Watanabe Brewery




The Watanabe family began brewing sake in 1870 under the fifth generation, Akira Kyuemon.

Unable to forget the deliciousness of the sake he tasted while traveling to Kyoto for his raw silk business, he set up a sake brewery in the area where he lived and began brewing sake with a single focus on producing delicious sake.

The brewery is currently headed by Yoshiki Watanabe, 6th generation brewer. When asked, "What is important in sake brewing?", The answer was immediately answered, "Protecting the rice fields in Nechi Valley." In Nechi Valley, where the sake brewery is located, our staff works on everything from rice farming to sake brewing. We brew rare domaine-style sake that reflects the characteristics of sake brewing rice "Gohyakumangoku" and "Koshitanrei", which are unique to the Nechi Valley in Niigata prefecture. We steadily handle everything from the seed paddy stage to the finishing of sake with our own hands. Make soil, cultivate the soil, sow seeds, grow seedlings, plant in rice fields, grow and harvest, and use the rice to make sake.