Niigata is home to over 90 sake breweries (more than any other prefecture in Japan) producing some of the highest quality sake in the country. It’s known for its “tanrei karakuchi” style, meaning light, dry, and crisp. A combination of fertile land for rice paddies, cold winters for fermentation, and heavy snowfall for pristine water (used in rice farming and brewing) make it the ideal location for sake production.
Nestled in the mountains in the village of Tochio in Nagaoka City is Koshimeijo Sake Brewery, where over three meters of snow normally accumulates and assists in maintaining a constant cool temperature in the brewery, ideal conditions for brewing sake.
