Collection: Akishika Shuzo

Oku-san grows organic rice on 22 hectares of local land without the use of herbicide, pesticides and agricultural chemicals. He makes his own fertiliser by fermenting the byproducts of rice growing and sake brewing. He won’t use manure, he says, because you can’t be sure what the animals ate. The focus on organic isn’t just about health. When you avoid the nitrogen-based fertilisers, you can grow a better, leaner grain, free of the impurities that can ruin a sake. The care put into the cultivation of rice shows in the sake, which are unfiltered to retain as much of the purity and umami of the rice as possible. 

He has also invested in a milling machine. You don’t often see them in breweries of this small size because they’re enormous beasts, they cost about the same as a Lamborghini Huracan, and it’s easy to outsource the milling. But it’s a price you pay if you want to be ikkan-zukuri. 

Oko-san's sakes typically have layers upon layers of flavour and a moreish streak of acidity. Some are held back to develop for years until he believes they’re in perfect drinking condition. Sake from Akishika Shuzo have a cult status in Japan, so when Akishika does release sake, they sell out exceptionally quickly. We are lucky to get our hands on a few bottles for Singapore.