Brewery History
Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten was founded in 1869 in Suzuka, Mie Prefecture by Mr. Seizaburo Shimizu, the owner of a fishing company. At the time, Suzuka was blessed with the resources and conditions necessary for brewing sake, to the point it was once known as “the land of good sake.” Despite all the past competiton, Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten remains as the only brewery in Suzuka city as of today.
The brewery currently boasts master brewer (toji) Mr. Tomohiro Uchiyama, a Suzuka native. He joined the world of sake brewing after studying biotechnology at a technical college in Nagoya, and his talents have bloomed recently, winning him prestigious awards in sake competitions every year. Despite his national and international recognition, Mr. Uchiayama continues to improve his craft by actively participating in industry events and study groups, aiming to produce a sake that can be enjoyed by anyone, anywhere.
Regionality
Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten is located in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture. The area is currently famous as the location of the Suzuka Circuit race course, but in the past was known as “the land of good sake”. The earliest mention of this is in the ancient book “The Record of the Times of Yamato-hime-no-mikoto”, in which the titular character finds the site where the Grand Ise Shrine still stands today and declares “I hail from Suzuka, the land of umasake”.
The reason for this title can be attributed to the landscape and natural resources of the area: subterranean rivers flow from the Suzuka Mountains down to the Ise Plain, where high quality rice has been grown since long ago. These waters and grains are still used today by the brewery and they show their appreciation for the richness of the land at the annual festival held at the Shinto Kawamata Shrine.
