The Brewery

Founded in 1884 in Akaoka — a historic merchant town on the Pacific coast of Kochi Prefecture — Takagi Shuzo is one of Kochi's most storied sake breweries. The Takagi family built their wealth through rice trading and silk farming before founder Kumataro Takagi turned the family's expertise to sake. His first label, Kikumusume (喜久娘), earned quick local acclaim.

Akaoka once had seven sake breweries lining its streets. Today, Takagi Shuzo is one of very few still standing — still drawing from the same ancient mountain groundwater, still brewing with the same heartfelt dedication to the land and people of Kochi.

The Name "Toyonoume"

The brand name Toyonoume (豊能梅) did not originate with the Takagi family. In 1928, the neighbouring Terao Shuzo fell bankrupt, and Takagi Shuzo acquired its most celebrated label. The name was coined to mark the birth of Terao's eighth-generation heir, Umeitaro (梅太郎) — a distinguished civic figure who founded the Akaoka Bank and served as the town's honorary mayor.

Toyonoume means "plum of abundant bounty" — and under the Takagi family it has grown into exactly that. A name now carrying 140 years of Kochi culture and craft. Today, sixth-generation toji Ippo Takagi carries that name forward with unwavering dedication to local terroir.

A Festival Town, A Festival Sake

Akaoka has always known how to celebrate. In 1959, third-generation president Hisayoshi Takagi co-founded the famous Dorome Matsuri — a beloved local festival centred on traditional dancing, seafood, and a competitive large-cup-draining contest that draws participants from across Japan. The official sake? Rakuou Toyonoume — brewed to be effortlessly drinkable all evening long.

In 2026, sixth-generation brewmaster Ippo Takagi enshrined this spirit in a full rebrand: 「土佐香る　まつり酒」 — Tosa-scented festival sake. The new brand mark, shaped like dancing figures and a flowing river, captures both the joy of celebration and the natural beauty of Kochi.

香り高く、飲み飽きない酒

Richly aromatic. Never tiring. That has been the Toyonoume quality standard for over a century — and it remains the measure against which every batch is judged today.

Aromatic sake is not difficult to make. