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Meet the Brewery

Nabedana

Founded in 1689, Chiba prefecture’s Nabedana now embraces a fearless spirit willing to challenge centuries of tradition. By transitioning to an entirely in-house brewing team at the turn of the 20th century, they’ve been able to brew pure, unpasteurized sake that captures the vibrant essence of local rice and medium-hard water. Nabedana doesn’t just preserve their more than 300-year legacy — they continue to enhance it.

Kan Otsuka, chairman

Chiba prefecture

Fudoh “Junmai Ginjo” Origarami

Fudoh - Junmai Ginjo - Origarami

$39.00

Capturing the Untamed Spirit of Chiba: More Than 300 Years of Progress

Tracing its roots back to 1689 in front of Chiba’s famous Naritasan Temple, Nabedana refuses to let its profound history dictate its future. Now nestled in the quiet fermentation town of Kozaki, the brewery is driven by a singular obsession: expressing the true, unadulterated flavor of local rice.

To achieve this, they made the bold choice to break with hundreds of years of established practices. Historically, sake brewing was done in the cold months by farmers who needed work in the off-season. Nabedana also relied on seasonal brewmasters from traditional guilds to lead the process. Due to the temporary nature of their employment, it was difficult to maintain a consistent and unified staff with an intimate knowledge of local resources. So in 1997, Nabedana transitioned to a dedicated, in-house brewing team in order to gain  absolute control over their craft.

Since then, they’ve produced a lineup of vibrant, unfined and unpasteurized sake (“nama”) that perfectly reflects the region’s lively character. From the sake’s birth in the meticulously clean, refrigerator-paneled koji room to its final maturation, this hands-on devotion ensures that every drop reflects their absolute commitment to quality rather than just following tradition.

Two brands, one fearless philosophy

Nabedana channels its relentless passion into two distinct brands. While Jinyu represents their trusted, widely loved and food-friendly traditional style, the Fudoh line was launched in 2004 as a deliberate adventure into untamed flavors. Named after the powerful deity at Naritasan Temple, Fudoh sake is crafted without any charcoal filtration, retaining the raw, brilliant essence of the rice. By utilizing Chiba’s mineral-rich, medium-hard water and embracing unpasteurized techniques, their yeast remains highly active. This results in bold, slightly dry profiles with a truly regal presence.

Honored by the emperor

In 2026, the 19th-generation leader of Nabedana, Chairman Kan Otsuka, received a tremendous honor from the Japanese government: Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette. This award recognizes outstanding contributions to Japanese culture, international relations or public service, and is a result of Nabedana’s continued impact on the sake world, as well as Otsuka’s wholehearted promotion of sake from the region.

His efforts include the organization of the Kozaki Sakagura Matsuri, a sake brewery festival in the brewery’s town of Kozaki. The festival provides access to sake and tours from Nabedana and other local breweries, as well as the chance to enjoy all kinds of fermented foods and musical performances. Just like Nabedana’s sake, the festival is a true celebration of local culture and craft.

Crowds visit Nabedana during the Kozaki Sakagura Matsuri.

A shared mission for living sake

We have proudly offered Nabedana’s sake for many years. Through this long-standing relationship, we built a deep bond of trust with Chairman Kan Otsuka, who has always warmly welcomed our team for brewery tours and interviews. For a long time, the extreme delicacy of their unpasteurized sake made it too difficult to introduce to the U.S. However, the launch of our Direct Import and Fresh From Brewery projects finally gave us the opportunity to import and release this rare, living sake directly. Taking on this new challenge together has deepened our connection even further, and we are thrilled to share their vibrant craft stateside.

Why this matters

We chose Nabedana because they perfectly balance a rich historical legacy with a fearless drive for progress. Supporting them means celebrating a dedicated team that captures the local flavors of Chiba. Our deep-rooted trust with the brewery has allowed us to bring their incredibly rare, unpasteurized brews directly to the U.S. Now, you have the chance to savor the unbridled taste of craftsmanship that has evolved over hundreds of years.

Meet the brewer

Kan Otsuka, chairman

As the 19th-generation leader of Nabedana, Chairman Kan Otsuka upholds a family legacy that stretches back to 1689. Deeply passionate about sharing authentic sake making with the world, he constantly embraces new challenges to connect people. When we asked him what sake means to him, he declared powerfully, “No sake, no life!”

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