The Traditional Image of Sake Gets a Trendy Rebirth at Ohmine Shuzou Brewery

Premium Craft Sake Brewed With Passion and Innovation in Yamaguchi Prefecture

Within the tradition-bound, age-old sake industry in Japan, there is a small brewery in Mine City, Yamaguchi Prefecture shaking things up. Adopting innovative ideas while preserving traditional techniques, the Ohmine Shuzou sake brewery aims to reintroduce the allure of sake to a new generation of connoisseurs. 

Although it is a new brand, Ohmine Shuzou has a long history that goes all the way back to 1822. The original sake brewery was left empty for more than 5 decades after it ended operations in 1955. In 2010, continuing the brewery’s legacy, Takeshi Akiyama decided to reopen the company with a newborn image and help revive the sake industry. 

Unlike traditional sake breweries, the Ohmine Shuzou brand attracts with its minimalistic white-walled building and sophisticated sake bottle packaging. In a world of typically brown or green bottles with Japanese writing, the Ohmine sake bottles are sleek and feature a simple illustration of rice grains. 

The new brewhouse which opened in April 2018 has also become quite a travel attraction with the social media-loving crowd of today. 

However, despite the modern branding, the sake retains its roots. Making use of the abundance of pristine natural resources that surround Mine City, Ohmine’s premium sake is created with locally grown ‘Yamada Nishiki’ rice and pure spring water from the nearby Beppu Benten Pond. This water, also known as ‘Water for Gods’, flows out through the Akiyoshidai Plateau and is fabled to extend one’s life. 

The goodness of the ingredients used and the careful brewing process results in Ohmine’s signature brew that has the sweet fruity aroma of white peaches. This unique taste has quickly gained popularity and was even selected to be served to various world leaders at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2013 in Davos, Switzerland.

For a taste of the delicious Ohmine sake, pop by their stylish cafe that is surrounded by an idyllic mountainous landscape. You can try a flight of 3 sakes including the OHMINE 2GRAIN, OHMINE 3GRAIN and a seasonal brew. Besides sake, there is also a good selection of coffee and other beverages, and delectable desserts like ice cream for visitors. 

The brewery is not open to visitors for public tours but you can peep in and catch some of the brewing action going on through the windows. There is also a small shop where you can pick up some limited-edition merchandise.