Niigata's Midorikawa Shuzo releases its first kijoshu, "Kagutsuchi"
Midorikawa Shuzo in Uonuma, Niigata, has released its first sweet kijoshu, a sake brewed with sake in place of water, on the Japanese domestic market.
Midorikawa Shuzo, based in Uonuma, Niigata Prefecture, is the brewery behind the sake “Midorikawa”. Niigata is a rice-growing region on the Sea of Japan coast, known for its many crisp, dry sakes. Now this long-established Niigata brewery has launched a kijoshu in a sweet, rich style: “Phenomeno Kagutsuchi”. According to Nihon Keizai Shimbun, this is the first time the company has put a kijoshu on sale in the Japanese domestic market.
The “Midorikawa” brewery takes on a challenge with a new brand
Kagutsuchi is the second release in the “Phenomeno series”, a new brand Midorikawa Shuzo launched in August 2026. Kagutsuchi is the name of the fire god in Japanese mythology. It is priced at 2,420 yen for a 720-millilitre bottle. About 4,000 bottles were made in the first run and shipped to specialist retailers in Japan (liquor shops that have signed contracts to trade directly with the brewery). What stands out this time is that the brewery has adopted a name separate from its flagship “Midorikawa” in order to try a new style.
Kijoshu: brewed with sake instead of water
Ordinary sake is brewed from rice, koji (rice on which koji mould has been grown, which converts starch into sugar) and water. Kijoshu is made by replacing part of that brewing water with sake that has already been made. Because alcohol is added during fermentation, the yeast works more gently and a lot of sugar is left behind. As a result, the sake is characteristically syrupy, sweet and rich in flavour. It was developed in the 1970s, making it a relatively new style among sakes.
While kijoshu is generally thick and sweet, a representative of the brewery describes Kagutsuchi as having “a light taste with a good balance of sweetness and acidity”. It can be seen as a kijoshu that aims not to be too heavy.
How to enjoy it in Europe
The first shipment of Kagutsuchi is for the Japanese domestic market, and no overseas sales plans have been announced at this point. However, the kijoshu style itself can sometimes be found in specialist sake shops in Europe. Look for bottles with “Kijoshu” written on the label. Pour it into a small wine glass and serve it slightly chilled, which makes the sweetness, acidity and aroma easier to appreciate. Treat it much as you would Sauternes, Tokaji or a sweet sherry, and pair it with blue cheese, nuts, dried fruit or baked sweets. It will be interesting to see whether Kagutsuchi’s “lightness” changes the image of kijoshu, and how Midorikawa Shuzo’s new series develops from here.
Sources
- Nihon Keizai Shimbun, “Niigata’s Midorikawa Shuzo, first kijoshu, second release of new brand” https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOCC084EI0Y6A001C2000000/
Sources
This article was written by The Sake Wire editorial team, summarising the public sources listed above. Images are our own.
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