Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, is home to the Shonai Plain, one of Japan's leading rice-producing regions.
Located in a tranquil rural setting, Ouu Jiman is the successor to the Sato Nizaemon Sake Brewery, which was founded in 1724 (Kyoho 9). Due to poor management and a lack of successors, the company once ceased sake brewing, but transferred the business to a sake brewery within the prefecture and was revived as Ouu Jiman in 2013.

The brewery will celebrate its 2024th anniversary in 300, and in February 2025, a new sake series was launched by two young people. We spoke to sales manager Kotaro Suzuki and production manager Masahide Ishizuka about the thoughts they put into the new series, which is filled with the history and culture of Tsuruoka.

I spoke to this person

Ouu Jiman Co., Ltd. Sales Department / Kotaro Suzuki (left) Manufacturing Department / Masahide Ishizuka (right)

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Suzuki Kotaro
As a sales representative, he communicates the appeal of his sake every day in cooperation with authorized dealers across Japan. "I think it's important to go out and see for myself how our sake is being consumed."
Masahide Ishizuka
In addition to sake, he is also responsible for the production of wine and cider that the company sells. "Sake eliminates waste, while wine gives body. We make sake by utilizing each of these ideas."

Fascinated by manufacturing and microorganisms

Both Suzuki from the sales department and Ishizuka from the manufacturing department came to Ouu Jiman after transferring from other industries.

Suzuki-san used to work as a field engineer in the semiconductor industry, where he had to make a lot of overseas business trips. He says that the COVID-19 outbreak was what made him consider a career change.

"Because COVID-19 has made it difficult to travel abroad, I started thinking about returning home. I have many classmates who work at sake breweries in my hometown of Sakata, and I had always heard that sake brewing was interesting. In my previous job, I had worked in the technology field, so I decided to change jobs to work at a sake brewery because I wanted to create things," said Suzuki.

After joining Ouu Jiman, he initially gained experience in sake brewing in the manufacturing department, but gradually his interest shifted to sales.
"Coming from outside the industry, I felt that the sake industry had a strong artisan-like mindset of 'if you make good sake, it will sell,' and that there was room for improvement in how it was promoted. Because we were making delicious sake, I wanted to get it out to more people, so I shifted my focus from production to sales." (Suzuki)

On the other hand, Mr. Ishizuka had worked in the meat processing industry for over 10 years, working in manufacturing, quality control and shipping. When he was thinking of moving his base to Tsuruoka City after the birth of his second child, he came across Ouu Jiman.

In addition to his original love of manufacturing, his motivation for joining the company was that he felt that the work of brewing sake using rice and water as ingredients and without additives had something in common with his previous job of making food products without additives. After joining the company, he was also intrigued by the unique way the sake industry thinks about microorganisms.
"When I worked in meat processing, I thought of bacteria as bad things. But in sake brewing, you create a comfortable environment for the koji mold and yeast so they can work energetically, and that's how you make sake. My way of thinking changed 180 degrees, and I became engrossed in the work." (Ishizuka)

"It's easy to quit, but hard to continue" - the words that became a turning point

Suzuki and Ishizuka, who have been in charge of the production and sales of "Wagauji," the flagship brand of [Ouu Jiman], began thinking up a plan for a new series in 2024, when the previous production manager left the position.
"We were going to be the ones to take the reins of the brewery, and we were worried about how to create a new 'Agashi.' That's when we decided that we should first learn about the roots of the brewery." (Suzuki)

The two had long been concerned that the history and ties with the local community that had been woven by the predecessor, Sato Nizaemon Sake Brewery, had been severed after the business transfer. They felt that the locals looked upon them coldly as "someone from outside is running it," and thought that it was precisely because they were starting on a negative note that they needed to learn about the history and background of the brewery. So they visited people who had known the area for a long time and asked them about what the brewery was like in the past, which marked a turning point.

"I learned that in the past, they made such high-quality sake that other breweries came to study with them. On the other hand, I also heard some harsh words like, 'It's easy to quit, but hard to continue. Ouu Jiman once stopped brewing sake, so it will be even harder for you to continue brewing from now on.' Hearing this, I felt the desire to make sake that embodies the history and culture of my hometown, Tsuruoka, because I had once lost my connection with it." (Suzuki)

Yet another turning point was the event to celebrate the 2024th anniversary of the company's founding, held in July 7. After transferring the business, the company was frustrated that it had not been able to build ties with the local community, but the 300th anniversary festival was held in a time when more local people participated and supported the company than expected. "If we could just get started, we could build good relationships with the local people again." This realization strengthened his desire to express Tsuruoka through sake.

