Kinshi Masamune’s “Tokiwa Well,” in the Fushimi district of Kyoto, produces more than 70 tons of natural spring water per hour. We completed our New Tokiwa Brewery here in 1995 with a new production system that is perfectly suited for brewing sake in the 21st century to produce the delicate aromatic flavor that is associated with Kyoto sake and which has long been celebrated by local chefs. Using “Iwai” rice, a brand of sake-brewing rice unique to Kyoto, brewers apply themselves to the processes of rice washing and malting. This is all painstakingly done by hand in order to preserve the authenticity of Kyoto sake. Machines have been introduced into the fermentation process to ensure a uniformly high quality product throughout the year.

Natural beauty epitomizes the Kyoto landscape. Beginning more than one thousand years ago, Kyoto was the seat of the imperial government. And it was here, too, that the sake-brewing industry came into full form. The food culture that developed in this imperial capital is now known as Kyoto cuisine, or, Kyo-ryori. The visual presentation of Kyo-ryori suggests gaiety in spring, coolness in summer, abundance in autumn, and warmth in winter. In addition to this, specific ingredients were used in accordance with verbal and written tradition passed down in the imperial court, eventually developing into the variety of culinary styles found in Kyo-ryori today. Long appreciated by master chefs, the Kyoto sake brewed by Kinshi Masamune has been enhancing the taste and beauty of Kyo-ryori for centuries.