Like the region’s symbolic “Tai” (meaning sea bream in Japanese) that navigates the arduous straits of Akashi’s coast, our family-run brewery has survived against the fierce currents of time and change since 1856. Embodying this spirit, we persist in our commitment to producing exceptional sakes, created from local ingredients.
Pioneered by several generations, each Akashi-Tai sake is a reflection of the Yonezawa family’s undying love for their profession, now guided by our Toji, Sake Master, Kimio Yonezawa. Located in the port city of Akashi in southwest Japan, the brewery continues to produce sakes and liqueurs, as it has for over a century.
As others of his lineage have done so before him, Toji (Sake Master) Kimio Yonezawa, has devoted most of his life to overseeing each stage of the brewing process himself. From selecting the very best Gohyakumangoku and Yamadanishiki rice varietals to watching over the fermentation process in the night, he brings out the incredible character at the heart of his humble ingredients; the work of a true craftsman.
An innovator at heart, Kimio Yonezawa follows the way of “kakushin” (meaning radical innovation in Japanese), yet does so with absolute respect for the ingredients of the region, only ever making sake in small batches. This ensures uncompromising standards are followed by all, from those who tend to the fields and extract the purest grain, to those who mill, polish and steam each harvest.
As one of the longest-standing breweries of the region, the Akashi Sake Brewery stands proudly on the shore of Akashi City in Hyogo prefecture, one of Japan’s most renowned sake producing regions.
Channeling fresh water from local natural springs and cultivating the noble Yamadanishiki rice for complexity of flavour, we continue to honour the history of sake production, as well as the Akashi region — at the centre of a vibrant maritime culture and home to one of the country’s most famous fish markets.
Underlying Kimio Yonezawa’s philosophy is a very exact science, the committed manifesto of a master craftsman: “my goal is to create a sake with real personality” he says. “A luxurious, bodied, generous sake, with a lot of depth and great aromatic intensity, which makes you want to savour the tasting. I also wanted a sake that reveals its origins and the calming influences of the sea. I have spent much of my life searching for that magic moment, when the flavour of sake pairs with that of the food, creating a perfect balance.”
As each year’s harvest brings with it subtle changes in flavour and fortune, we continue to harness nature’s offerings.