SAKE MAP
Hokkaido & Tohoku / Types: Sake
Six drinks from Iwate, each with a snack that suits it and a short story behind the bottle.
Nanbubijin
A distinguished Ninohe brewery representing the home of the "Nanbu Toji," master brewers sent to breweries nationwide. True to its name ("Southern Beauty"), its creed is a beautiful, slender, clear taste free of off-flavors. Having taken top honors at overseas sake competitions, it has fans worldwide. A poised, dignified cup that truly earns the name "beauty."
Pairs with：Nanbu-senbei (Nanbu wheat cracker) / Donko (northern rockfish)
Asabiraki
A Morioka brewery with a most auspicious name meaning "daybreak." It is said to have survived the flames of the Boshin War, carrying a turbulent history. Its clean, easy-drinking taste is as clear as morning light. A bright sake that makes you want to toast the start of a new day.
Pairs with：Wanko-soba (bite-size 'endless' buckwheat noodles) / Hittsumi (hand-torn dough soup)
Suisen
A Rikuzentakata sake that lost its very brewery to the Great East Japan Earthquake, yet made an indomitable comeback. For local people it is more than a local sake — it is a symbol of recovery. Its dry, crisp taste sharpens even further before the bounty of the sea. This land's tenacity is dissolved into every cup.
Pairs with：Kaki (oyster) / Uni (sea urchin)
Akabu
One of today's most surging popular labels, reborn under a young brewery head at the helm. Also known by its English mark "AKABU," it keeps winning new fans with a juicy, fresh drinkability. A bottle that boldly brings young sensibility to traditional Iwate. One sip and you'll understand its momentum.
Pairs with：Maesawa beef / Mamebu-jiru (soup with sweet walnut dumplings)
Tsukinowa
An earnest, hands-on brewery in the town of Shiwa. True to its name ("ring of the moon"), it aims for a mellow, round taste like a full moon. Nothing flashy, but a gentle umami that suits an everyday nightcap perfectly. You'll want to sip it slowly, gazing up at the night sky.
Pairs with：Doburoku-jiru (soup with unrefined sake) / Hittsumi (hand-torn dough soup)
Kikunotsukasa
One of Morioka's foremost long-established breweries, said to date to the domain era. Its taste, kept unhurried through the ages, blossoms into umami when gently warmed. The deep, savory flavor pairs superbly with hearty regional dishes. A nourishing cup that evokes the good old Morioka table.
Pairs with：Nanbu-senbei (Nanbu wheat cracker) / Kurumi-dofu (walnut 'tofu')