Tsuchida - Shin Tsuchida, Gunma, Japan

Tsuchida Sake Brewery is situated in Kawaba, a small village of 3,100 people in Gunma Prefecture, a mountainous region northwest of Tokyo. Established in 1907, Tsuchida has been a family operation for six generations. Using natural spring water from Mt. Hotaka filtered over 50 years by nature, all of Tsuchida's sake is made using the traditional kimoto method (highly artisanal, including mashing the rice by hand instead of with modern equipment). In addition, Tsuchida sake contains no additives, including distilled alcohol, manufactured lactic acid, or enzyme agents. Their philosophy is focused on minimizing additions and subtractions, to let the rice and microbes express themselves clearly.