Maruishi Jozo began brewing Japanese sake in 1690, in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, and we have continued making sake for the long span of over 330 years since.
The city of Okazaki, where our brewery is located, enjoys a long history as the birthplace of Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu, the shogun general who brought peace to Japan and ushered in the feudal Edo period.Surrounded by mountains and rivers, the city is a place where nature's abundance makes its presence felt.
Maruishi's history began when founder Nagemachi Sandayu learned about sake-brewing through the comings and goings on the Tokaido highway running from the west to the de facto capital city of Edo,and acquired farmland and earmarked a large amount of rice to making sake,thereby establishing brewing operations in 1690. The company expanded its business operations to cotton, banking, and other ventures in the Meiji period of the late nineteenth century, and in 1900, the company constructed a brewery in Nada, located in Kubo-cho in the city of Nishinomiya, and began making sake at that location. The sake brewed in Nada was named "Choyo," and that made at the home base of Okazaki was dubbed "Mikawa Bushi." The brewery subsequently turned its hand to making shochu, mirin, miso, soy sauce, and other products in Okazaki, and the company flourished. During World War II,however, air raids on Okazaki destroyed almost all of the brewery's facilities.After the war, the company rebuilt from its barely surviving miso factory in Nakamachi, Okazaki, and resumed sake production. Of the many business endeavors the company has engaged in since its inception, the only one that has continued without break from the very beginning until the present is sake-brewing. From here in Okazaki, we will continue spinning this history on into the future.
Only those people who run after two hares will catch them both
Created with the intent of making sake from Maruishi available to people outside Aichi Prefecture, Nito is a new brand that first saw the light in December 2015. Based on the concept of "Only he who runs after two hares will catch them both", Taste and aroma, tartness and umami, heaviness and lightness, sweetness and dryness, complexity and cleanness –we have created aspects of character that seem mutually exclusive and given them superb balance and flavor.
Nito's features are its freshness,its pleasing aftertaste, and how well it pairs with food. The freshness can impart a smooth and stable flavor throughout all aspects of introduction, development, denouement, and ending, and the pleasing after taste brings the "story" to a comfortable conclusion and instills desire for another serving. When you enjoy Nito, we invite you to try it in two ways:all on its own to start with, and then in combination with food. Pairing it with food propels Nito to an even higher level.
Nito expresses itself in an ever-shifting profile due to contact with the air, the passage of time, and change sin temperature, and our wish is for it to be a sake that demonstrates brilliance over the course of your savoring the entire bottle, right from the splendor of the first pouring.
Nito Junmai Ginjo Omachi 55 Usunigori Nama Sparkling sake is a unique and special type of sake that offers a combination of flavors, textures, and aromas that distinguish it from traditional sake styles.
Eyes: Hazy appearance due to its being "usunigori" meaning it is unfiltered and retains some rice sediment. Additionally, it possesses effervescence, similar to sparkling wine or champagne, which adds to its visual appeal.
Aroma: Delicate and aromatic, with hints of floral and fruity notes. You may detect subtle scents of green apple, pear, citrus, and perhaps a touch of melon. These fragrances are pronounced, yet not overpowering, and contribute to the overall charm of the sake.
Taste: Upon tasting, you will be greeted with a refreshing sweetness balanced by subtle acidity. The flavors are well-rounded, with a prominent rice character, highlighting the Omachi rice used in its production. The rice imparts a slightly earthy and savory taste. Additionally, you may experience a delicate fruitiness reminiscent of tropical fruits like pineapple and mango.
