Kikusui, a brewery on the comeback trail, teams up with a football club for a limited junmai ginjo

A Noshiro brewery returns to making new sake

Kikusui Shuzo (pronounced “kikusui shuzo”) is a sake brewery in Noshiro, Akita Prefecture. Akita lies in the north of Honshu, on the Sea of Japan coast, and is a rice-growing region; Noshiro is a port town in its northern part. Local broadcaster Akita Broadcasting System reported the brewery’s completion of its first new sake in two years as a “revival”. It now continues brewing with the support of a local construction company, Nakata Kensetsu Co., Ltd. This new product is a bottle made by a brewery that has only just made its fresh start, together with a local football club.

A dry junmai ginjo made with Akita Sake Komachi rice and AK-1 yeast

The product is called “Junmai Ginjo Aoki Chosen”. “Junmai” refers to sake made only from rice, rice koji and water, with no added brewer’s alcohol. “Ginjo” is a style in which the rice is polished from the outside down to 60% or less of its original size and fermented slowly at low temperature to bring out an elegant aroma. The ingredients are “Akita Sake Komachi”, a sake rice developed by Akita Prefecture, and “AK-1”, an Akita Prefecture yeast. According to the brewery, the result is aromatic, clear and crisp, with a dry finish. Detailed figures, such as how far the rice was polished (the rice polishing ratio), have not been disclosed.

The “challenge” shared by a football club and a brewery

The partner is Blaublitz Akita, a J.League club based in Akita. The project began when Nakata Kensetsu, which supports the brewery, was title sponsor of the home match against Tokushima Vortis on 12 September 2026. In the name, “Aoki” (blue) layers the club colour blue with the deep colour of the Sea of Japan. “Chosen” (challenge) reflects the club’s corporate philosophy, “Make challenge part of Akita’s culture”, as well as the determination of the brewery making its fresh start. Part of the proceeds will be donated from the brewery to a fundraising group working towards a new stadium for Akita. Sales are limited to 777 bottles at 3,520 yen including tax. On match day, 120 bottles went on early sale at the stadium. After that, it is said to be available only through direct sales at the brewery and cash-on-delivery shipping within Japan. At the time of the announcement, the brewery’s online shop was still in preparation.

This limited release is unlikely to reach Europe, but there are two points worth remembering. The first is the brewery’s name. It is a different brewery from the Kikusui of Niigata Prefecture, often seen in Europe, with different kanji and a different location. If you see the spelling “Kikusui”, check whether it is the brewery in Noshiro, Akita Prefecture. The second is the ingredient. If you look for “Akita Sake Komachi” on the labels or descriptions of imported Akita sake, you may come across a ginjo made with the same sake rice. A dry, aromatic junmai ginjo is easier to enjoy if served not too cold in a white wine glass, which brings out the aroma. Its crisp character should pair well with simple, salt-led dishes such as white fish and shellfish.