Brewery History
Niigata Daiichi Shuzo’s predecessor, Kameya Brewery, was born in 1922 in Uragawara Village, Niigata, before merging with three other breweries in 1963 to become the brewery it is today. It would be joined by a fifth brewery two years later, and had a capacity of over 5000 koku (over 900,000 litres). Its first president Masamitsu Murayama was the nephew of influential Japanese writer Ango Sakaguchi.
However, the brewery had downsized to 300 koku (approximately 54,000 litres) and 4 employees by 1999. To adapt to the change in scale, the sales manager and current president Yoshinori Takeda established and took on the position of brewery supervisor. By 2006, the brewery had replaced its traditional system in which each step of the process was handled by a specialist, to one where employees were involved in all areas, from brewing to delivery.
Regionality
Surrounded by rice fields, Niigata Daiichi Shuzo is located in Joetsu, south-west Niigata. The brewery uses subterranean river water sourced from a spring in a neighbouring mountain and its rice from dedicated rice fields. It has commissioned the growth of Gohyakumangoku since 2004 and Koshitanrei since 2006. The reliable abundance of these local materials coupled with the brewery’s employment strategy allows Niigata Daiichi Shuzo to focus on brewing their best sake.
