Customer Q&A

Because sake contains alcohol, it will not become undrinkable if stored properly and unopened. However, it will mature over time, and its aroma and taste will change. Yoshinogawa recommends storing products distributed at room temperature in a cool, dark place and consuming them within approximately one year from the manufacturing date. For products that require refrigeration, such as unpasteurized sake, please follow the storage instructions on the label.

After opening, the aroma and taste will gradually change as it is exposed to air. Close the cap tightly, store the container upright in the refrigerator, and consume as soon as possible. While changes in aroma and taste are part of the enjoyment of sake, please refrain from drinking it if you notice any unusual odors or significant cloudiness.

Sake is susceptible to changes in color, aroma, and taste when exposed to light and high temperatures. Avoid direct sunlight, fluorescent light, and high temperatures, and store it upright in a cool, dark place. For sake with delicate aromas, such as ginjo sake, refrigeration is recommended.

The components of sake can solidify over time and with temperature changes, sometimes forming a fine sediment called "ori." Additionally, some products, such as cloudy sake, naturally retain some of the sake's components. However, after opening, microorganisms that can thrive in sake can multiply, causing cloudiness. Therefore, if you notice significant cloudiness, a sour smell, or overflow, please refrain from drinking the sake.

Even with the same product, the way you perceive the aroma and taste can change depending on storage conditions, drinking temperature, the food you eat with it, and your physical condition. Sake tends to have more flavor and aroma at higher temperatures, and a cleaner taste at lower temperatures.

Junmai sake is made using only rice, rice koji, and water. Ginjo sake is made by carefully polishing the rice and fermenting it slowly at low temperatures, resulting in a sake with a gorgeous and delicate aroma. It is divided into ginjo sake, which has brewing alcohol added, and junmai ginjo sake, which is made only from rice, rice koji, and water. Daiginjo sake is made by polishing the rice even more than ginjo sake. This is also divided into daiginjo sake and junmai daiginjo sake depending on whether or not brewing alcohol is added. Honjozo sake is made by adding a small amount of brewing alcohol to rice, rice koji, and water, resulting in a sake with a clean aroma and taste.

Generally, Japanese sake undergoes a heating process called "hi-ire" twice: once before storage and again when bottling. Nama-zake is sake that has never been heated, nama-chozo-shu is sake that is stored raw and heated only once when bottling, and nama-zume-shu is sake that is heated only once before storage and not heated again when bottling. Please check the product label for nama-zake, nama-zume-shu, etc.

Brewing alcohol is an edible alcohol produced by fermenting and distilling plant-derived starches and sugars, and is not a special type of alcohol harmful to the human body. Adding an appropriate amount at the end of the fermentation stage of the mash enhances the aroma and refines the taste. For specially designated sake, there are standards for the amount to be used, and it is used according to the desired quality of the sake.

"Sake Meter Value" is a numerical value based on the specific gravity of sake; generally, a higher value indicates a drier sake, while a lower value indicates a sweeter sake. "Acidity" is an indicator of the amount of organic acids contained in sake, such as succinic acid, malic acid, and lactic acid. However, the actual perception of sweetness, dryness, and richness is also influenced by sugar, umami, aroma, and temperature, so the taste is not determined solely by the sake meter value.

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy or while breastfeeding may affect the development of the fetus or infant, so please refrain from doing so. If you have any concerns about your health condition or the relationship with medication, please consult your doctor or pharmacist. Please enjoy alcohol in moderation, only after you turn 20 years old.

The recommended serving temperature varies depending on the product. "Hibi no Sake" Seiryubi is best enjoyed chilled or at room temperature with meals, allowing you to appreciate the rice's umami, gentle acidity, and clean finish. Keiryubi, when chilled well, brings out its fruity freshness and lightness. "Genten no Sake" Sengen Karakuchi can be enjoyed at a wide range of temperatures, from chilled to room temperature or warmed.

For those who want to enjoy the rich rice flavor characteristic of sake with their meal, we recommend the "Seiryuubi" series. We offer a wide range of options, from traditional flavors to modern lines. For those who want to enjoy a light and fruity taste, we recommend the low-alcohol, refreshing "Keiryuubi Junmai" or the "Keiryuubi Junmai Sparkling," which offers fine bubbles.

