Hakutsuru Nishiki, a sake rice bred by a major brewer, now shared by 13 breweries across Japan

Hakutsuru Sake Brewing (Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture), one of Japan’s major sake producers, held the “Hakutsuru Nishiki Kuramoto Gathering 2026” on 17 and 18 September 2026. Hakutsuru Nishiki is a sake rice the company developed itself. This was the ninth such gathering, hosted by Kiyamasa Shuzo in Nabari, Mie Prefecture, and the first to be held in that city. Hakutsuru Nishiki is currently used by 13 companies, including Hakutsuru itself. Ten of them took part, sharing their brewing results for the 2025 season, their tasting (kikizake) results and how the 2026 rice crop is progressing.

A sake rice born as a “brother” of Yamada Nishiki

Sake rice has larger grains than table rice and a white, starchy core called the shinpaku, which makes it well suited to brewing. Hakutsuru began crossbreeding in 1995, and the registration of Hakutsuru Nishiki as a variety was accepted in 2007. Hakutsuru Nishiki is a “brother rice” of Yamada Nishiki, the variety known as the finest sake rice, as the two have almost the same parents. Like Yamada Nishiki, it has large grains and a large shinpaku. The plants, however, are about 10 cm shorter, and the grains are closer to round than oval. According to the company, it contains fewer of the amino acids that cause off-flavours, and the sugar composition also differs when it is made into koji.

How a major brewer’s rice spread to renowned breweries

In 2012, Takagi Shuzo in Yamagata Prefecture became the first to use it, after an introduction by Koichi Hasegawa, president of the Tokyo sake retailer Hasegawa Saketen. Takagi Shuzo makes Juyondai, a brand famously hard to obtain. Highly regarded breweries then joined one after another, among them Jikon (Mie), Toyo Bijin (Yamaguchi), Zaku (Mie), Toichi (Saga) and Kudoki Jozu (Yamagata). What sets this initiative apart is that producers of very different sizes share a variety bred by a major company, bringing their results together and refining it in both cultivation and brewing.

The state of the paddies in 2026

Hakutsuru Nishiki is grown mainly by farmers in Sayo, Hyogo Prefecture, in cooperation with the local agricultural cooperative (JA). Hakutsuru also established an agricultural company, Hakutsuru Farm, in 2015 and grows the rice itself. In 2026, temperatures were high and sunshine plentiful, so the rice grew mostly well. However, rainfall was low from early July, and heading came slightly earlier than usual. The challenges ahead are measures against high temperatures and stink bugs, and harvesting at the right time.

If you want to look for sake made with this rice in Europe, the label reading “白鶴錦” or “Hakutsuru Nishiki” is your clue. Most are junmai daiginjo. Junmai daiginjo is the top grade: sake made only from rice, rice koji and water, with the rice polished (milled) to half its original size or less. Comparing one with a Yamada Nishiki sake from the same brewery makes the difference between rice varieties easy to taste. Try comparing the lightness and how the sweetness comes through. Hakutsuru’s own “Hakutsuru Tenku” series has also won recognition abroad and is an easy choice to start with.