Top 20 Kyoto Sake Breweries Rankings+ Japanese Alcohol Recommendations

We have compiled a ranking of famous sake brands and breweries in Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture.

This article is a re-ranking of the top 20 brands selected from Sake Time's Kyoto Prefecture rankings (updated September 15, 2026), focusing only on brands with breweries in Kyoto City.

Top 20 Kyoto Sake Brands

Introduction to Top 10 Brands

1st place Kagura 神蔵 · Shuzo Matsui

It is a brand of Matsui Shuzo, located in Yoshida, Sakyo Ward, on the banks of the Kamo River. The focus is on unfiltered, unwatered sake, bottled exactly as it is pressed without filtering or adding water.

Representative lineup Junmai Daiginjo Kagura Unfiltered Raw Sake (Kyoto 'Iwai' Rice, 35% Polished), Junmai Kagura Unfiltered Unwatered Sake

Brewery Point Founded in 1726, it is the oldest sake brewery in downtown Kyoto. Brewing ceased for a long time due to urban development but was revived in 2009.

The head of the family personally serves as the brewery manager and performs the entire process by hand. Approximately 601 TP3 T of the electricity used for brewing is supplied by solar power, and it also serves as the official brewery for temples such as Kinkaku-ji and Ginkaku-ji.

2nd place Nichinichi 日日 · Nichinichi Jojo

It is a brand that brews products categorized by rice origin. All products are brewed using the Kimoto method Junmai, and despite being original sake, they are designed to be light with an alcohol content of 12%.

Representative lineup Nichinichi Yamada Nishiki (Basic Line), Akitsu Yamada Nishiki, Kamenoo, Aiyama, In-house Non Series

Brewery Point It is a new brewery established in December 2021. The founder, Hidehiko Matsumoto, was selected as a director at Shuzo Matsumoto, the third-ranked brewery, at the age of 28.

The focus is on contract-grown Yamada Nishiki from the former Tojo and Yoneda regions of Hyogo Prefecture. Each product is linked to a production area located about 60km away from the brewery.

3rd place Sawaya Matsumoto It's like a restaurant. · Matsumoto Shuzo

With over 1,400 reviews, it is the most rated brand among the TOP 20. Momono Shizuku from the same brewery also ranked 16th.

Representative lineup ShuhariCompleted Series (Junmai Shuhari Gohyakumangoku, etc.), Momono Shizuku Aiyama Junmai

Brewery Point It is a long-standing establishment in Fushimi that has been in business for over 200 years and has a brewery building listed as a modern industrial heritage.

4th place Aikun england · Shuzo Saito

This is a brewery that focuses on brewing sake using 'Iwai', a brewing rice from Kyoto. Ranked 18th, Kotosennen is also a brand from the same brewery.

Representative lineup Ichigin Junmai Daiginjo, Izutsuya Ihee Junmai Daiginjo, Kotosennen Junmai Ginjo

Brewery Point It won the Gold Award at the Japan National New Sake Appraisal Contest for 14 consecutive years. Kotosennen also won the Gold Award at the All-America Japanese Sake Appraisal Contest for 5 consecutive years from 2005 to 2009.

5th place Soku empty space · Shuzo Fujioka

It is a brand from a small brewery that only brews Junmai-Shu. It is also known for its 500ml bottles made in a Venetian glass workshop and canvas labels.

Representative lineup From Soku Junmai to Junmai Daiginjo. All grades are brewed in the same tank with the same touch.

Brewery Point Founded in 1902, it once produced 8,000 koku annually, but brewing ceased in 1995 after the sudden passing of the third head of the family. In 2002, the fifth head of the family personally took charge of the land and revived the business.

It uses the well at the uppermost point of the stream of Shiragikusui, a famous spring of Fushimi. The annual production is very small, at about 220 koku.

6th place Jikkoku ten stones · Matsuyama Shuzo

It is a brand that launched in 2023. The name is derived from the 'Jikkokubune,' a small boat that was responsible for river transport in old Fushimi.

Representative lineup Jikkoku Iwai Junmai Ginjo, Iwai Junmai Ginjo Unfiltered Raw Sake, Koseki航跡 Series (No.01 Diamond, No.02 Spinel)

Brewery Point Founded in Mie Prefecture in 1923, it produced the original sake for the Gekkeikan Group for a long time. It suspended brewing in 2020 and restarted as its own brand in January 2023.

The director is Yukio Takagaki, who has won the Gold Prize at the National Shinshu Appraisal Competition eight times. He uses only ingredients sourced from Kyoto, including rice, water, koji mold, and yeast.

7th place Tamano Hikari 玉乃光 · Tamano Hikari Shuzo

It is a brewery specializing in Junmai-shu. Its signature product is Junmai Daiginjo, featuring high-quality rice varieties.

Representative lineup Junmai Daiginjo Bizen Omachi 100%, Junmai Daiginjo Tankan Wataribune, Shukon Junmai Ginjo, GREEN Yamada Nishiki Yugi Junmai Ginjo

Brewery Point They put great care into the raw rice, such as using Bizen-Omachi grown with organic fertilizer. Shukon won the gold medal at the 2022 National Kanzake (heated sake) Contest.

8th place Gekkeikan moonlight · Gekkeikan

It is a large brewery in Fushimi, more familiar in Korea as 'Wolgyegwan'. It placed two brands in the TOP 20, including The Shot at 17th place.

Representative lineup Horin Junmai Daiginjo, The Shot, Utakata (Sparkling Sake), Kagetsu, Arugo

Brewery Point Founded in 1637, it is considered one of the pioneers to introduce 'Shiki-yōzō,' the practice of brewing sake year-round. It operates the Okura Memorial Museum in Fushimi, which exhibits the history of brewing.

9th place Datto 脱兎 · Shuzo Haneda

It is a brand launched in 2017 exclusively for authorized dealers, releasing seasonal limited editions six times a year. The name is derived from the phrase “At first like a maiden, and later like a fleeing rabbit” from Sun Tzu’s Art of War.

Representative lineup Dattoh Hiire Junmai (Kyoto limited rice Kyonokagayaki), Dattoh Iwai Junmai Ginjo unfiltered raw sake, and Hatsuhinode Rokuyu from the same brewery

Brewery Point Founded in 1893, the company brews sake in Keihoku, a mountain village north of Kyoto. It is a place where temperatures drop to minus 10 degrees Celsius in winter.

They cultivate Iwai rice directly on the brewery grounds and adhere to the traditional method of hand-washing and fermenting in wooden barrels. Brewed with groundwater from the Katsura River, the result is a light and dry sake.

10th place Shinsei god · Yamamoto Honke

It is a brand of Yamamoto Honke, a long-established shop in Fushimi founded in the early Edo period.

Representative lineup Shinsei Tareguchi (Winter Limited Raw Sake), Shinsei Special Junmai Sake Chokaraguchi (Kyonokagayaki 100%)

Brewery Point Tarekuchi is liquor that is bottled directly from the press without any handling. It is characterized by a fruity aroma and a light carbonation that rises after opening.

Kyoto Sake Brewery Rankings and Locations

The top 20 brands were grouped by brewery and sorted based on the highest brand ranking within each brewery. Map numbers represent brewery rankings, and tags indicate availability and whether reservations are required.

Breweries that require reservations before visiting

If you plan to visit a top-ranked brewery in person, you should check for reservations first. We have compiled a list of the top 20 breweries that require reservations for tours or purchases.