The 300th anniversary celebrations were packed with people

Local pride in sake

Thus, the "wagauji" series was born, based on the existing "Wagauji Fresh & Juicy" and inspired by the history and culture of Tsuruoka. The three varieties released so far are inspired by the Ogi Festival, which has been held in Tsuruoka for over 3 years, bungee jumping, and surfing, both of which are said to have originated in Tsuruoka.
"I associate a flavor with the motif, and then I choose the rice and yeast that can express that flavor. As the climate and sake brewing conditions change every day, I want to express the 'Tsuruoka of today,' so I don't pasteurize or filter the sake, and I stick to making unfiltered raw sake that is as close to fresh as possible." (Ishizuka)

Even though they express the history and culture that has been handed down for generations, the two believe that it is necessary to be conscious of "remaking" it into a modern style rather than simply tracing it. Therefore, the quality of the sake is based on a modern and fresh type, and the label design and product name are different from the traditional image of sake so that it is easy for the younger generation to pick up.

The design features motifs arranged within a square frame reminiscent of a "window" reflecting the scenery of Tsuruoka. When connected together, it looks like a "film" that holds the memories of Tsuruoka.

As he researched the history and culture of Tsuruoka with the aim of expressing it as alcohol, he discovered many aspects of the "pride of Tsuruoka" that he had not noticed in his previous life.
"We aim to spread the word about the great things about Tsuruoka through alcohol, not just to locals but to people outside the area as well," says Suzuki.

Three unique brands from the wagauji series

The wagauji series currently has three products on sale. From next year onwards, more are planned to be released for each season.

God Fes／February
It is said that the Sato Nizaemon Sake Brewery, the predecessor of Ouu Jiman, started out by offering sake for the Kurokawa Noh performances at the Ougi Festival. Returning to its origins, this sake was released in February to coincide with the Ougi Festival. The name was chosen to convey the meaning of "a festival dedicated to the gods."

Dive to Future / April
The first bungee jump in Japan was located in Asahi Village, Yamagata Prefecture (now Tsuruoka City), so the image of "jumping" was used to convey the desire to encourage people who are taking on new challenges.

Aerial/May
The motif is Yunohama Beach, the birthplace of surfing culture, where a poem was written about children riding waves on boards during the Edo period. The name includes the technical term for surfing, "aerial," and aims to create a refreshing feeling that is perfect for the hot summer.

Expressing Tsuruoka, the evolution of sake

Sales of the wagauji series have been good since the first "God Fes" was released in February 2025. The innovative label designs are often posted on social media, and the company is pleased to see that they have struck a chord with the younger generation of its target audience.

We asked the two, who feel they have made solid progress, about their outlook for the future.

"I'd like to increase the variety even further, and release about 10 varieties in total. My creative desire is stirred; 10 wouldn't be enough to express everything that Tsuruoka has to offer. Of course, the reaction from customers is great, but what makes me happiest is when our employees say they want to drink it. I want to create sake that excites not only the outside of the brewery, but also the inside, and that excites everyone, brewers, sellers, and drinkers." (Ishizuka)

"Some say that the modern types of sake that have become more common recently are just a passing trend, but I don't think that's the case. Sake is strongly linked to food culture, but today's food culture is very different from that of 100 years ago. With an increase in strong-flavored dishes and Western cuisine, fresh sake quality that stands up to food is the evolution of sake. Just as the food that goes with sake and the way it is drunk have changed, we want to pass on sake to future generations by continuing to change without fear." (Suzuki)

The new series "wagauji" expresses rediscovered local pride with a modern sensibility, in an attempt to re-weave ties with the region that were once severed. Through their sake, I learned for the first time about the Ougi Festival that has been passed down for many years, and that Tsuruoka is the birthplace of bungee jumping and surfing. I look forward to seeing how the unknown "Tsuruoka" will be expressed in the next series.

Living in Niigata Prefecture / Master of sake sommelier, sake sommelier, shochu sommelier I worked for a government agency supporting the export of food products, including sake, and now I work as a freelance writer. I like sake, which has a pronounced sweet and sour flavor, and craft sake made with unique additional ingredients. https://www.foriio.com/k-urabe