Mutsu (Iwate) · 陸奥国南部

南部美人

Nanbu Bijin

— The Beauty of the North —

Vegan Certified Kosher Certified 40+ Countries

Audio Guide

Nanbu Bijin — One Minute of Stillness

A small Iwate brewery that opened sake to the world

0:00−:−−

Open the bottle slowly. The aromas are quiet, but persistent.

Soul of the Kura

Nanbu — the southern Iwate province of cold winters and clear water,
home of Japan's most famous wandering brewers,
the Nanbu Toji.

The current owner, Kosuke Kuji, was the first sake brewer
to certify a sake as kosher, then vegan,
then organic — long before global fashion caught up.

A bottle the world can drink,
in every sense of the word.

Characteristics

Founded 1902 in Ninohe, Iwate.
The most internationally certified sake brewery in Japan —
vegan, kosher, organic, halal-friendly, gluten-conscious.
Soft, polished, faintly floral — built to disappear into a meal,
whether that meal is in Tokyo, Tel Aviv, or Brooklyn.
Exports to over forty countries; champion at multiple global awards.

Reasons to Visit

壱
Drink the world's most certified sake
Vegan, kosher, organic — trust built one certification at a time.
弐
Meet the Nanbu Toji tradition
The brewery sits in the homeland of Japan's most respected travelling master brewers.
参
Visit Hiraizumi UNESCO sites nearby
The 12th-century Buddhist capital of the Oshu Fujiwara — one hour by car.
四
Pair with Komagata Jinja
The first-rank shrine of ancient Mutsu in Mizusawa — a day-trip's drive.
五
Eat wanko soba in Morioka
Bottomless small-bowl soba — Iwate's signature feast, perfect with Nanbu Bijin Ginjo.

Tasting Etiquette

Try the same bottle at three temperatures.
Nanbu Bijin transforms across the cold-warm spectrum.
Pair with simple food, not loud food.
The brewery's grace is quiet — it competes with nothing.
Take small sips. Wait between them.
The aromas open in the second beat.
Toast in any language.
Kanpai, l'chaim, salud, prost — Nanbu Bijin answers all of them.
Carry a bottle home as a gift.
Vegan-certified makes it the safest sake to give abroad.

Visit & Tasting

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Address

13 Fukuoka Kamimachi, Ninohe-shi, Iwate 028-6101

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Access

Tohoku Shinkansen → Ninohe Station → 8 min walk

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Hours

9:00–16:30

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Closed

Saturday afternoon · Sunday

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Tasting

Paid tasting

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Reservation

Tour by reservation

🇬🇧

English

Yes (English brochure)

— Facilities —

🅿️ParkingYes

🚻RestroomYes

🌱VeganCert.

✡️KosherCert.

🗺 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 Nanbu Bijin — stay nearby, get there, taste with a guide, or take a bottle home.

* Some links contain affiliate advertising. Commissions support this site's operation.

Nanbu Bijin Junmai Daiginjo Awasake あわさけ

Sparkling Junmai Daiginjo

A naturally bottle-fermented sparkling sake. Awarded IWC trophy — sake's answer to Champagne.

Nanbu Bijin All-Koji Junmai All Koji

Experimental · 100% rice koji fermentation

A bold experiment with no added rice. Concentrated, tropical, almost saké-vinegar bright.

Recommended Pairings

◆Wanko soba — Morioka's bottomless soba feast
◆Iwate maehama abalone
◆Goat cheese — vegan-certified base makes it work
◆Falafel and tahini — the famous Tel Aviv pairing

Pair With Pilgrimage

⛩

Ichinomiya of Mutsu Province

Komagata Jinja

駒形神社

The first-rank shrine of ancient Mutsu, in Mizusawa, Iwate.
Enshrines six warrior kami atop sacred Mt. Komagatake —
the mountain horse-shape that gave the shrine its name.
A wooded sanctuary in the heart of Iwate,
a perfect counterpoint to a brewery as quietly modern as Nanbu Bijin.

Visit the Shrine →

Nanbu Bijin

🏨Stay Near the Kura

🚄Getting There

🍶Sake Tours & Tastings

🍵Sake Vessels & Bottles

Komagata Jinja