It is available at liquor stores, supermarkets, department stores, restaurants nationwide, as well as at Yoshinogawa's directly managed stores and official online shop.

This rebranding is not just about changing the label and logo. In order to continue protecting the Yoshinogawa identity that we have cherished and the role of sake in accompanying everyday meals, we have re-examined everything from our corporate philosophy, taste, sake quality design, product system, brewing system, quality control, and design under a single philosophy. This is a complete brand refresh of Yoshinogawa, embodying our resolve to "change in order to remain unchanged."

"Bimi Tanrei" is a taste that Yoshinogawa has redefined for the modern dining table. Based on a clean sake quality, it aims for a taste that harmonizes elegant sweetness, mild acidity, and umami, leaving a pleasant aftertaste and finishing cleanly. While inheriting the purity of Niigata Tanrei, it values a softness that complements food and a broad range of deliciousness.

"The Supreme Sake" is the pinnacle of Yoshinogawa's offerings, embodying the highest purity of its accumulated sake design and brewing techniques. "Special Sake" is a sake that adds new value, such as aging, to create depth in the brand. "Everyday Sake" is a flagship product that delivers delicious and light sake, centered on the beauty of clear streams and mountain streams, as an everyday sake to accompany meals. "The Original Sake" inherits the role of Yoshinogawa's evening sake, rooted in local communities and daily life, with its carefully selected dry sakes and other offerings.

The "Gokujo Yoshinogawa Series" has been discontinued as part of this brand refresh. Thank you very much for your patronage over the years. The distinctive Yoshinogawa flavor profile and its role as a high-quality everyday sake that Gokujo Yoshinogawa has cherished will be carried on by our new flagship product, "Seiryuubi." Seiryubi is not just a product with a changed name; it is a product that respects its lineage while refining its sake quality design, brewing process, storage methods, and quality control.

We will continue selling "Selected Dry Sake." While the packaging and price will change with this brand refresh, we will retain the familiar taste that you have enjoyed for many years, and carry it on as our "original sake." We will continue to brew it with care as Yoshinogawa's evening sake, which is rooted in the local community and everyday life.

"Seiryuubi" inherits the flavor of Niigata sake, cultivated from Niigata's climate and techniques, and is a food-pairing sake with a harmonious balance of soft rice umami, mild acidity, and clear crispness. "Keiryuubi" is a new everyday sake that offers a refreshing, fruity taste and a sweet and sour flavor, along with a light, low-alcohol profile. We recommend Seiryuubi for those who want to enjoy the umami of rice with their meals, and Keiryuubi for those who want a light and approachable taste.

The taste of Yoshinogawa will not change into something entirely different. While inheriting the "clean, gentle, and food-friendly taste that is characteristic of Yoshinogawa" that we have cherished until now, we have reviewed the sake quality design for each product in order to bring out its best qualities even more. The goal is not change itself, but rather a renewal to connect the values of the past to the next era.

The name Yoshinogawa embodies the desire to flow alongside and accompany people's lives, much like the Shinano River, Japan's longest river. The "river" symbolizes the history that began in 1548, the uninterrupted sake brewing, and the way it flexibly adapts to the times. "Konkonto" (meaning "continuously") represents the image of water that springs forth and flows without ceasing. Through sake brewing, this is the brand's promise to continue to gently accompany your daily life.

With this brand refresh, we will be revising the prices of our products. The volume will remain unchanged. It is true that rising costs for raw materials, including sake rice, as well as materials such as bottles and labels, and logistics, are behind the price revision. However, this refresh is not solely for the purpose of raising prices. In order to continue making sake that is characteristic of Yoshinogawa and to deliver it in the best possible condition, we have reviewed everything from sake quality design, equipment, storage methods, quality control, product system, and design, and the pricing reflects this new value.

The purpose of our facilities is not to showcase the scale or modernity of the machinery, but to "preserve the delicious taste from the moment it's brewed until the moment you drink it." Our three main pillars are: seasonal brewing throughout the year, preventing oxidation by minimizing exposure to air and avoiding strong stress during transport after pressing, and refrigerated bottle storage at low temperatures even after bottling. We have expanded our refrigerated bottle storage capacity from approximately 50,000 bottles to a maximum of 300,000 bottles, creating a system that allows us to deliver sake in the best possible condition every day.

