MINAMI SHUZOJO - KOCHI PRÉFECTURE

It was during the Edo period that the Minami family's business was born. They were initially wholesalers, based in the town of Yasuda, a blessed place between the sea and the mountains with the Yanase forest nearby. The Yasuda River passes right by the brewery before flowing into Tosa Bay. This is a very popular place for fishermen because of the excellent quality of the water and the abundance of fish. It is precisely this water that provides the essential element for brewing sake and has earned Minami Shuzojo the nickname "Tamanoi" (the fountain "with water like a jewel"). Their annual production volumes are small, only 300 goku (54,000 litres), a small kura that has always focused on the quality of its sake. The region is known for its heavy sake drinkers, but this did not stop Sadaharu Minami, the former Kuramoto, from feeling the need to offer his products outside the prefecture. In 1998, he started a new brand called "Minami" with the ambition to conquer the country.