[Unprecedented Sake] Developed a Junmai Daiginjo by polishing table rice to 40% - And the decision 'not to sell for now'. A 161-year-old brewery shows the new value of sake
Watanabe Sake Brewery in Aichi Prefecture has developed a Junmai Daiginjo by polishing 'Nikomaru' table rice to 40%. The sake will not be sold to the general public for the time being, limited only to existing customers and members, aiming to redefine the value of sake.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 14, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 14, 2026 at 10:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 18:20 (127h 48m after Collected)
Brewed with 100% Nikomaru, a brand rice that received the Special Excellence Award at the Reiwa 7 Rice Competition: 'Yasaka no Sake Kotobuki'
Watanabe Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. (Representative Director: Eiji Yamada, founded: 1865), a sake brewery in Aisai City, Aichi Prefecture, announced the release of 'Yasaka no Sake Kotobuki (Nikomaru Preparation)' in 2026, its 161st year since foundation. For the time being, it will not be sold to the general public.
It is a Junmai Daiginjo made by polishing 'Nikomaru' table rice to a 40% polishing ratio. This is a bottle that challenged the highest standard using rice that was originally considered unsuitable for sake brewing.
However, this sake will not hit the market right away.
Brewing it, but not selling it for now.
That decision was born from questioning the very value of Japanese sake.
■ An unprecedented challenge - Polishing table rice to 40%
The table rice 'Nikomaru' was used this time.
While it has excellent taste,
- Its grains are hard and easily cracked
- It is difficult to withstand high polishing
Due to these characteristics, it has been considered extremely difficult to use it in the Daiginjo standard (polishing ratio of 50% or less).
Still, Watanabe Sake Brewery took on the challenge.
As a result, they succeeded in polishing it to a 40% polishing ratio.
It achieved a taste that combines the soft umami unique to table rice and the transparency of Daiginjo.
Junmai Daiginjo made by polishing table rice this much is extremely rare in the market, and as far as Watanabe Sake Brewery is aware, it is an initiative with very few precedents in Japan.
■ Why 'not sell it for now'?
This sake will not be sold to the general public for the time being.
It can only be purchased by existing customers and official website members.
The reason is clear.
'We want to deliver it first to those who understand its value, not just to anyone.'
The quantity of 3,000 bottles is not a restriction. It is an intention.
And this sake is also one that is completed by the choice of 'not selling'.
■ The philosophy of 'brewing only one sake'
Since its founding, Watanabe Sake Brewery has consistently brewed only one sake, 'Yasaka no Sake Kotobuki'.
- Limited to 10,000 bottles per year
- No production increases
- Specialized for 'celebration' purposes
This thorough specialization in a single product is driven by philosophy, not efficiency.
■ Why they brewed 'another one' despite that
What was born this time are two types of 'Kotobuki':
- 100% Yamada Nishiki preparation (The royal road)
- 100% Nikomaru preparation (Innovation)
This is not an expansion of the lineup.
'How far can we push the same sake with different raw materials?'
It is a challenge as a 'deepening' of the single-product specialization.
■ The essence of this challenge
The essence of this initiative is not just a new product.
'What to use'
'Who to deliver to'
'How to deliver'
It is an attempt to rethink all of that.
If table rice is utilized with high added value in sake brewing, new demand for rice may be created, which could lead to maintaining the production base and improving quality.
As a result, it may lead to a future where safe domestic rice is stably delivered to consumers.
Beyond that lies the redefinition of the value of Japanese sake itself.
■ Product Overview
Product name: Yasaka no Sake Kotobuki (Nikomaru Preparation)
Raw material rice: 100% Nikomaru produced in Aichi Prefecture
Rice polishing ratio: 40%
Price: 11,000 yen (tax included)
Release date: Sequentially from April 15, 2026
Sales: Limited to existing customers and official members (no general sales for the time being)
Official website: https://sake-kotobuki.com/
■ Future Outlook
Watanabe Sake Brewery will continue to pour everything into the single product 'Yasaka no Sake Kotobuki'.
Creating value not through quantity, but through philosophy.
We will stick to that stance.
[ Creating new value while protecting tradition ]
Brewing not to sell, but brewing to leave behind.
■ Company Profile
Watanabe Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.
Representative: Eiji Yamada, Representative Director
Location: Aichi
Watanabe Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. (Representative Director: Eiji Yamada, founded: 1865), a sake brewery in Aisai City, Aichi Prefecture, announced the release of 'Yasaka no Sake Kotobuki (Nikomaru Preparation)' in 2026, its 161st year since foundation. For the time being, it will not be sold to the general public.
It is a Junmai Daiginjo made by polishing 'Nikomaru' table rice to a 40% polishing ratio. This is a bottle that challenged the highest standard using rice that was originally considered unsuitable for sake brewing.
However, this sake will not hit the market right away.
Brewing it, but not selling it for now.
That decision was born from questioning the very value of Japanese sake.
■ An unprecedented challenge - Polishing table rice to 40%
The table rice 'Nikomaru' was used this time.
While it has excellent taste,
- Its grains are hard and easily cracked
- It is difficult to withstand high polishing
Due to these characteristics, it has been considered extremely difficult to use it in the Daiginjo standard (polishing ratio of 50% or less).
Still, Watanabe Sake Brewery took on the challenge.
As a result, they succeeded in polishing it to a 40% polishing ratio.
It achieved a taste that combines the soft umami unique to table rice and the transparency of Daiginjo.
Junmai Daiginjo made by polishing table rice this much is extremely rare in the market, and as far as Watanabe Sake Brewery is aware, it is an initiative with very few precedents in Japan.
■ Why 'not sell it for now'?
This sake will not be sold to the general public for the time being.
It can only be purchased by existing customers and official website members.
The reason is clear.
'We want to deliver it first to those who understand its value, not just to anyone.'
The quantity of 3,000 bottles is not a restriction. It is an intention.
And this sake is also one that is completed by the choice of 'not selling'.
■ The philosophy of 'brewing only one sake'
Since its founding, Watanabe Sake Brewery has consistently brewed only one sake, 'Yasaka no Sake Kotobuki'.
- Limited to 10,000 bottles per year
- No production increases
- Specialized for 'celebration' purposes
This thorough specialization in a single product is driven by philosophy, not efficiency.
■ Why they brewed 'another one' despite that
What was born this time are two types of 'Kotobuki':
- 100% Yamada Nishiki preparation (The royal road)
- 100% Nikomaru preparation (Innovation)
This is not an expansion of the lineup.
'How far can we push the same sake with different raw materials?'
It is a challenge as a 'deepening' of the single-product specialization.
■ The essence of this challenge
The essence of this initiative is not just a new product.
'What to use'
'Who to deliver to'
'How to deliver'
It is an attempt to rethink all of that.
If table rice is utilized with high added value in sake brewing, new demand for rice may be created, which could lead to maintaining the production base and improving quality.
As a result, it may lead to a future where safe domestic rice is stably delivered to consumers.
Beyond that lies the redefinition of the value of Japanese sake itself.
■ Product Overview
Product name: Yasaka no Sake Kotobuki (Nikomaru Preparation)
Raw material rice: 100% Nikomaru produced in Aichi Prefecture
Rice polishing ratio: 40%
Price: 11,000 yen (tax included)
Release date: Sequentially from April 15, 2026
Sales: Limited to existing customers and official members (no general sales for the time being)
Official website: https://sake-kotobuki.com/
■ Future Outlook
Watanabe Sake Brewery will continue to pour everything into the single product 'Yasaka no Sake Kotobuki'.
Creating value not through quantity, but through philosophy.
We will stick to that stance.
[ Creating new value while protecting tradition ]
Brewing not to sell, but brewing to leave behind.
■ Company Profile
Watanabe Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.
Representative: Eiji Yamada, Representative Director
Location: Aichi