There is an "exhibition space" where you can learn about the history and sake brewing of Yoshinogawa, a "sake bar" where you can enjoy Yoshinogawa sake, and a "shop" where you can purchase Yoshinogawa's standard sake, seasonal sake, and sake exclusive to the brewery. In the exhibition space, in addition to exhibits on the history and sake brewing of Yoshinogawa, you can also enjoy a "sake brewing experience game" using videos on a large projector and digital signage.

While there is no dining area inside the brewery, you can enjoy Yoshinogawa sake, snacks featuring local Nagaoka cuisine, craft beer, and non-alcoholic beverages at the "SAKE Bar," which is available for standing guests.

Yes. You can enjoy Yoshinogawa sake at our "SAKE Bar." There is a charge for using the SAKE Bar. We offer a variety of sake, from Yoshinogawa's standard offerings to special sakes that can only be tasted at the brewery.

Reservations are not required for regular visits. However, if you are visiting as a group of 10 or more people, please make a reservation in advance.
If you wish to visit as a group, please contact us at the address below.
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Yoshinogawa Communications Co., Ltd.
TEL:0258-77-9910　FAX：0258-77-9911　MAIL：info-johgura@yoshi1548.jp
(Reception hours: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM, excluding regular closing days)

This facility does not offer tours of the actual sake brewery where sake is brewed. Instead, the brewery features exhibits introducing the history of Yoshinogawa and the sake brewing process.

Admission is free. You can view the exhibition spaces and other areas free of charge. However, some services, such as alcoholic beverages at the sake bar, are subject to a fee.

Our opening hours are 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Last orders for the sake bar are at 4:00 PM. We are closed on Tuesdays and during the New Year holidays. If Tuesday is a public holiday, we will be closed on the following Wednesday.
*Please note that business days and hours may change during the Golden Week, Nagaoka Fireworks Festival, and Obon period.

Free parking is available. Please use the "Settaya Municipal Parking Lot" located across from the brewery. Approximately 40 cars can be parked there. The operating hours are from 9:00 to 17:00.

There is a shop inside the brewery. We stock Yoshinogawa's standard sake, seasonal limited editions, sake sold only at the brewery, collaborative products between Yoshinogawa and local companies, and merchandise. You can use them for yourself or as gifts.

At the Brewery Shop, you can use credit cards, PayPay, and transportation IC cards.
*Payment at the sake bar is cash only.

Yes, it is possible.
*Shipping costs vary depending on the delivery location.

The brewery building has ramps, so visitors using wheelchairs or strollers can enjoy their visit with ease. We also have a multi-purpose restroom available.

Yes. The "Sake Brewing Experience Game" using the exhibition space and digital signage can be enjoyed by children as well.
Additionally, our sake bar offers non-alcoholic options, so those who don't drink alcohol and children can also enjoy their time here.

The Yoshinogawa Sake Museum "Jozo" is located on the Yoshinogawa premises at 4-8-12 Settsuya, Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture.
[By Car] It's about a 15-minute drive from JR Nagaoka Station.
[By train] It's about a 10-minute walk from JR Miyauchi Station.

You can purchase Yoshinogawa sake and other recommended souvenirs from Niigata.
We offer a wide selection of products, from standard items to seasonal liquors and products unique to the CoCoLo Niigata store. Please feel free to use our store when choosing souvenirs.
*The products we offer may change depending on the time of year.

You can sample some of our products.

We also offer gift wrapping. Please consider using our service for presents to your loved ones.

We also offer gift wrapping with a decorative ribbon (noshi). Please consult with us regarding the purpose of your gift.

It is available.

We do not have a dedicated parking lot.
For more details, please see the parking information for CoCoLo Niigata. It's conveniently located directly connected to the station, making it easily accessible by public transport.

Our opening hours are the same as CoCoLo Niigata's closing days. For details, please check the CoCoLo Niigata website. Please check our opening hours in advance before visiting.