In October 2023, Jonas Kellens, our Master of sake, was invited by President Shinichiro Shimizuin-san and Master toji Tomohiro Uchiyama-san to their brewery.

With an excellent tour through the heart of the brewery and concluded with a great tasting. No wonder it was chosen for the toast and served among the G7 leaders at the 2016 Ise-Shima Summit. Tomohiro Uchiyama, the toji of sake brewery ‘Shimizu Sei Zaburou Shoten’ located in Suzuoka, Mie Prefecture has a driving philosophy, “The value of a sake is a collective process, contributed to by every step taken along the path from the brewery to the drinker.” This philosophy is represented by symbols in the branding. Zaku refers to ‘Creation’ and Miyabi to ‘Elegance’ or ‘Grace’, with Tomo being derived from the Toji’s name. Tomohiro Uchiyama-san is such a great toji master with knowledge about the current sake market and the taste of the new and emerging generation but also from running a business. The private tour we received from him showed that quality wins over quantity.

In Mie Prefecture, home to the Ise Grand Shrine, sake has long been intertwined with Shinto rituals, both an inseparable part of daily life. Even today, these unchanged rituals are still performed in Ise Jingu, with sake fulfilling its role as the sacred drink of the gods. Our Master sake sommelier visited this shrine in October 2023 with the President of ZAKU.

But sake doesn’t stand still! On the contrary, it has undergone an unprecedented renaissance in recent years, with a variety of new flavors, aromas and styles entering the market. And this is not only the case in Japan, but also in the US, Asia and wine-dominated Europe, where sake judging competitions have now been around for a long time.
As a brewery, they will continue to do their utmost to ensure that sake becomes part of our collective cultures, so that it becomes a normal phenomenon around the world. Their interests are served in places where people meet. They hope to put a smile on their faces and break down our social and societal barriers. All people, everywhere, can connect over a glass of sake to share a precious moment together.

Let us introduce you to ZAKU’s Junmai Daiginjo Nakadori ‘Miyabi No Tomo’ using Naka-dori, which occupies the middle part of the filtration process and is considered the highest and purest quality of sake. This results in a sake with a silky soft and round mouthfeel and the purest and elegant aromas of melon, banana and white flowers. Powerful roundness with an elegant crisp acidity and a touch of Umami for complexity. Made with their own yeast strain, they have created a beautiful product for food & sake pairing.
Try it with fish in a creamy sauce, caprese of water buffalo mozzarella, grilled scallops with vegetables.