The roots of Umenoyado Brewery go back to 1893, when Kumataro Yoshida founded “Yoshida Kumataro Shoten” in the Nara valley at the foot of Mount Katsuragi. The company remained in the family: from 1926 under Kumaji Yoshida and from 1950 under Takeshi Yoshida, who eventually established it as UMENOYADO BREWERY Co., Ltd. Already in the 1960s the brewery succeeded in achieving strong sales with its in-house brand “Tenka-Ichi”, reaching an impressive capacity of 3,500 koku, equivalent to about 630,000 liters.
In the following decades the company underwent a significant transformation: in 1979 it began developing its own brands and producing Ginjō sake on a larger scale. By the mid-1980s it had introduced an automatic rice-polishing process, and in 1989 it started employing brewers full-time throughout the year. A particularly unusual step was taken in 1991, when a British brewer was hired for the first time, anticipating an international perspective. The brewery also opened its doors to the general public, hosting its first “Open Day” in 1997.
The turn of the millennium brought further change. From 2000 the “Tsuki Usagi”, based on secondary in-bottle fermentation, was released. In 2001 the brewery received a license to produce liqueurs and shochu and opened a Tokyo office. The year 2002 marked the debut of iconic products such as “Umenoyado no Umeshu” and “Sanaburi Shochu” as well as the beginning of overseas exports. During this period, the Aragoshi series – sake liqueurs enriched with fruit purée – became particularly well known. From 2007 Aragoshi Umeshu was widely marketed, and in 2008 the brewery obtained another license for a variety of spirits.
Geographically, Umenoyado Brewery is located in Katsuragi, in the Nara plain southwest of the ancient capital, surrounded by the region’s rich natural environment – an area considered the cradle of Japanese sake. Since its founding, the brewery has taken pride in producing Yamato sake in this unique setting and in creating a “new sake culture” that blends traditional techniques with creative innovation.
Today Umenoyado presents itself as a creative pioneer, especially in the field of fruit liqueurs, offering a broad and diverse product range. The line-up spans from classic sake styles such as Junmai, Junmai Ginjo and Junmai Daiginjo “Yamada Nishiki” to experimental liqueurs like Aragoshi Yuzu, Pineapple, Ginger, Mikan, Peach, Tomato or sake-based Gin. The famous “Umenoyado no Umeshu” blends ripe and green ume plums into a mild, elegant liqueur, enjoyed both neat and warmed.
