Founded in 1773, Tosatsuru Sake Brewery produces "light and delicious dry sake." They are one of the few in the prefecture to have their own rice milling factory, and have a system in place that allows them to adjust the rice milling ratio according to the desired quality of sake. They use underground water from the Yasuda River for brewing. They sample underground water pumped from seven wells managed by the brewery to select the most suitable water.
The Tenpyo Brewery produces designated sake such as Daiginjo sake and Junmai sake, while the Senju Brewery produces regular sake such as "Freshly Squeezed New Sake." Each brewery has its own facilities with the optimal environment for each process, ensuring thorough quality control.

In recent years, against the backdrop of a decline in sake consumption, the brewery has been focusing on rebranding its ordinary sake and developing products other than sake. It is also focusing on promoting its products to younger generations and women. We spoke to President Hiromatsu about the appeal of Tosatsuru Brewery and his vision for the future.

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Yoshihisa Hiromatsu, President and CEO of Tosatsuru Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.

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He is the 11th generation head brewer. Before joining his family business, Tosatsuru Sake Brewery, he worked in the advertising industry. He now uses his accumulated experience to focus on public relations activities and marketing. His favorite Tosatsuru product is the "Freshly Squeezed New Sake," which has a fresh taste and is especially enjoyable as a drink with food.

Sake brewing that breathes history and innovation

Tosatsuru Sake Brewery was founded in 1773. Initially, the company brewed sake while also running forestry and shipping businesses, but in 1845 it decided to focus on sake brewing. It is a long-established sake brewery with a long history that will celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2023.
Tosatsuru has spent many years perfecting the quality of its light, dry sake, but when asked about the turning point that occurred over that long period, President Hiromatsu said, "The eighth-generation master brewer, Ikeda, who has also been selected as a contemporary master brewer, had a lot to do with it."

Based on the advice of Toji Ikeda, the brewery was one of the first in the prefecture to introduce efficient brewing equipment while firmly adhering to the company motto of "quality first" that has been passed down through generations.
In 8, the company opened Senjugura, which brews ordinary sake, and in 12, Tenpyogura, which brews designated sake. They established a brewing system that prioritizes quality, and pursued both further quality improvements and efficiency.
These efforts have paid off, with Tosatsuru winning 50 gold medals at the National New Sake Tasting Competition, Japan's only official sake contest. Its reputation has spread overseas, and the brand is now exported to over 25 countries, including Europe, the US, and China, making Tosatsuru's appeal known both at home and abroad.

Sake brewing that is in tune with the Tosa climate

"Kochi Prefecture is blessed with abundant nature and an abundance of fresh ingredients caught from the sea, mountains, and rivers. We have refined the quality of our sake to accompany a variety of dishes, including local dishes such as seared bonito and country sushi, which use these ingredients. The appeal of Tosatsuru is its clean mouthfeel, soft flavor, and smooth finish," says President Hiromatsu.
Tosatsuru has many commitments to achieving the quality it seeks, including the fact that it owns its own rice milling factory, which is rare in the prefecture. It uses around 13 types of sake rice, including Kochi Prefecture-grown rice such as "Gin no Yume" and "Tosa Rei," and carefully polishes them depending on the desired quality of sake.
For brewing water, the company carefully selects the most suitable water, drawing underground water from the Yasuda River from seven wells owned by the company.

"We take great care with all the processes in sake brewing to ensure that our company motto of 'Quality First' is adhered to, but we pay particular attention to making koji and shubo in particular. Some processes have been mechanized to increase production efficiency without compromising quality, but making koji and shubo requires extremely delicate work as they change with temperature and the passage of time. This is the one area where skilled manual techniques cannot be beaten. This is an area where we value old-fashioned hand-made brewing," says President Hiromatsu.

Tosatsuru wants to share a new way to enjoy sake

The proportion of sake in total domestic alcohol consumption has fallen to about 5% in recent years, and President Hiromatsu felt a sense of crisis as the trend away from sake continued unabated.
Even if Tosatsuru is confident in its deliciousness, it is meaningless if no one actually tries it. That is why they came up with the regular sake "Kaori Regular," which was released in April 2025 as a sake that "redefines regular sake."
"Kaori Regular" is a sake developed with the concept of "Every day is a special day" and is meant to bring a little happiness to special occasions as well as the hectic moments of everyday life.

When asked about its features, he said, "The packaging features the symbolic character for 'ka' (fragrance), which looks somewhat like a flower or the snake-eye pattern found on sake cups. We were conscious of creating a unique and easy-to-pick-up design. The sake has a gorgeous fragrance and a light-bodied taste."
He continued, "I want people to try it and realize that there is such a fruity and pleasant-to-drink regular sake. I would especially like people who don't usually drink much sake to try it. From the second glass onwards, I would like people to enjoy it freely, without being bound by convention, such as on the rocks or with soda, and experience the charm of Tosatsuru and sake."

3 Recommended Tosazuru Products

① Daiginjo Genshu Tenpei

This handmade Daiginjo unpasteurized sake is bottled directly from the storage barrels. It has a gorgeous ginjo aroma and a rich, full-bodied flavor. It is a perfect bottle for special occasions or as a gift.
Rice polishing ratio: 40% or less / Alcohol content: 18% / Sake meter value: +5 / Acidity: 1.4

② Dry Junmai Ginjo Sake Meitsuru Tosatsuru

The name of this sake comes from the proverb "The cries of the nine cranes reach the heavens." It is a dry sake with a clean taste and a light texture. It pairs well with simmered or grilled dishes, making it a perfect sake to drink with meals.
Rice polishing ratio: 50% / Alcohol content: 15% / Sake meter value: +6 / Acidity: 1.5

③ Regular scent

It has a gorgeous aroma reminiscent of apples and pears and a soft umami flavor. The light acidity finishes the drink, making it enjoyable to drink over and over again without tiring you out. It pairs well with a wide range of Japanese, Western, and Chinese cuisine, making it ideal for everyday use.
Rice polishing ratio: 70% / Alcohol content: 12% / Sake meter value: +4 / Acidity: 1.1

Communicating the charm of Tosatsuru in various ways

When asked about his future prospects, he said, "I would like to promote Tosatsuru sake to a wider range of people, and use the growth of Tosatsuru as an opportunity to give back to the local community and attract more tourists to Kochi Prefecture. To do that, we need to get people interested in it from all different angles."

Regarding product development other than sake, he said, "Until now, we have sold liqueurs made with yuzu and bergamot from Kochi Prefecture, and we plan to continue developing new products using Kochi's specialty products. When we set up a booth at the Yosakoi Festival held in Kochi Prefecture, we sold shaved ice made from frozen amazake and liqueur, so that even people who don't like sake could become more familiar with it. We would like to take on new challenges like this without hesitation." He looks forward to the future.

The company is also focusing on public relations activities through events and social media. "In 2023, to celebrate our 250th anniversary, we held an opening event where we offered Tosatsuru cold sake, hot sake, and liqueurs, and had a local gourmet booth selling merchandise. In addition to our regular customers, we had many female and young people in attendance, and the response to the event was greater than we expected. In order to attract new customers, we believe that events, as well as social media outreach, are important," says President Hiromatsu.

Tosatsuru Sake Brewery is popular in Kochi Prefecture for its light, delicious sake. While preserving traditional sake brewing methods, the company is working together with President Hiromatsu to meet the changing needs of consumers, and will continue to spread the word about the greatness of Tosatsuru and new ways to enjoy sake to as many people as possible.