The Sake Anatomy › Sake Brand Index › Kamikawa Taisetsu
No.73 · Brewery Profile
Kamikawa Taisetsu上川大雪 · Kamikawa Taisetsu Shuzo 上川大雪酒造
When a dormant brewing license from Mie Prefecture was relocated to Kamikawa in 2016, it created the first new sake brewery built in Hokkaido since the war. Kamikawa Taisetsu brews only junmai-grade sake, using nothing but Hokkaido-grown rice and spring water from the Daisetsuzan mountains, and has since opened a second site on a university campus in Obihiro under the Tokachi label.
Who makes Kamikawa Taisetsu?
When a dormant brewing license from Mie Prefecture was relocated to Kamikawa, Hokkaido in 2016, it created the first new sake brewery built in Hokkaido since the war. Kamikawa Taisetsu brews only junmai-grade sake, using nothing but Hokkaido-grown rice and Daisetsuzan spring water.
What does Kamikawa Taisetsu taste like?
Tagged Elegant & Refined and Dry & Crisp, the flagship Junmai Daiginjo 35, built from Kitashizuku rice milled to 35%, rates 3/5 aromatic; the Junmai Ginjo Suisei, made with the Hokkaido-bred Suisei variety, sits lighter at 2/5 across richness and aroma alike.
Which bottle should you try first?
Reach for the Junmai Daiginjo 35 first, the flagship top-tier bottling from the Kamikawa brewery.
How does Kamikawa Taisetsu compare to other Hokkaido breweries?
Kamikawa Taisetsu shares both its tags with fellow Hokkaido brewery Otokoyama, while Kokushi Muso, the third Hokkaido brewery in this index, carries only the Dry & Crisp half of that profile.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Kamikawa Taisetsu notable in Hokkaido brewing history?
It was founded in 2016 when a dormant brewing license from Mie Prefecture was relocated to Kamikawa — the first new sake brewery built in Hokkaido since the war.
What rice and water does Kamikawa Taisetsu use?
Only Hokkaido-grown rice, such as Kitashizuku and Suisei, and spring water from the Daisetsuzan mountains.
Does the brewery operate more than one site?
Yes, it has since opened a second site on a university campus in Obihiro under the Tokachi label.
The bottles
Junmai Daiginjo 35純米大吟醸35
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Flagship top-tier bottling from the Kamikawa brewery.”
Junmai Ginjo Suisei純米吟醸 彗星
爽酒 Soshu · Light & Smooth“Made with the Hokkaido-bred Suisei rice variety.”
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: kamikawa-taisetsu.co.jp