The birth of "Kubota" - the history of Asahi - Shuzo Sake Brewing

"Kubota" known for its names that include "JYU" (celebration): Manjyu and Senjyu

"Kubota", also known by names that include "jyu (celebrations)" such as Manjyu, Senjyu, and Hyakujyu, is a representative brand of "Tanrei-Karakuchi" - crisp, clean and dry sake from Niigata Prefecture.

"Kubota" was first released on May 21, 1985.

"Kubota" has been loved by people all  over the world for nearly 40 years. This time, we will follow the history of how "Kubota" was born, along with the history of its brewery, Asahi - Shuzo Sake Brewing.

About Asahi - Shuzo Sake Brewing

Asahi - Shuzo Sake Brewing Co., Ltd. was founded in 1830 in Asahi, Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture, an area surrounded by rice paddies and satoyama (rural countryside), and has been brewing sake for over 190 years. In addition to "Kubota," some of the company's most well-known brands include "Tsugu,""Asahiyama," and "Esshu."

Using soft water from the clear underground water that flows through the area where the brewery was founded, high-quality sake rice cultivated through extensive research with local farmers, the wisdom inherited from Koshiji master brewer, one of the three great master brewer guilds, and technological innovations based on basic research, the brewery continues to brew sake with everything produced in Niigata.

From Kubotaya to Asahi - Shuzo Sake Brewing

Founded in 1830 as Kubotaya.

In 1830, a small sake brewery named "Kubotaya" was established in a village formerly known as Asahimura in what is now Nagaoka City. This was the origin of Asahi - Shuzo Sake Brewing and the origin of the name "Kubota," the sake that would later be produced.

While overcoming the transitional period from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji period (late 1800s), Kubotaya continued to focus on quality and strived to brewing delicious sake, earning the trust of the public. The sake produced there was called "Kubota's Sake" and sold well from the beginning.

However, this "Kubota's Sake" is different from the "Kubota" of today.

Kubotaya's sake, which has been called "Kubota's Sake," began to be sold under the name "Asahiyama" from around the middle of the Meiji period. The name "Asahiyama" comes from Asahimura, where Kubotaya was founded.

Asahiyama is still Asahi - Shuzo's flagship brand today. This brand, which can be said to be the origin of Asahi - Shuzo, is deeply rooted in its home prefecture of Niigata.

1920: Asahi - Shuzo Sake Brewing Co., Ltd. is founded

Asahi - Shuzo Sake Brewing Co., Ltd. was founded on May 16, 1920. Brothers Yonosuke and Junjiro HIRASAWA, who had been running the brewery since the Meiji period, became the first president and managing director, in charge of management and sake brewing.

The company name was chosen as "Asahi - Shuzo Sake Brewing Co., Ltd." based on the nearby mountain, Asahiyama (=Mount Asahi), the name of the region, and the sake name "Asahiyama." In other words, the company name was not "Asahiyama" because the sake is made by Asahi - Shuzo, but was named after the sake"Asahiyama."

We continue to work towards producing and delivering better sake, such as by establishing the sales organization "Asahiyamakai" in 1926 and being one of the first to adopt the latest equipment and facilities at the time, such as enamel tanks in 1929.

Asahiyama continued to win top prizes at various sake tasting competitions, and also developed and sold new products that were quite pioneering at the time, such as low-alcohol junmai sake and sparkling sake.

This environment, where we are constantly developing initiatives that are ahead of the times, was the foreshadowing of the birth of "Kubota" on May 21, 1985.

The birth of "Kubota" and its rapid growth

In 1984, the company launched a major project that would determine its future.

Having emerged from the post-war chaos, Japan entered a period of rapid economic growth, and consumption of sake also increased.

Asahi - Shuzo expanded its brewery facilities, put in place a system for increased production, and focused all of its efforts on selling its flagship product, "Asahiyama." For nearly 150 years since its founding, the brewery has brewed only "Asahiyama," and has grown into the largest sake brewery in Niigata Prefecture.

However, with the peak of economic growth and the rise of Western liquor and beer, sake's position began to waver. Amid this period, Toru Hirasawa (pictured right), then 34 years old, became the fourth president of the company.

