From Selling to Brewing: 4th Generation Owner of a 78-Year-Old Liquor Store Opens 'Tsuchiura Brewery' Near the Station

Sato Saketen (Representative: Eisuke Sato), a liquor retail business operating in Tsuchiura City, Ibaraki Prefecture, will open a new brewing facility, 'Tsuchiura Brewery', in spring 2026, located just a 2-minute walk from the west exit of JR Tsuchiura Station. This marks a new challenge for the 78-year-old community-rooted liquor store, stepping from the role of 'selling sake' to 'brewing sake'.

This project is an innovative endeavor for a retail store to enter manufacturing, aiming to update the concept of sake brewing in regional cities.

■ Turning Tsuchiura's Landscape into Sake: An Experiential Brewery 2 Minutes from the Station

The brewery will primarily use rice grown in Tsuchiura, alongside locally cultivated lotus roots—for which Tsuchiura boasts Japan's highest production volume—and cherry wood chips, representing the city's official flower. By incorporating these symbolic local ingredients, the brewery aims to express the very landscape of Tsuchiura in the form of sake.

Tsuchiura Brewery adopts a unique style of producing two types of sake, 'Doburoku' and 'Sumizake', from a single tank. Through this method, they craft sake that reflects the local scenery and seasons. Additionally, the brewery will offer 60 to 90-minute tour programs, allowing visitors to experience the entire process from viewing the brewing facilities to tasting the products.

■ First Batch Release on May 23 (Saturday)

The inaugural batch of sake is scheduled to be unveiled to the public on Saturday, May 23, 2026, exclusively at the brewery. The initial release will be strictly limited to 200 bottles and will end once sold out.

■ Brewery Direct Sales Event Overview
Date: Saturday, May 23, 2026, from 12:00 PM
Location: Tsuchiura Brewery (1-6-16 Sakuramachi, Tsuchiura City, Ibaraki / 2-minute walk from JR Tsuchiura Station West Exit)
Details: Sale of the first brewed sake (Limited to 200 bottles / Ends when sold out)

■ Media and Stakeholder Tour
A preview tour for media and stakeholders (including brewery tours, tastings, and interviews) was held on Sunday, May 17, 2026.

■ Representative Profile
Eisuke Sato
4th generation owner of Sato Saketen, founded in 1948. Born in 1993. Took over the family business while in university and launched the regional revitalization project 'Tsuchiura Brewery' in 2026.

■ Representative's Comment
'We have delivered a lot of sake as the liquor store Sato Saketen. Now, we have launched this project because we want to brew our own local sake with our own hands. "The 1st brew" is the first step for Tsuchiura Brewery. We hope it becomes a sake that connects to the future of this city.'

■ Head Brewer Profile
Ayaka Aoki
1st Head Brewer of Tsuchiura Brewery. Born in 1993. Joined Sato Saketen in 2022 and began her brewing training at Konohana Brewery in 2023 before assuming her current role.

■ Head Brewer's Comment
'Since the president told me he wanted to brew sake in Tsuchiura, time has flown by. The real start is from now, but for everyone supporting us, please look forward to the local sake of Tsuchiura!'

■ Company Overview
Toyoei Co., Ltd.
Representative Director: Eisuke Sato (4th Generation)
- Tsuchiura Brewery (Brewing): 1F Kusakabe Bldg, 1-6-16 Sakuramachi, Tsuchiura City, Ibaraki
- Sato Saketen Main Store (Retail): 757 Sawabe, Tsuchiura City, Ibaraki
- Sato Saketen Aeon Mall Tsuchiura Branch: 367 Kamitakatsu, Tsuchiura City, Ibaraki