Nanbu Bijin Shuzo

The brewery was established in 1902, and the Nanbu Bijin brand name came to be in 1951. The Iwate area used to be called Nanbu (South), and is a place rich with nature, abundant water, and fertile soil. In Japan, most breweries of the time made quite rough, inelegant, sweet sake, but this brewery wanted to make clean & beautiful sake like a fair southern maiden. Hence, the name Nanbu Bijin, or Southern Beauty.

The Underground Water of Iwate

Although the brewery was founded in 1902, the brand "Nanbu Bijin" was created in 1951 by the then head of the Ninohe tax office and the late Hideo Kuji, the former chairman of our company. At a time when sweet sake with low rice polishing and many unpleasant flavors was the norm nationwide, the brand "Nanbu Bijin" was created with the desire to "make a clean and beautiful sake." Ninohe City, Iwate Prefecture, has long been known as the "Nanbu Country," and is a land blessed with wonderful nature, climate, and abundant water. For this reason, the brand was named "Nanbu Bijin" after the place name Nanbu and the image of clean and beautiful sake quality.

They use plenty of underground water from the prefectural natural park Orizume Basenkyo. This underground water is medium-hard water, and the calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium promote the growth and fermentation of yeast and koji, resulting in a sake with a strong flavor and rich body.