竹野酒造 - 弥栄鶴
Takeno Shuzo - Yasakaturu
竹野酒造
Takeno Shuzo - Yasakaturu
Takeno Shuzo Co., located in Kyotango City in the northern part of Kyoto Prefecture, is a sake brewery founded in 1847 during the Edo period (1603–1868). After halting operations in 1944 due to the war, four local breweries came together in 1947 to establish the present-day Takeno Shuzo Co. Known for its brand “Yaesakatsuru,” the company places particular emphasis on rice varieties and works closely with local rice farmers to produce and distribute its sake.
Founded
1847
Employees
6
Flagship
EGAO HYAKUYAKU
Location
Kyoto Prefecture
Situated along the Sea of Japan, Kyotango is shaped by sharp winters, pure mountain water, and winds that sweep in from the coast. These natural forces create one of Kyoto’s most distinctive rice-growing environments, with temperature shifts that sharpen grain character and water that lends remarkable clarity.
The region’s paddies were once wetlands, reclaimed over generations by farmers who transformed the land by hand. Today, heirloom rice varieties such as Kame-no-O, Iwai, and Asahi still grow in these fields, absorbing the minerals of the soil and the cool breath of the northern climate.
Sake from Kyotango carries the imprint of this landscape: clean, focused, and quietly expressive. It reflects a place where the boundaries between sea, field, and mountain blur into a terroir found nowhere else in Kyoto.
Brewery Head
Yoshiki Yukimachi
Yoshiki Yukimachi is the fifth-generation brewer of the Yukimachi family and the master toji of Takeno Shuzo in Kyotango, Kyoto. After studying fermentation science at Tokyo University of Agriculture, he apprenticed under the legendary Naohiko Noguchi of the Noto Toji Guild, inheriting both classical technique and a modern scientific approach.
At just twenty-five, Yoshiki returned to his family brewery and earned national recognition when his first major creation, the Kame-no-O Kuramai Junmai, won first place in the National Liquor Competition. Since then, he has become known for a brewing style that honors tradition while embracing innovation, from unfiltered genshu production to sparkling sake, and experiments with field-derived kōji and yeast-free fermentation.
Working closely with local farmers and cultivating multiple heirloom rice varieties, Yoshiki continues to push the boundaries of rice-expressive sake while preserving the intimate, family-driven spirit of Takeno Shuzo. Today he is regarded as one of Japan’s most promising young toji, shaping a new era for Kyotango sake.
Notable
Awards
- 2024 Gold Award Junmai Daiginjo
Mission
To create sake that reflects the true nature of rice and the quiet charm of Kyotango. Guided by generations of craftsmanship and supported by local farmers, the brewery blends tradition with innovation to deliver sake that carries the spirit of this coastal region to drinkers in Japan and around the world.
Yoshiki Yukimachi, Toji