TSUNAN SAKE BREWERY Serves GO GRANDCLASS at UTokyo Kuramoto-kai Tasting During University of Tokyo Homecoming Day
TSUNAN SAKE BREWERY served three sakes at a tasting held by UTokyo Kuramoto-kai, a group of sake breweries with ties to the University of Tokyo, on October 17, 2026, during the university’s 25th Homecoming Day at the Hongo Campus. The tasting, held along the campus’s ginkgo avenue, marked the 20th anniversary of koji mold being designated Japan’s “national fungus.” President Kengo Suzuki attended in person.
At the booth
The brewery’s booth stood in front of Yasuda Auditorium, the university’s best-known building. The day was clear, the venue was busy, and the brewery’s generous supply of sake lasted until the end of the event.
The brewery served:
– GO GRANDCLASS Uonuma Koshihikari Edition: a junmai daiginjo brewed from Uonuma Koshihikari and matured at low temperature
– Tsunan Ai: a ginjo with a calm aroma and a full, rounded taste
– GO VINO: a junmai with gentle acidity and a fruity character reminiscent of white wine
TSUNAN SAKE BREWERY is in the mountains of Tsunan, Niigata Prefecture, and few people can visit it in person. Several visitors said they would like to come to the brewery.
DJ Kamoshitaro, who knows sake and Tsunan well, came to support the booth and introduced the brewery and its sake to visitors.
About GO GRANDCLASS
GO GRANDCLASS Uonuma Koshihikari Edition is the flagship of GO, the brewery’s premium brand. It is brewed from Uonuma Koshihikari, a rice variety grown for eating rather than specifically for sake brewing, polished to 50% of its original weight. The brewery uses Smart Brewing, its generative AI system, to help plan fermentation conditions, alongside the expertise of its toji (master brewer), with a prolonged fermentation at low temperatures.
The sake has 16% alcohol. It won a Gold award in the Junmai Daiginjo category at KURA MASTER 2024 and a Platinum award at the Milano Sake Challenge 2025.
GO GRANDCLASS product page:
Comment
Kengo Suzuki, President and Representative Director, TSUNAN SAKE BREWERY
“I was delighted that we could set up our booth in front of Yasuda Auditorium on such a clear autumn day, and that so many people passing by stopped to taste our sake. Even the generous amount we brought was enjoyed until the very end, and we received many comments. Our brewery is not an easy place to reach, but a visit there is a special experience, and some guests promised to come. Sake culture is changing along with technology. Facing those changes, I want to keep delivering sake-related products that support healthy and fulfilling lives. We are also discussing joint research themes with universities and will announce them as they are decided.”
About TSUNAN SAKE BREWERY
TSUNAN SAKE BREWERY is a sake brewery in Tsunan, Nakauonuma District, Niigata Prefecture, one of the snowiest areas in Japan. It brews with natural water from the surrounding mountains, which rise to about 2,000 meters. Under its brand concept “Brew for Future,” it makes traditional sake from locally grown Gohyakumangoku sake rice and Premium Table Rice Sake from locally grown Uonuma Koshihikari.
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