Sake Pilgrimage · 酒蔵巡礼JA
Suo Province · 周防国
奉醸 周防国岩国 獺祭 磨二割 三分 創業 昭和二十三年 — Founded 1948 — 純米大吟醸のみを醸す 令和八年皐月吉日 大吟 岩国
獺 祭

Dassai

— The Otter's Festival · Junmai Daiginjo Only —
Audio Guide
Dassai — One Minute of Stillness
A modern bottle from a remote mountain valley
0:00−:−−
Pour into a tulip-shaped wine glass. Breathe before the first sip.
Soul of the Kura
A small brewery in a remote mountain valley.
No traditional master brewer. No winter-only schedule.
No compromise.

Only Junmai Daiginjo.
Only Yamada-Nishiki rice.
Polished further than convention allowed.

The bottle that taught the world
that sake belonged on the same table as Burgundy.
Characteristics
Founded 1948 by Asahi Shuzo in Iwakuni's mountain interior.
On the brink of closure in the 1980s, the third-generation owner
rebuilt the brewery around a single radical idea:
make only Junmai Daiginjo, polish the rice further than anyone else.
The first sake brand to reach Michelin three-star tables across Europe.
Now served at Élysée Palace state dinners.
Reasons to Visit
Tasting Etiquette
  1. Use a wine glass, not an ochoko.
    Dassai was designed for the wider bowl — the aroma needs space.
  2. Serve at 10°C, not ice-cold.
    Below 8°C the floral aromas close.
  3. Compare 23, 39, and 45 polish ratios side by side.
    The brewery encourages it — they want you to taste the difference.
  4. Finish the bottle within two days.
    Fresh daiginjo loses its edge fastest.
  5. Save the empty bottle.
    The label design has become a collector's item.
Visit & Tasting
📍
Address
2167-4 Osogoe, Shuto-cho, Iwakuni-shi, Yamaguchi 742-0422
🚄
Access
Sanyo Shinkansen → Shin-Iwakuni → 30 min taxi
🕐
Hours
9:00–17:00
📅
Closed
Year-end / New Year
🥢
Tasting
Paid tasting
📞
Reservation
Brewery tour by reservation
🇬🇧
English
Yes
— Facilities —
🅿️ParkingFree
🚻RestroomYes
🏷️ShopYes
📅ReservationRequired
🗺 Directions 🌐 Official Site 📍 Open in Maps 📜 All Breweries
※ Hours, fees and contact details may change seasonally — please confirm on the brewery's official site before your visit.
Signature Labels
Complete the Sake Journey

Arrange your visit to Dassai — stay nearby, get there, taste with a guide, or take a bottle home.

🏨Stay Near the Kura

Booking.comYamaguchi Iwakuni AgodaYamaguchi Iwakuni

🚄Getting There

KlookJR Pass KlookYamaguchi Iwakuni transfers

🍶Sake Tours & Tastings

ViatorYamaguchi Iwakuni sake tours GetYourGuideSake tasting

🍵Sake Vessels & Bottles

AmazonDassai bottles AmazonTokkuri & ochoko

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"bottle-name">Dassai 23 磨き二割三分
Junmai Daiginjo · 23% polish
The flagship. 77% of each grain shaved away. Pristine, floral, weightless — the bottle that defined modern sake.
Dassai 39
Junmai Daiginjo · 39% polish
A more grounded sister bottle. Slightly fuller, food-friendlier — the everyday choice for those who can find it.
Dassai Beyond
Polish ratio undisclosed
The brewery's silent flagship. So refined the polishing ratio is intentionally not stated.
Recommended Pairings
Pair With Pilgrimage
⛩
Ichinomiya of Suo Province

Tamanooya Jinja

玉 祖 神 社

The first-rank shrine of ancient Suo,
enshrining Tamanooya-no-Mikoto, the kami of jewels and craftsmanship.
Located in Hofu, an hour west of the brewery —
the patron of patient, polished, perfected work.
A fitting prayer before tasting Dassai.

Visit the Shrine →
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