News
Tanoshii Osake Traces the Origins of Juyondai
In a feature updated on September 25, 2026, Tanoshii Osake explores the origins of Juyondai, the sake brand produced by Takagi Brewery in Murayama, Yamagata Prefecture. The article connects the brewery’s history with the brand’s introduction in 1994 and its influence on modern sake.
A Family Brewery Founded in 1615
Takagi Brewery dates back to 1615 and also produces Asahitaka for its local market. The feature describes fifteenth-generation owner Akitsuna Takagi’s role as a kuramoto toji, combining brewery management with responsibility for brewing. The Juyondai name had previously been used for an aged sake associated with his father, the fourteenth-generation head.
A Different Direction for Sake
Juyondai’s first expression, Nakadori Junmai, appeared in 1994, when light, dry sake was widely established. The article places its fuller, rice-centred style within a shift in Japanese sake preferences and recounts Takagi’s return to the family brewery after working as a drinks buyer in Tokyo.
Rice Development and Production
The feature highlights the family’s development of three sake rice varieties: Sake Mirai, Tatsu no Otoshigo and Ushu Homare. It also links Juyondai’s limited availability to labour-intensive production and the brewery’s decision to prioritise its standards over a large increase in output.
A Broad Product Family
Tanoshii Osake introduces Honmaru, Soko, Ryugetsu, Tatsu no Otoshigo Junmai Ginjo and Shichitare Nijikkan, explaining differences in rice and production methods. Its overview provides context for the range of expressions within the Juyondai name.
