For over 160 years, Hananomai Sake Brewery has stood along a charming stone-paved street near Koshinji Temple, crafting sake with a deep respect for Shizuoka’s local rice and water…

A 5-minute walk from Tenryu Hamanako Railroad’s Miyaguchi Station.

Hananomai Sake Brewery has stood for 160 years along a charming stone-paved street leading to Kōshin-ji Temple.

Hananomai’s locally brewed sake, made right here in Miyaguchi, has earned high praise—winning the Gold Award at the Japan Sake Awards for three consecutive years.

Hananomai Sake: Crafted with a Passion for Rice and Water

Hananomai’s dedication to sake brewing lies in using 100% Shizuoka-grown rice and underground water sourced from the Southern Alps.

At Hananomai Sake Brewery, only high-quality rice grown in Shizuoka Prefecture is used—including Yamada Nishiki, a premium sake rice cultivated in western Shizuoka.

The water essential to the brewing process comes from pure underground springs fed by the Southern Alps.

With soft water ideal for sake brewing and high-quality local rice, Hananomai uses its well-equipped brewery and the expertise of its master brewers to craft exceptional local sake.

In addition to their classic local sake, their seasonal limited editions are also very popular, with some selling out every year and eagerly awaited by many fans.

History of Hananomai Sake Brewery

Founded in 1864, Hananomai Sake Brewery was started by its first master brewer, Ichisaburo Takata, in Miyaguchi, Aratama Village, Totomi Province.

This year marks its 160th anniversary.

The historic Hananomai Sake Brewery is now led by its fourth-generation head, Mr. Kennojō Takata.

The company operates its headquarters and brewery in Miyaguchi, Hamana Ward, Hamamatsu City, as well as branch offices in Shizuoka and Tokyo, and a directly managed store at Hamamatsu Station’s Ekimachi shopping area.

In 1951, the company changed its name to the current “Hananomai Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.” and expanded its operations.

The name “Hananomai” is said to be derived from “Hananomai,” a traditional dedication dance passed down through generations along the Tenryu River system.

The word “Hana” (flower) represents the rice blossoms, which are vital for life, and carries the meaning of praying for a bountiful harvest.

In 1991, for the first time, Hananomai appointed a master brewer, known as a “Toji,” from among its employees—marking the birth of Toji Tsuchida.

In the following year, 1992, Hananomai completed a sake brewed with the locally grown sake rice “Gohyakumangoku,” which went on to win the Gold Award at the Japan Sake Awards.

Since then, Hananomai Sake Brewery has won numerous awards at sake competitions, meeting the high expectations of sake lovers as one of Hamamatsu’s leading local sake producers.

Master Brewer Kazuhito Tsuchida became a Toji at the young age of 33 and has held the position for 33 years. Here are his thoughts as an honorary Toji.

Kazuhito Tsuchida, who was promoted from employee to master brewer, used to split his time between helping his family’s beekeeping business in Hokkaido during the summer and sake brewing in the winter—balancing two very different worlds.

He left the beekeeping business and joined Hananomai Sake Brewery as a full-time employee at the age of 20.

He was promoted to Toji—the master brewer who oversees the entire sake brewing process—at age 33, and has preserved the traditional flavors for the past 33 years.

At that time, most master brewers (“Toji”) at sake breweries were experienced veterans around 70 years old.

Being only 33, Tsuchida was met with concern from those around him, who wondered if he was ready for the role.

However, just a year after becoming Toji, he achieved notable success by winning the Gold Award at the Japan Sake Awards, contributing significantly to the growth of Hananomai Sake Brewery.

He currently serves as the honorary Toji of Hananomai Sake Brewery, working alongside younger master brewers and brewery staff to craft delicious local sake.

Honorary Toji Tsuchida, who loves all living things, says that the yeast—an essential part of sake brewing—is a charming living creature in its own right.

Honorary Toji Tsuchida says, “We carefully listen to the fermentation of the yeast that shapes the flavor of the sake and create delicious local sake through a dialogue with it.”

