One of a Kind The Oldest Sake Brewery in Gunma

In the Kurabuchi-machi area of Takasaki on the western slopes of Mt. Haruna, the winter temperatures drop to minus 5 degrees Celsius. The area is blessed by clean air and naturally-filtered underground spring water. Route 406 that runs north to south of here was once the Kusatsu Kaido, an olden-day road providing access to the ancient inland route from Tokyo to Kyoto, the Nakasendo. It was on the Kusatsu Kaido, a road bustling with feudal lords making the compulsory periodic journey to Edo, pilgrims on their way to pray at Zenkoji Temple in Nagano, and travelers to the hot spring town of Kusatsu that in 1690, a small sake brewery was founded. Throughout its 325-year history from the time of founding President Chobee to the current 17th President Shigemi Makino and future president Kenjiro, the brewery has continued taking advantage of Kurabuchi’s climate and natural features to brew its finest quality sake. At the Kanto Shin-etsu Sake Awards 2006, Makino’s “Osakazuki Daiginjo” was selected from sakes from 249 breweries to become the first in Gunma to be awarded the Grand Prize. The Makino Brewery has also been awarded an excellence prize at the same awards in the Junmai-shu (pure sake) section every year for the past six years.