Sake Pilgrimage ยท ้…’่”ตๅทก็คผJA
Bitchu Province ยท ๅ‚™ไธญๅ›ฝ
ๅฅ‰้†ธ ๅ‚™ไธญๅ›ฝ็œŸๅบญ ๅพกๅ‰้…’ ่ฉๆ ้…› ๅ‰ตๆฅญ ๆ–‡ๅŒ–ๅ…ƒๅนด โ€” Founded 1804 โ€” ๆ—ฅๆœฌๅˆใฎๅฅณๆ€งๆœๆฐ่”ต ไปคๅ’Œๅ…ซๅนด็šๆœˆๅ‰ๆ—ฅ ไน ็œŸๅบญ
ๅพก ๅ‰ ้…’

Gozenshu

โ€” The Female-Toji Brewery of Okayama โ€”
Audio Guide
Gozenshu โ€” One Minute of Stillness
A quiet revolution led by one of Japan's first women brewers
0:00โˆ’:โˆ’โˆ’
Pour gently. The sake is layered, not loud.
Soul of the Kura
For most of brewing history, women were forbidden from the kura.
The reason given was tradition, ritual, superstition.
The truth was simpler: men had always done it.

Then, in 2007, Maiko Tsuji took over as toji at Tsuji Honten โ€”
a 200-year-old kura in the Okayama mountains.
Her sake is crystalline, layered, delicately structured.
The rest of the industry has been listening ever since.
Characteristics
Founded 1804 by the Tsuji family in Maniwa, deep in the mountains of northern Okayama.
The Tsujis served as official sake purveyors to the Katsuyama clan.
Since 2007, the brewery has been led by Maiko Tsuji โ€”
one of the first female master brewers (toji) in modern Japanese sake.
Famous for the "Gozenshu 9 (Nine)" line
and for reviving bodaimoto, the medieval brewing method of Nara.
Reasons to Visit
Tasting Etiquette
  1. Try Gozenshu 9 first.
    The brewery's signature โ€” crystalline, juicy, designed by the toji as her statement.
  2. Then taste a bodaimoto bottle for contrast.
    Lactic, savoury, alive โ€” the same brewery, 500 years ago.
  3. Drink at 12ยฐC in a wine glass.
    Both lines reward a wider bowl.
  4. Pair with mountain food.
    Gozenshu was made for Maniwa cooking, not seafood.
  5. Walk the Edo street between tastings.
    Katsuyama is one of the prettiest preserved towns in Japan.
Visit & Tasting
๐Ÿ“
Address
116 Katsuyama, Maniwa-shi, Okayama 717-0013
๐Ÿš„
Access
JR Sanyo โ†’ Okayama โ†’ Yumehara Bus to Katsuyama
๐Ÿ•
Hours
10:00โ€“17:00
๐Ÿ“…
Closed
Tuesdays
๐Ÿฅข
Tasting
Paid tasting
๐Ÿ“ž
Reservation
Walk-in OK
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง
English
Limited
โ€” Facilities โ€”
๐Ÿ…ฟ๏ธParkingYes
๐ŸšปRestroomYes
๐Ÿท๏ธShopYes
๐Ÿ˜๏ธEdo TownYes
๐Ÿ—บ Directions ๐ŸŒ Official Site ๐Ÿ“ Open in Maps ๐Ÿ“œ All Breweries
โ€ป Hours, fees and contact details may change seasonally โ€” please confirm on the brewery's official site before your visit.
Signature Labels
Complete the Sake Journey

Arrange your visit to Gozenshu โ€” stay nearby, get there, taste with a guide, or take a bottle home.

๐ŸจStay Near the Kura

Booking.comOkayama Maniwa AgodaOkayama Maniwa

๐Ÿš„Getting There

KlookJR Pass KlookOkayama Maniwa transfers

๐ŸถSake Tours & Tastings

ViatorOkayama Maniwa sake tours GetYourGuideSake tasting

๐ŸตSake Vessels & Bottles

AmazonGozenshu bottles AmazonTokkuri & ochoko

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Gozenshu 9 (Nine) 9 NINE
Junmai ยท the toji's signature line
The flagship โ€” Maiko Tsuji's own creation. Crystal-bright, delicate, layered. The brewery's modern face.
Gozenshu Bodaimoto
Junmai ยท revived medieval method
A revival of the 1500s monk-brewing technique. Lactic, savoury, alive โ€” sake as the temples first made it.
Gozenshu 1859
Junmai Daiginjo ยท long-aged
Named for the year the brewery was officially registered. Refined, structural, contemplative.
Recommended Pairings
Pair With Pilgrimage
โ›ฉ
Ichinomiya of Bitchu Province

Kibitsu Jinja

ๅ‰ ๅ‚™ ๆดฅ ็ฅž ็คพ

The first-rank shrine of ancient Bitchu, in northern Okayama City.
Famous for its 400-metre wooden corridor and the legend of Kibitsuhiko โ€”
the prince who slew the demon Ura, the folk source of Momotaro.
A National Treasure shrine; an hour south of the brewery.

Visit the Shrine โ†’
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