Jikon Sake: The Story of Mie’s Modern Japanese Sake

Jikon (而今) is a Japanese sake brand from Kiyasho Shuzo, a brewery in Nabari, Mie Prefecture. The brewery itself, though, dates to 1818. Jikon, however, is a much younger idea. It appeared in the mid-2000s, after the sixth-generation head took charge of brewing and gave his first sake a Zen-inspired name about living fully in the present. Today the name covers a whole family of bottles rather than one fixed taste. Kiyasho works with Iga-grown Yamada Nishiki and several other sake rice varieties, and it ships different releases through the year. So what actually makes Jikon special? Below, we look at the name, the rice, the seasons and the brewery behind them. TOCWhat Is Jikon Sake? Jikon is the flagship modern brand of Kiyasho Shuzo (木屋正酒造), a family brewery in Nabari City, Mie Prefecture. According to the brewery, it released Jikon in 2005 after reviewing every stage of its production. Before that, the house brand was Takasago, sold mainly around the Iga area. 而今Jikon at a Glance Japanese name而今 (pronounced jee-kon) BreweryKiyasho Shuzo (木屋正酒造), Honmachi, Nabari City, Mie Prefecture Brewery founded1818 (Bunsei 1), during the Edo period Brand released2005, per the brewery; the head ...