Today, we're delighted to introduce you to one of today's must-have breweries: Sasaichi Shuzo. A brewery that is renowned the world over for its range of premium sakes called “DAN”.

We had the pleasure of talking to Rei Amano, its current president, to discover the vision and commitment that make Sasaichi a leader in the art of sake.

The Sasaichi brewery in Yamanashi.

Discover a fascinating interview with a man convinced that perpetuating heritage sometimes means shaking up the established order. Take advantage of a 10% discount on the entire series.

Location
The brewery is located in the town of Otsuki, Yamanashi Prefecture. It's just a stone's throw from the Kofu plain and the northern slopes of Mount Fuji. In Japanese, Sasaichi means “number one sake”, like an aspiration to become the best brewery in Japan. The sakes we present to you today are part of the “DAN” series, premium sakes reserved for prestigious customers around the world. Their appearance has changed the family's history, and that's what we're going to find out in this interview.

Could you tell us about the history of the brewery?
Sasaichi Shuzo was founded by my ancestors in 1661. It's the closest brewery to Mount Fuji. It is located at the northern entrance to the Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen-jinja temple, a site that corresponds to the traditional access to the sacred mountain. We were, and still are, the temple's official suppliers. Our family has always been involved in local life, whether through the temple or politics. For a very long time, we intensively produced sakes that were consumed during ceremonies, but also during political meetings and celebrations.

Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen-jinja temple, gateway to Mount Fuji.

Your arrival was the starting point for a radical change. Tell us about this period.
I joined the brewery in 2010 after studying in the USA and a career in advertising. When my uncle died, my father took over the reins, and I came back to support him before becoming President in 2019. As soon as I came back, I wanted to radically change direction by adopting a much more traditional production method and focusing on quality. We stopped using machines and drastically reduced volumes. It was at this time, in 2014 to be exact, that we launched the DAN sake series.

The brewery has its own tasting room. Don't hesitate to pay them a visit if you're lucky enough to be in the area.

What does DAN mean?
Dan means “renewal”, as these sakes mark the beginning of a new era for the brewery. We wanted to express this idea in the symbolic calligraphy on the label. Created by Shoko Kanazawa, one of Japan's most renowned artists. It represents the horizon and the sun, evoking the sunrise visible from the summit of Mount Fuji, as an eternal symbol of renewal.

The emblem of the DAN sake series symbolizes the sun rising over the horizon from Mount Fuji.

What is the style of the DAN series?
In our region, we find many wild herbs, plants, fruits and game. It's also the region of Koshu wines. We wanted to create rich, complex sakes that express this terroir with, above all, rice aromas and the typicality of our water. Sakes that are not overly marked by the aromas developed by the yeast. It's for this reason that we use n°7 yeast at very low fermentation temperatures, not so as to get that yeasty aroma, but to liquefy the rice slowly and thus regain its taste in the mouth. As for our Toji, he comes from the Noto school, having trained with the masters of the Noguchi Institute in Ishikawa. All our sakes are made with koji grown in Tsuki Haze, including Junmai.

Find out more about the five DAN sake references available here!

How to pair DAN sakes?
The DAN series was developed with pairing in mind. With their richness and complexity, they can be paired with an infinite number of preparations. In fact, we're particularly proud when our sakes win awards in the “accompaniment sake” category, because that's exactly what we're looking for. It's hard to list them all, but we've seen some incredible pairings with grilled meats. That would be my first recommendation!

Dan Black is your super-premium cuvée. What makes this sake so exceptional?
Dan Black is a Daïginjo sake with some bold choices for this category: firstly, the rice used is Kameno-o, polished to 35%. This is an ancient strain, one of the first sake rice strains. It has a powerful, almost primitive aroma. Secondly, it's a Yamahai, because we wanted to support the acidity.

Dan Black is the super-premium cuvée. A combination of bold parameters and a label created by printing platinum on the glass!

Finally, we matured this sake for 5 years in bottle at -4°C to reduce the astringency typically found in fresh sake. This maturation rounds out and balances the aromas. Add to this the complexity of our water, and the result is a truly unique sake. As an added aesthetic detail, the calligraphy on the label is a platinum print directly on the glass.

Why is the water here so special?
Well, you have to realize that our region was formed by the meeting of three tectonic plates: the Pacific Plate, the Eurasian Plate and the North American Plate. The water we use for our production is drawn from a deep aquifer fed by three distinct sources, each of which has circulated through one of these plates. As a result, all three sources contribute different elements, giving the water a unique and complex mineral composition. In fact, it was used at the Imperial Court for the tea ceremony!

The Kofu plain lies at the meeting point of three tectonic plates. The source of its very special water.

The nature of the soil is also very particular: it's a volcanic soil through which water infiltrates rapidly. In less than a year, it is stored deep down. As a result, it has very little mineral content and is very soft.

What are your plans for the future?
Over the past ten years, we've made many changes, notably with the launch of the DAN series of sakes, which have elevated Sasaichi to the status of a premium brand. It's a period of creation that we'd like to consolidate over the next ten years by continuing to produce top-quality sake. Our aim is also to return to our original concept of sake: on the one hand, the Sasaichi brand, which remains firmly rooted locally, close to the people and their beliefs, and on the other, DAN sakes, inspired by the sun and Mount Fuji and destined to shine all over the world.

La série des DAN, de gauche à droite : Dan Bizen Omachi, Black, Junmaï Ginjo et Daïginjo Yamadanishiki et DAN Junmaï.