Nishiyama Sake Brewery

Nishiyama Sake Brewery, founded in 1849, continues to produce amazake, yogurt and other alcoholic beverages, taking advantage of the natural blessings of being surrounded by the beautiful mountains of Tamba. The third-generation owner, Nishiyama Hakuun (real name: Nishiyama Ryozo), and his younger brother Hakugetsu were the first and second haiku disciples of Takahama Kyoshi. Nishiyama Hakuun was born in 1877 (Meiji 10) as the eldest son of Nishiyama Sake Brewery, and when he met Takahama Kyoshi in 1903 (Meiji 36), he appeared on the front page of Hototogisu 28 times, the most of any other poet, and was known as "Tanba Nitomari" along with his younger brother Hakugetsu. In 1915 (Taisho 4), Takahama Kyoshi named the sake "Kotsuzumi" and Kotsuzumi began selling at the Hototogisu publishing house in Tokyo.