Tucked away in the rural heart of Shiga, amidst rice paddies and the gentle contours of the Suzuka Mountains, lies Hata Shuzo—a sake brewery passionately committed to craft and community. Sake has been brewed here since 1914, and under the leadership of fourth-generation Daijiro Hata, the brewery has become a rare example of complete self-sufficiency: they grow their own rice, use local spring water, and even handcraft their labels from washi paper made from rice fibers.

Their Daijirou sake isn't a mass-produced product but a story in a bottle, meant to bring people together—farmers, brewers, vendors, and drinkers—around a shared experience. The flavor is rich, full-bodied, and earthy, a perfect match for Shiga's hearty cuisine and perfect for drinking hot, a tribute to traditional Japanese food culture.

With just three people on the team, every step is personal and precise, a conscious choice to prioritize quality over quantity. Hata Shuzo isn't a factory, but a village brewery that lives in dialogue with its surroundings, where sake isn't just a drink but a bridge between generations, seasons, and stories.