The Sake Anatomy › Sake Brand Index › Gaijin
No.41 · Brewery Profile
Gaijin悦凱陣 · Maruo Honten 丸尾本店
Maruo Honten stands near Konpira Shrine in Kotohira, Kagawa. Its flagship Yorokobi Gaijin is a small-production, cult-favourite sake known for rich, robust flavour and pronounced acidity; around 70% of output is unpasteurized nama made with cast-iron pots and wooden steamers.
Who makes Gaijin?
Maruo Honten, founded in 1885 and standing near Konpira Shrine in Kotohira, Kagawa. Its flagship Yorokobi Gaijin is a small-production, cult-favourite sake known for rich, robust flavor and pronounced acidity; around 70% of output is unpasteurized nama, made with cast-iron pots and wooden steamers.
What does Gaijin taste like?
Tagged Rich & Umami and Acidity-driven, Gaijin’s Yorokobi Gaijin Junmai delivers exactly that: rich and full-bodied at 4/5 on both scales, with a peak 5/5 acidity and a low 2/5 aromatic profile — a high-acid, often unpasteurized cult bottling made from Yamada Nishiki.
Which bottle should you try first?
With one bottle on this page, Yorokobi Gaijin Junmai is the offering to try — the brewery’s flagship, described as “rich, high-acid, often unpasteurized cult bottling.”
How does Gaijin compare to other Kagawa breweries?
Kagawa’s other listed brewery, Kinryo, is tagged Elegant & Refined and Dry & Crisp — a lighter, crisper style that contrasts with Gaijin’s Rich & Umami, Acidity-driven pairing and its cult reputation for robust, high-acid sake.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Maruo Honten located?
Near Konpira Shrine in Kotohira, Kagawa.
How much of Gaijin’s output is unpasteurized nama?
Around 70%.
What equipment does Maruo Honten use in brewing?
Cast-iron pots and wooden steamers.
The bottles
Yorokobi Gaijin Junmai悦凱陣 純米
醇酒 Junshu · Rich“Rich, high-acid, often unpasteurized cult bottling.”
Reading the bars: an editorial flavor reading (0–5) of each bottle — Dry→Rich, Light→Full, Subtle→Aromatic, Low→High acidity — not laboratory values. The colored badge is the SSI four-type classification (薫酒 Kunshu · 爽酒 Soshu · 醇酒 Junshu · 熟酒 Jukushu). SMV and acidity appear only where the brewery publishes them.
Sources: sakenomy.jp · saketime.jp