Musubito Junmai Ginjō Omachi Arabashiri Namazake

Musubito Junmai Ginjō Omachi Arabashiri Namazake (結人純米吟醸 雄町 あらばしり 生酒) is a limited-distribution "Musubito" (結人) release that uses Omachi (雄町) rice following the strong reception of the 2025 edition, the first in the series to feature the celebrated heirloom variety.

This expression is presented as a junmai ginjō arabashiri (あらばしり), the fresh free-run portion collected at the beginning of pressing. Made entirely with Omachi rice polished to 55%, it combines the gentle, approachable character associated with the Musubito range with the deeper, layered umami for which Omachi is known. A light usunigori (うすにごり) cloudiness adds extra texture and richness while retaining a clean finish.

Yanagisawa Shuzō is located in Kasukawa, now part of Maebashi in Gunma Prefecture. It is best known for its "Katsuragawa" (桂川) sake brand. The brewery was founded in the late Edo period and has continued as a family-run operation into the modern era. Like many breweries in Gunma, it developed around the region's good groundwater and rice-growing traditions.

Today, the brewery produces a range of sake styles, from everyday table sake to more refined ginjō and junmai varieties. Their brewing tends to emphasise balance and drinkability rather than highly aromatic modern styles, making many of their products well-suited to food pairing. The brewery also strongly promotes local identity, using Gunma rice varieties and regional yeast strains on some labels. In recent years, the company has expanded its branding and direct sales efforts under the "Katsuragawa Musubito" (桂川・街の人酒) name and has been operating brewery visits and tastings.