Established 1767

Imayo Tsukasa started as an inn and sake shop. From the late Edo period to the early Meiji era, Niigata was said to have a higher population than Edo. As the heartland of Japan, Niigata was prosperous and bustling with industry. It was also one of the 3 geisha capitals of Japan, along with Kyoto and Edo. It’s a tradition that is still alive today. Since the middle of the Meiji era Imayo Tsukasa has been a fully dedicated sake brewery. The Niigata soil was fertile, the Agano water was clean, and we built a facility in Nuttari, a hub for Japanese fermented goods like miso, sake and soy sauce. Nuttari products are in high demand by first-rate chefs around Japan. It was also one of the 3 geisha capitals of Japan, along with Kyoto and Edo.

The Representative of Niigata Sake

A long time ago there was a period of time when the local sake makers added a lot of water to the sake they brewed to increase production. The weak flavor gave it a bad reputation, and the nickname “goldfish sake” because it was said to be so diluted a fish could survive in it. However, Imayo Tsukasa didn’t dilute its sake, so for a time, we were considered the representative Niigata sake among shop owners as a product they could be proud to sell.