Nippon Seishu

Established in 1872, Nippon Seishu was the first sake brewery established in Hokkaido, soon after the northern island was annexed by Japan in 1869. Just one of 13 sake breweries on the island and the only one in the capital city of Sapporo. They make clean and bright sake that pairs with not only the abundant seafood the island is known for like sea urchin, King crab and scallops, but also the rich local specialty of Jingiuskan, barbecued mutton strips.

Since 2016 they have been headed by Tomoko Ichizawa, one of the few female toji brewmasters working in the world. She leans into the natural features of Hokkaido sake, choosing rice native the area and using the areas cool climate and low humidity to ferment slowly, producing clean textured sake with a dry finish, the signature flavor of Chitose Tsuru.