AKISHIKA SHUZO
OSAKA
Osaka is the second smallest prefecture in Japan, with an area of only 1,892 km2. It’s neighbours are the prefectures of Hyogo and Kyoto in the North, Nara in the East and Wakayama in the South. Surrounded by mountains to the North, East and South, Osaka Prefecture faces Osaka Bay to the West and is blessed with weather that is generally mild, but that also has four distinct seasons. The Yodo and Yamato Rivers flow through the prefecture and expansive alluvial plains extend around the Yodo River estuary running into Osaka Bay. Osaka is part of the Kansai region of Japan’s main island Honshu which covers a broad area including the neighbouring cities of Kobe, Kyoto and Nara. Sake brewing in Osaka began in the Middle ages.
Akishika Shuzo was founded in Osaka prefecture in 1886 and under the present 6th generation Kuramoto [Brewery Owner] this tiny brewery is creating some of Japan’s most exceptional and unique sake. Hiroaki Oku is the Kuramoto at Akishika and his belief and skill in creating quality sake shows in every bottle. His son Kotaro Oku is the Toji [Master Brewer]. Akishika Shuzo own around 50 acres of rice fields with the remaining rice sourced from 20 local farmers. All of the rice is grown by Oku-san and the local farmers is done so organically. Akishika since 2000 have shunned the use of herbicides, pesticides and agricultural chemicals preferring to work organically in their fields. Oku-san makes his own natural fermented fertiliser by reusing the byproducts of rice growing and sake brewing. Utilising rice husks, rice straw, rice bran, sake lees and re-fermenting them. This natural byproduct is then used in the rice cultivation process the following year.
Since 2004 Akishika Shuzo have only brewed Junmai [pure rice] sake. It was at that time Oku-san decided to stop charcoal filtering, thus all of his sake are Muroka = no charcoal filtration. A year later he stopped filtering altogether. This is to retain as much of the purity and abundant umami in the rice that he grows. All of the sake Oku-san creates are full of umami and have great structure, acidity and body which lends these brews to be well suited to ageing. Akishika Shuzo have roughly 2 years worth of production ageing at any one time, a massive investment particularly for such a small brewery. Oku-san will only release his sake when he believes they are ready and he believes that at 5 - 10 years of age his sake really starts to shine. These incredible products have a cult status in the local area Osaka as well as throughout Japan, so when Oku-san does release sake they sell out exceptionally quickly. We feel extremely privileged to have been working with Akishika Shuzo and the Oku family since 2010 and bringing these wonderful products in Australia.
