Masuizumi ─ The Long-Lived Spring of Toyama

Soul of the Kura

Toyama Bay drops a thousand metres deep
just metres from the shore.
The cold dark water nurtures
some of the rarest seafood in Japan —
shiroebi shrimp, firefly squid, hotaruika.

For 130 years, Masuizumi has brewed
specifically for that catch.
Rich, structured, generous — sake that holds the table
against the sea's bounty.

Characteristics

Founded 1893 in Iwase, the historic port quarter of Toyama City.
Five generations of the Masuda family.
The brewery long served the local fish market —
its sake was deliberately built to pair with deep-sea sashimi.
Long IWC trophy winner; rich, layered Junmai Daiginjo
now poured at three-Michelin tables across Japan.

Reasons to Visit

壱
Walk historic Iwase port quarter
Edo-era warehouses preserved on the original Toyama trading street.
弐
Eat shiroebi shrimp paired with the daiginjo
Translucent shrimp from 200m depths — the brewer's house pairing.
参
Time it for hotaruika season
March-May: firefly squid migrate into Toyama Bay. The sake was built around them.
四
Pair with Keta Jinja
The first-rank shrine of Etchu — a small, old sanctuary in Takaoka.
五
Take in Tateyama from the brewery roof
On clear days, the 3,000m peak floats above the bay — Toyama's holy view.

Tasting Etiquette

Pair with raw fish, especially deep-sea.
The brewery has tested for over a century — they are right.
Use a thin glass.
Toyama crystal is locally made and famously thin.
Keep the daiginjo cool, the junmai room temperature.
Two different bottles, two different ideal temperatures.
Walk Iwase between sips.
The historic street is part of the tasting.
Bring home the small format bottle.
300ml fits a suitcase; 720ml does not.

Visit & Tasting

📍

Address

2-13 Higashi-Iwase-machi, Toyama-shi, Toyama 931-8358

🚄

Access

Toyama Light Rail → Higashi-Iwase Station → 5 min walk

🕐

Hours

10:00–17:00

📅

Closed

Sundays

🥢

Tasting

Paid tasting

📞

Reservation

Walk-in OK

🇬🇧

English

Limited

— Facilities —

🅿️ParkingYes

🚻RestroomYes

🏷️ShopYes

🌊Bay ViewFree

🗺 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.

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Complete the Sake Journey

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

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nature Labels

Masuizumi Junmai Daiginjo 純米大吟醸

Junmai Daiginjo · 50% polish

The flagship. Rich, layered, generous — the bottle that built Masuizumi's IWC reputation.

Masuizumi Special Honjozo 特別本醸造

Tokubetsu Honjozo · everyday Toyama

A clean, food-friendly daily bottle. The local fish-market standard.

Masuizumi Mansaku Daiginjo 満作

Junmai Daiginjo · long-aged

A reserve bottle held in cold cellar. Honeyed, structural — for the most demanding sashimi service.

Pair With Pilgrimage

⛩

Ichinomiya of Etchu Province

Keta Jinja

気多神社

The first-rank shrine of ancient Etchu, in Takaoka.
A small, old wooden sanctuary on a quiet hill —
the kami of mountains, mining, and trade.
Twenty minutes by JR from the brewery; pilgrimage in the morning,
shiroebi and Masuizumi for lunch.

Visit the Shrine →

Masuizumi

🏨Stay Near the Kura

🚄Getting There

🍶Sake Tours & Tastings

🍵Sake Vessels & Bottles

Keta Jinja