Naebasan

Naeba Shuzo's history goes back to the end of the Meiji era, in 1907. Setting up a brewery in Shimofunato, Tsunan Town, Nakauonuma-gun, Niigata Prefecture, the brewery has brewed sake while facing the harsh yet bounty-rich natural environment of heavy-snow country. The brewing warehouse built in 1907 (Meiji 40) — symbol of the brewery — is still in active use today.

For brewing, the brewery adopts old methods such as wagama steaming and open fermentation. Meanwhile, the brewery doesn't neglect sake quality design matched to era preferences, nor hygiene and quality control updates — incorporating both tradition and modern technology in good balance. That stance lives within the careful small-batch brewing by local Echigo toji.

The flagship "Naebasan" is a local sake named after Mt. Naeba — one of Japan's 100 famous mountains. The flavor born from the clear brewing water nurtured in the heavy-snow mountain village and quality sake rice has long accompanied local people's lives. The brewery aims for a simple yet never-tiring sake that shows its true value only when enjoyed with food.

In recent years, the brewery has also started new challenges — the "Kamosu Mori" series with full aroma and sweet-tartness as a feature, and brewing using in-house kasutori shochu as a base. Through overseas exports and collaborations with restaurants, the brewery continues to share its character as a snow-country Tsunan brewery — at home and abroad.

Founded in 1907 in heavy-snow Tsunan

Naeba Shuzo is a local sake brewery founded in 1907 in Tsunan Town, Niigata Prefecture — known as one of Japan's leading heavy-snow regions. In a harsh environment where meters of snow accumulate in winter, the brewery continues region-rooted sake making — leveraging the famous water nurtured by snowmelt seeping into the earth, and quality rice.

Meiji-era brewing warehouse and old-style small-batch brewing

The wooden brewing warehouse built in 1907 (Meiji 40) is still in active use, brewing sake while preserving old methods — such as wagama steaming of rice and open fermentation. By committing to small-batch brewing that limits the amount brewed at once, the brewery pays careful attention to rice conditions and fermentation — producing a flavor that's soft yet has a core.

Flagship "Naebasan" and the new challenge "Kamosu Mori"

The flagship "Naebasan" has long been loved locally as a food-paired sake — brewed to aim for a richly potent, never-tiring flavor. Meanwhile, the "Kamosu Mori" series brings fresh aroma and sweet-tart flavor to the front, challenging new ways to enjoy sake. With tradition and challenge as twin wheels, the brewery is expanding its range.

Tsunan terroir residing in brewing water and rice

Rich subterranean water brought by heavy snow, and sake rice grown in the rice region of Niigata. Treasuring honestly leveraging this land's unique terroir, the brewery centers its sake making on local water and rice. The firm umami and crisp finish pair excellently with mountain vegetables, river fish, and snow-country regional cuisine.