Kitagawa Utamaro Label from Otokoyama

At a Glance: Slick labeled sake from Otokoyama. No longer available either…

 

Tokubetsu Junmai from Otokoyama that’s been discontinued. Gorgeous label. Otokoyama Utamaro was mellow and floral, with a steamed and sour rice character. Otokoyama used the work of woodblock artist Kitagawa Utamaro 喜多川 歌麿 to great effect. 

Otokoyama makes some interesting, but limited-release, sake that aren’t always easy to find stateside. If you come across a fresh example you know what must be done.   

The Otokoyama Sake Brewery

Brewery: Otokoyama Shuzo 男山酒造    Location: Asahikawa, Hokkaido

EST: 1661   Offical Site: Japanese

AKA: Hokkai Otokoyama 北海男山 to differentiate from other Otokoyama 男山 brands. This brewery is arguably Hokkaido’s most famous– and possibly the biggest name in the North American sake scene. They introduced quality sake (Tokutei meisho-shu 特定名称酒) in the late ’70’s/early ’80s to much of the world and forever changed the market.

READ MORE

Label Translation

Otokoyama Shuzo 男山酒造  Otokoyama 男山

Hokkai Otokoyama 北海男山

Asahikawa-shi 旭川市  Hokkaido 北海道

Tokubetsu Junmai 特別純米  

Utamaro no Natori 男山 歌磨の名取