only rice and water. Rather than relying on mass production or added alcohol, it continues to pursue a sake quality that draws on the umami of rice and the depth of fermentation.

Its signature labels include "Fukumasamune," a staple table sake; "Kagatobi," dry and sharp; and "Kuroobi," enjoyed for its maturity and umami. Beyond sake — including long-aged sake, premium series and seasonal releases — the brewery also offers koji amazake, fermented rice milk, and rice-fermentation cosmetic brands such as "Aminorice" and "FRENAVA," sharing the appeal of rice-fermentation culture both at home and abroad.

Kanazawa's oldest sake brewery, founded in 1625

Founded in 1625 in the early Edo period, Fukumitsuya has brewed sake for around 400 years. As the oldest brewery in Kanazawa, it continues to take on new challenges while cherishing locally rooted rice and water and the skill of its artisans.

"Hyakunensui" — brewing water nurtured over a century

Snow and rain that fall at the foot of sacred Mt. Haku are filtered through geological layers over a hundred years before reaching the brewery's well as the pristine groundwater "Hyakunensui" (century water). With its excellent mineral balance, this water is used for all brewing, supporting a flavor that is gentle yet firm at its core.

A commitment to contract-farmed rice and all-junmai brewing

Since 1960, Fukumitsuya has worked with farmers from the soil up, beginning contract cultivation of premium sake rice. In 2001 it switched all of its sake to "all-junmai brewing" — made with only rice and water — becoming the first large-scale brewery to declare itself a junmai brewery.

Rice-fermentation technology across sake, fermented foods and cosmetics

Applying rice-fermentation technology cultivated over many years, the brewery has expanded beyond sake into koji amazake, fermented rice milk, lactic-acid drinks, seasonings, sweets, and even skincare cosmetics formulated with rice-fermentation liquid. It delivers "the power of rice" from both inside and out.