The Sake Anatomy › Sake Brand Index › Hatsukame
No.82 · Brewery Profile
Hatsukame初亀 · Hatsukame Sake Brewery 初亀醸造
Shizuoka’s oldest sake brewery, Hatsukame has operated near Sunpu Castle since 1636. It became a driving force behind Japan’s modern premium-sake market: a clean sweep of national competitions in 1967 built its reputation, and a 1977 release priced at 10,000 yen was, at the time, the most expensive sake in Japan — helping invent the very idea of luxury sake.
Who makes Hatsukame?
Shizuoka’s oldest sake brewery, Hatsukame has operated near Sunpu Castle since 1636. A clean sweep of national competitions in 1967 built its reputation, and a 1977 release priced at 10,000 yen was, at the time, the most expensive sake in Japan.
What does Hatsukame taste like?
Tagged Elegant & Refined, Hatsukame’s lineup runs from the flagship, ice-aged Hizo Junmai Daiginjo Kame at 3/5 aromatic, through the Shizuoka-rice Junmai Ginjo Homarefuji, to the Junmai Daiginjo Tojo Yamada Nishiki, the core premium bottling in the regular lineup, both also at 3/5 aromatic.
Which bottle should you try first?
Start with the Hizo Junmai Daiginjo Kame, the flagship bottling, ice-aged for three years and winner of the Junmai Daiginjo trophy at the 2022 International Wine Challenge.
How does Hatsukame compare to other Shizuoka breweries?
Hatsukame is tagged Elegant & Refined alone, without the Aromatic & Fruity note carried by Shizuoka prefecture-mates Isojiman and Kaiun, making it the more restrained end of Shizuoka’s elegant style.
Frequently asked questions
Since when has Hatsukame brewed near Sunpu Castle?
Since 1636, making it Shizuoka’s oldest sake brewery.
What was notable about Hatsukame’s 1977 release?
Priced at 10,000 yen, it was at the time the most expensive sake in Japan, helping invent the idea of luxury sake.
Has Hatsukame won recent international awards?
Yes, its Hizo Junmai Daiginjo Kame won the Junmai Daiginjo trophy at the 2022 International Wine Challenge.
The bottles
Hizo Junmai Daiginjo Kame秘蔵純米大吟醸 亀
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Flagship bottling, ice-aged for 3 years; won the Junmai Daiginjo trophy at IWC 2022.”
Junmai Ginjo Homarefuji純米吟醸 誉富士
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Showcases Shizuoka’s own signature sake rice variety.”
Junmai Daiginjo Tojo Yamada Nishiki純米大吟醸 東条山田錦
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Core premium junmai daiginjo in the brewery’s regular lineup.”
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: hatsukame.jp · nipponnosake.com