Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten

清水清三郎商店

Suzuka, Mie

Brewery of the famous award-winning “Zaku” brand. Founded in 1869, Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten is located in Suzuka, which is blessed with limpid subterranean water from the nearby mountain ranges and high-quality rice from the Ise Plain. The brewery aims for a light sake that smoothly harmonizes with food, in pursuit of sake that fits with today's diverse dining styles.

Founded	1869
Brands	Zaku, Suzukagawa
Website	https://seizaburo.jp/en/zaku/

People History Products Visit

People

People behind the scenes

Tomohiro Uchiyama

Shinichiro Shimizu

Biography

Suzuka native. Studied biochemistry at technical college in Nagoya after which he started his brewing career.

President of Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten.

Toji's Mission

“We put our whole heart and soul into making sake – when it's finished, we don't want to have any regrets about what we should have done.”

Uchiyama’s goal is to craft a sake that can be enjoyed everywhere by everyone. With the commitment to improving his craft, he not only learns from tradition, but also actively participates in study groups and industry events.

History

Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten, founded in 1869, is located in Suzuka, which is famous for its Formula One race track. In this region, which is blessed with limpid subterranean water from the Suzuka Mountains and high-quality rice from the Ise Plain, the brewing industry has long flourished. But many of these breweries have been forced out of business, and Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten is now the only brewery in Suzuka.

The brewery uses mainly Mie rice grown by local contract farmers and brews on a small scale all year round. The brewery aims to craft a light sake that smoothly harmonizes with food, in pursuit of sake that fits with today's diverse cuisines. Hidetoshi Nakata, a former member of the Japanese national soccer team, fell in love with the taste and visited the brewery.