Around this time, the so-called local premium sake boom began. Brands that were brought into the limelight during this time soon gained a reputation in the metropolitan area, and became so popular that they were difficult to obtain. At one time, they were being sold at several times the normal price, and were even called "phantom sake."

At the time, the sake industry was in the midst of a low-price competition, centered on major sake breweries, with mass production and mass sales as the backdrop. Asahiyama was also sold at discount liquor stores at low prices, causing significant damage to the brand. While brands with low production volumes were praised as phantom sakes, Asahiyama began to be associated with the image of mass-produced sake.

The young leader, feeling a growing sense of crisis, sensed the arrival of an "era of quality over quantity" and the need to deliver high-quality sake at a fair price. He then embarked on the development of a new product. His goal was to create a sake of a quality that could rival the phantom sake. He chose Teiji Shima (pictured left), the Head of the Niigata Prefectural Brewing Experiment Station, who had been working for many years to improve the quality of Niigata's sake and to train sake brewing technicians.

Hirasawa's determination and desperate request, as well as the shared desire of both Hirasawa and Shima to "provide high-quality sake from Niigata at a fair price," bore fruit, and in 1984, Shima joined Asahi - Shuzo without waiting for retirement.

1985: "Kubota" is born

At that time, the basis of work for Japanese people living in cities was shifting from physical labor to intellectual labor. As a result of this change in work, the food on the dinner table also changed from strong flavors to lighter flavors. Shima decided to develop the best "Tanrei-Karakuchi" - crisp, clean and dry sake. From the consumer's perspective, he had foreseen the "new deliciousness" that would be required in the coming era.

With the mission of "recovering the lost ground of sake and cultivating it into a truly culturally rich national drink," a major project that would put the company's future on the line was launched. The first step was to get the brewers to understand Hirasawa and Shima's shared vision. At first, the brewers resisted the new sake brewing method due to their attachment to tradition, but they gradually changed their minds after seeing Shima's tireless efforts.

For the sake rice used in the new product,  Gohyakumangoku rice grown in Niigata Prefecture was chosen, as we wanted to achieve a crisp and clean taste. We felt that a new sake could only be a local premium sake if it was brewed with Niigata rice, water, and people, in other words, "everything from Niigata".

Shima, the master brewer, and the brewers continued their trial and error brewing sake day and night, and the quality improves day by day, until they finally complete a sake that they are satisfied with. Determined to "make and deliver good sake based on the spirit of our founding," we named the sake "Kubota", the name of the brewery at the time of our founding. This was the birth of "Kubota," which would later become Asahi - Shuzo's signature brand.

On May 21, 1985, "Kubota Senjyu" and "Kubota Hyakujyu" were released.

The new sake that the company staked its fortunes on gradually gained popularity, and the new value of "Tanrei-Karakuchi" - crisp, clean and dry sake began to be shared in the sake industry, where "mellow and rich"sake had been the norm up until then. Then, in a sake market where Futsushu was the mainstream, high-end sake began to shine, and a boom in Niigata local premium sake began to boom, especially in urban areas. As the representative of "Tanrei-Karakuchi" - crisp, clean and dry, "Kubota" solidified the image that ""Tanrei-Karakuchi" - crisp, clean and dry= sake from Niigata Prefecture."

Evolving with the Times

More than 35 years have passed since its launch in 1985, but "Kubota" continues to be loved.

But , the time has come for "Kubota" to evolve. As food becomes more diverse, the way we enjoy sake has also changed. The time has come for Asahi - Shuzo to propose new flavors while maintaining the quality-first sake brewing that it has continued to do.

In 2017, we launched " Kubota Junmai Daiginjo " with the aim of expanding our fan base to younger people who are not familiar with sake . In the same year, we launched " Kubota Seppou, a collaboration with the comprehensive outdoor goods manufacturer, and created a new category of sake that can be enjoyed outdoors.

As time passed, Kubota accelerated its evolution to the next stage. The company launched a series of initiatives to embody the new era of Kubota and Asahi - Shuzo 's passion, including improving the quality of Kubota Senjyu and Kubota Manjyu, and developing new products such as Kubota Sparkling, which are targeted at younger generations.

When sake brewing began as Kubotaya in 1830, Asahi Shuzo has always placed the highest priority on quality and has always looked ahead of times. This is a history that still is alive today.