The Sake Anatomy › Sake Brand Index › Jikon
No.06 · Brewery Profile
Jikon而今 · Kiyasho Shuzo 木屋正酒造
When Otsuka Yuki took over his family’s tiny Mie brewery in the 2000s, he rebuilt it around a single idea: vivid, juicy fruit balanced by fresh acidity. The name means ‘here and now,’ and Jikon’s sweet-tart brightness turned it into one of the modern era’s most chased labels.
Who makes Jikon?
Kiyasho Shuzo, founded in 1818 in Mie. When Otsuka Yuki took over the family’s small brewery in the 2000s, he rebuilt it around a single idea: vivid, juicy fruit balanced by fresh acidity. The name Jikon means “here and now.”
What does Jikon taste like?
Tagged both Aromatic & Fruity and Acidity-driven, the line runs high on both axes. The flagship Junmai Daiginjo is fragrant and refined at 5/5 aromatic; the Tokubetsu Junmai, called the signature bottle, is sweet-tart and juicy with the highest acidity rating at 4/5; and the Junmai Ginjo Yamada Nishiki is clean and elegantly fruity.
Which bottle should you try first?
Start with the Tokubetsu Junmai, described as the signature bottle — sweet-tart, fresh, juicy fruit that best represents the brewery’s defining sweet-tart brightness.
How does Jikon compare to other Mie breweries?
Jikon is the only Mie brewery tagged Acidity-driven; prefecture-mates Hanzo (Elegant & Refined, Dry & Crisp) and Miyanoyuki (Elegant & Refined) both sit in calmer, drier territory than Jikon’s vivid, acid-forward fruit profile.
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Jikon mean?
It means “here and now.”
Who rebuilt the brewery into its current style?
Otsuka Yuki, who took over his family’s Mie brewery in the 2000s and rebuilt it around fresh acidity and vivid fruit.
How many bottles does Jikon make on this page?
Three — Junmai Daiginjo (the flagship), Tokubetsu Junmai (the signature), and Junmai Ginjo Yamada Nishiki.
The bottles
Junmai Daiginjo純米大吟醸
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Flagship; fragrant, refined, balanced.”
Tokubetsu Junmai特別純米
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“The signature: sweet-tart, fresh, juicy fruit.”
Junmai Ginjo Yamada Nishiki純米吟醸 山田錦
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Aromatic, clean, elegant fruit.”
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: kiyashow.com · sakenomy.jp