Seikyō Takehara Junmai

Seikyō Takehara Junmai (誠鏡 純米たけはら) is made with rice grown in Hiroshima and milled to 65% as well as K1001 yeast. This Junmai represents a return to the origins of Japanese sake, serving as the cornerstone of Nakao Brewery since its founding. The label design has been revived to reflect the style used until the 1930s, during the early Shōwa period. Characterised by a gentle sweetness and a rich depth of umami drawn from the koji, the sake is matured over time to develop a smooth, well-rounded flavour profile.

Nakao Shuzō was established in 1871 in Takehara on the picturesque Seto Inland Sea under the name 'Hiroshimaya' (廣島屋). In 1927, the brewery began developing its own yeast under agricultural chemist and microbiologist Sakaguchi Kinichiro (坂口謹一). Fourteen years of experiments on more than 2,000 yeast varieties later, Nakao Kiyoma, the fourth-generation owner, finally found a yeast variety that released an extraordinary bouquet (ginjoka): it had powerful alcohol fermentation capabilities and refreshing acidity. Kiyoma had discovered the miracle apple yeast. In 1948, Nakao Shuzō was chosen to provide the sake for the Imperial Household New Year Celebration. In 1974, 'Maboroshi'-branded sake made with apple yeast was launched (for the then-astronomical price of JPY 8,000 for a 1,800ml bottle) and presented to the Imperial Household.

The brewery's logo on the right says 'Seikyō' (誠鏡), the signature Seikyo brand of Nakao Shuzō. Seikyō means as much as "true mirror" and reflects the founder's wish that "sake poured into a cup may be like a mirror, with its quality revealing the sincerity in our brewers' hearts as they devote themselves to sake brewing."