He shared, “Our job is to bring out the best flavor from the rice that farmers have carefully grown. If we don’t, it would be unfair to both the farmers and the rice itself. The quality of the rice can vary depending on factors like sunlight—some years it holds more water, others it’s harder. We carefully assess these differences and put our heart into brewing the finest sake possible.”

\Sake Pressing Experience & Tasting/

Click here for Hananomai Experience Tour

Hananomai Sake Brewery Popular Rankings

Hananomai offers a wide variety of sake, including Junmai Daiginjo, Daiginjo, Junmai Ginjo, Ginjo, Junmai, Honjozo, Nama-zake, and seasonal limited editions.

Including shochu, lightly sparkling sake, liqueurs, taru sake, sake lees, and amazake, Hananomai offers products in 14 different categories.

Now, let’s take a look at the most popular sake at Hananomai Sake Brewery!

No.1 Super dry junmai sake

The “Super Dry Junmai Sake” expresses its dryness through sharp acidity. It offers a refreshing aroma reminiscent of green apples, combined with the rich fragrance of rice.

This is Hananomai Sake Brewery’s most popular local sake.

No.2 Honjozo Dry Sake

This “Honjozo Dry Sake” can be enjoyed warm or chilled.

This Honjozo, inheriting the traditional dry style, is a popular product known for its clean taste, crisp finish, and rich flavor.

No.3 Honjozo Tsuu

“Honjozo Tsuu” features the rich aroma of rice, with a smooth throat feel balanced perfectly between sweetness and dryness. It offers a refreshing taste that never gets tiring.

No. 4: Puchi Shuwa Chobitto Kanpai Series

(A total of 6 varieties: Sake, Melon, Strawberry, Blueberry, Yuzu, and Lemon)

The “Puchi Shuwa Chobitto Kanpai Series” is a lightly sparkling sake that even those who don’t usually drink alcohol can enjoy.

The natural sweetness of the rice and a moderate acidity blend well with the fruit ingredients, creating an easy-to-drink type of sake.

Hananomai Sake Brewery Tour: No Reservation Needed for Groups of 10 or Fewer

Hananomai Sake Brewery also offers tours of their brewery!

The “Hananomai Sake Brewery Tour,” which includes a brewery visit and sake tasting, is available without a reservation for groups of 10 or fewer.

Best of all, it’s  free!

This popular brewery tour attracts around 20,000 visitors each year! 🎉

・Tour Hours: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM

・Duration: Approximately 30 to 60 minutes

・Fee: Free

After the tour, enjoy sake tasting inside the brewery’s direct sales shop.

Hananomai Experience Tour — One-of-a-Kind Sake Brewing (Reservation Required)

For those looking to enjoy a more hands-on and authentic sake brewing experience, we recommend the “Hananomai Experience Tour.”

The “Hananomai Experience Tour” offers a sake pressing experience and tasting.

This tour is by reservation only.

・Held twice daily (①10:15 AM and ②2:15 PM)

・Approximately 60-minute experience

・Minimum participants: 1 person

・Fee: 3,300 yen (tax included)

Click here to make a reservation

The “Hananomai Experience Tour” includes a 720ml bottle of “moromi sake” that you press yourself.

After the fresh sake pressing experience, enjoy a tasting session in the dedicated lounge.

Enjoy a special time that can only be experienced at the brewery! ☆

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Hana-no-mai Experience Tour

A Message to Our Readers from Honorary Toji Kazuhito Tsuchida

At Hananomai Sake Brewery, you can also enjoy tasting a variety of their sake.

We warmly welcome you to visit us!

￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣

We have introduced Hananomai Sake Brewery.

In addition to delicious local sake, Hananomai offers a wide range of products including shochu, lightly sparkling sake, and non-alcoholic amazake.

Some of their products are also available in their online shop, so be sure to check it out! ☆

Hananomai Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.

Address: 632 Miyaguchi, Hamamatsu City, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture

phone: 053-582-2121

Official Site: https://hananomai.co.jp/

Online store: https://hananomai-shop.com/

Photo courtesy of Hananomai Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.