The Brewery

Kanemitsu Shuzo sits in Kurose Town, Higashi-Hiroshima — part of the Saijo district, one of Japan’s three great sake-brewing heartlands alongside Nada in Hyogo and Fushimi in Kyoto.

Where most Saijo breweries draw on the region’s famously soft water, Kanemitsu uses moderately hard mineral well water drawn directly from the brewery grounds. With a hardness of 100, it gives their sake a signature freshness — mineral-rich, with a slight natural bitterness and a clean, sharp finish that sets them apart from every neighbour.

In 2020, most of the brewery’s original buildings were officially registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan — recognition that Kanemitsu’s wooden kura is not just a working distillery, but a living piece of Higashi-Hiroshima’s history.

A Generational Turning Point

When Hideki Kanemitsu — fifth generation — joined the brewery in 2003, the focus was entirely on mass production for the local market. What followed was one of Japanese sake’s great quiet transformations.

He stopped all automatic production, returned to entirely manual brewing, and set a single goal: win a Gold Medal at the National New Sake Appraising Fair — a competition the brewery had never won in over 120 years of operation.

It took seven years of self-taught study, one brewing season at a time. In 2009, Kanemitsu won their first Gold Medal. They went on to claim it for ten consecutive years through to 2025.

That same year he joined, Hideki launched Kamokinshu — a pasteurised sake with a fresh, lightly effervescent quality, among the first of its kind in Japan. It made an immediate national impact.

What Makes It Different

The brewery's signature character comes from three obsessions:

• The water — moderately hard well water (hardness 100) drawn on-site; rare for the Saijo region, which is known for soft water. It gives the sake mineral depth, a clean bitterness, and a sharp finish.
• The rice — approximately 80% locally grown Hiroshima rice (Hattan Nishiki), supplemented with premium Omachi from Okayama and Yamadanishiki from Hyogo.
• Temperature control — meticulous cold chain from fermentation through to storage, allowing natural CO₂ to dissolve as fine bubbles. The result: a sake that opens with a liveliness in the glass.

Firsts in Hiroshima

Kanemitsu has a record of technical innovation unusual for a small brewery:

• Second brewery in Hiroshima to press sake inside a refrigerated room (after Aihara Brewery)
• First brewery in Hiroshima to install automated bottle pasteurisation
• First brewery in Hiroshima to install a European-standard Austrian-made laboratory analyser

The Slogan — in Hideki's own words

The catchphrase 「こころに残るおいしいを求めて」 — "In pursuit of deliciousness that remains in the heart" — was written by Hideki Kanemitsu himself in his founder's message, published on the brewery's website in June 2020. It is the distillation of everything the brewery has worked toward since 2003.

In Australia

Kanemitsu Shuzo is available in Australia exclusively through Sake Nami. We work directly with the brewery to bring their finest expressions to restaurants, bottle shops, and sake lovers across the country.

Shop Kamokinshu →

Key Facts

Founded: 1880

Location: Kurose-cho, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture

Flagship brand: Kamokinshu (賀茂金秀)

Current owner / toji: Hideki Kanemitsu (金光秀起), 5th generation

Water: Moderately hard well water, hardness 100

Rice: Hattan Nishiki (Hiroshima), Omachi (Okayama), Yamadanishiki (Hyogo)

Awards: National New Sake Appraisal Gold Prize, 10 consecutive years to 2025

Cultural status: Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan (2020)

Australian importer: Sake Nami (exclusive)

Visit the brewery website: kamokin.com