The brewery is located along the Gion River, and the surrounding nature is very famous in Japan. In spring, wonderful cherry blossoms dominate, and in early summer fireflies can be seen. It is a very popular area for tourists who visit the town where Shichida is located and which is called Ogi. The city has a lot of similarities with Kyoto, and it is quite often called mini Kyoto.
When Japan first began trading with the United States in the late 1800s, Toshizo and Tsuki Shichida started their rice business. At the same time, the neighboring sake brewery went bankrupt and asked the Shichidas to buy its equipment. The Shichidas were too nice to say no, so that was the beginning of this prestigious Tenzan brewery.
The current owners Shichida san are from the 6th generation. They have been growing their own rice since 1998 which they use in their sake. Their passion for quality led to the establishment of a local university specializing in agriculture, which developed a rare variety of local Omachi rice. This is the pride of the Tenzan brewery, which works closely with contract farmers whom it meets several times a year.
The brewery is based in Saga on the southern island of Kyushu, a part of Japan where it doesn't get too cold in winter. The technique for making these sakes is therefore specific and totally different from that used by brewers in northern Japan. Tenzan Shuzo takes advantage of the mild climate to manage the brewing process and the duration of fermentation.
While respecting tradition, Shichida has a modern approach to production to create its own style, namely sakes with lots of flavors and good structure. For this, she uses a varied mixture of yeasts, the objective being to obtain clear and persistent flavors on the palate with lots of umami and elegant acidity. The good structure of its sakes is due to the use of medium-hard local mineral water. The water comes from the region's beautiful, pure rivers and a waterfall ranked among the top 100 waterfalls in Japan for its water quality. Finally, Tenzan does not use the charcoal filtering process in the final phase of production, thus offering sakes with a nice length in the mouth.
