They named their sake “Zaku” (which means “the work”) to express their feeling that sake brewing does not end with bottling the beverage. The work is continued by the liquor store that sells it, the restaurant that serves it, and the connoisseur who drinks it. Zaku is also popular with Gundam fans.

History

Founded in 1869, the brewery takes advantage of the pristine subterranean water and fertile fields of the Ise Plain – Mie Prefecture – despite which it is the only one to remain operating in the Suzuka region. A commitment to locally-grown rice and small-scale batch brewing, and dedication to craft sake that matches with a variety of modern cuisines, have earned them a legion of fans, including football player Hidetoshi Nakata.

Committment

The history of Suzuka’s sake is ancient. In fact, its origins date back to the era of myths. “An Uma-sake (delicious sake) in Suzuka Country” is included in the “Yamatohime-no-mikoto Seiki” (written in about the year 768). This compilation tells the story of how Yamatohime-no-mikoto determined the proper location for the Ise Shrine under the direction of Amaterasu Ohmikami (the Sun Goddess).From this we can see that it was widely acknowledged among the people of those days that the sake of Suzuka, obtainable along the way from the capital to the Ise Shrine, was really delicious.The young Toji (chief brewer), born and raised in Suzuka, continues to brew delicious sake and makes his best efforts to live up to the historical stories.

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