The Story of KUROSAWA Sake

In the mid-1990s, the world of sake in the United States was still largely unknown.

For most Americans, sake meant a small ceramic carafe of hot sake at a sushi bar. The vast diversity of Japan’s regional craft sake — known as jizake — had yet to find its way to American tables.

Jun Tanaka believed Americans were ready to experience something more.

Living in the United States and deeply immersed in the world of sake, Jun spent years visiting Japanese restaurants across the country, observing how people discovered and enjoyed the drink. He became convinced that authentic Japanese sake could resonate far beyond its traditional audience.

Driven by that vision, Jun began searching Japan for a brewery whose sake could help introduce the true character of jizake to the American market.

His journey led him to a historic brewery in the mountains of Nagano.

There he encountered a sake called Izutucho. The name means “guardian of the well,” reflecting the brewery’s deep respect for the pure spring water that defines its sake. In sake brewing, water is everything, and the brewery has long believed that protecting the integrity of its brewing water is the foundation of great sake.

The sake itself was brewed in the traditional Kimoto style — rich, layered, and deeply expressive of its origins.

Recognizing its potential, Jun returned to the brewery again and again over the next two years. Sometimes staying for weeks at a time, he worked alongside the kurabito (brewery craftsmen), refining the balance and texture of the sake while preserving the integrity of the brewery’s traditional methods.

Throughout the process, Jun had a simple test: the sake had to pair perfectly with yakitori, his favorite dish.

For the U.S. market, Jun proposed a new name for the brand: KUROSAWA, honoring the family who had operated the brewery for generations.

When KUROSAWA Sake was introduced to the United States in 1998, it arrived at a time when Americans were just beginning to explore premium sake. With its distinctive name, rich flavor, careful freshness control, and accessible price, KUROSAWA quickly gained attention. Its introduction also coincided with the Nagano Winter Olympics, bringing additional visibility to sake from the region.

Nearly three decades later, KUROSAWA Sake remains proudly born in Japan and enjoyed across the United States.

After more than 29 years in the American market, KUROSAWA has become one of the most recognized premium sake brands in the country — continuing the pioneering spirit that first helped introduce authentic Japanese jizake culture to America.