List of products by brand Tsuji Honten

Gozenshu (Tsuji Honten Co., Ltd.) was founded in 1804 in Katsuyama, Okayama, by Yahei Tsuji, originally a mercenary who ventured into sake brewing.

With its cold climate, pure water, and high-quality rice, the city of Katsuyama offers an ideal environment for sake production. Over the generations, the Tsuji family's philosophy has always inspired the toji to give their utmost to produce the finest sake without compromise.

Gozenshu sake embodies a crisp and clean taste, standing in contrast to the sweeter sake typically produced in southern Okayama. While southern styles are known for their sweetness, Gozenshu reflects the preferences of local drinkers who endure long, cold winters each year.

In recent years, production has been led by Maiko Tsuji, the first female toji in Okayama and the 7th generation of the family. She took over from her mentor, Takumi Harada, after his passing in 2007. Harada, a renowned master brewer, led Gozenshu for over 40 years. In Japan, only about 15 of the 1,500 breweries are led by women. Under Maiko’s leadership, the company has been revitalized, continuing to devote itself to the art of sake brewing with a young and dynamic team.

The Tsuji family has long been active in the cultural scene during the Meiji and Showa periods. The eclectic heads of the family opened the brewery to prominent artists and writers of the time, such as Tekkan (author), Akiko Yosano (poet), Saishu Onoe (poet/calligrapher), and Hekidoto Kawahigashi (poet/essayist), to name a few. The great literary figure Junichiro Tanizaki, a sake enthusiast, wrote one of his most important novels, The Makioka Sisters, while evacuated to Katsuyama during World War II. His residence still attracts visitors to the city today.

What the Gozenshu family aimed for was a cultural exchange through the finest sake. This was made possible thanks to the sincere dedication of our ancestors, who passed down the true spirit and culture of sake making, generation after generation.