Nakayama Honke Shuzojo

Nagayama Honke Shuzojo, founded in 1888 in Ube, Yamaguchi, is a brewery that underwent a major transformation under fifth-generation owner Takahiro Nagayama. In order to revive the struggling family business, he shifted decisively toward junmai sake and launched the new flagship brand “Takki.” Through his studies at a brewing institute in Hiroshima, exposure to sake retailers, and visits to European wineries, Nagayama developed a philosophy of sake as an agricultural product that expresses the land. He later established an agricultural corporation to grow sake rice in-house. Centering production on Yamaguchi-grown Yamadanishiki and medium-hard water rich in minerals from the Akiyoshidai region, the brewery has also embraced kimoto brewing in recent years, pursuing sake that reflects local identity while looking toward sustainability.