Masuda Tokubee Shoten

The Masuda Tokubee sake brewery was founded in 1675 in the Fushimi's oldest district of Kyoto, through which nobles would often pass as they travelled west from the ancient capital.

The brewery’s name comes from a tree which in Chinese legend was said to grow on the moon 2200 years ago.

In an age of automation and biotechnology, Tsukino Katsura still believes that its most important task is to reflect the sense of the seasons in their sake and preserve its individual character.

They strongly feel that sake and Japanese culture are inseparable, and a certain level of knowledge is needed to fully enjoy sake. Tsukino Katsura therefore aims to increase drinkers’ appreciation of sake and ability to discern their preferred taste. The brewery believes an understanding of how one’s favourite sake is produced adds hugely to the pleasure of drinking.

Tsukino Katsura's tradition has been passed down for 340 years by 14 generations of the Masuda family. In 1964, they created a new genre in sake known as Nigori-sake, a roughly filtered and milky sake, and became a nationally known sake brewery. Since it is bottled during the fermenting stage, Nigori-sake is effervescent and is known as the "sake sparkling". Tsukino Katsura also preserves probably the oldest aged sake in Japan, Koshu, dating back 50 years. Always striving to be innovative, Tsukino Katsura also grows special rice for sake called Iwai with the rice farmers in Kyoto and became the first sake brewery to make Junmai Daiginjo Nigori-sake which has become popular abroad as a sake that goes well with international cuisine.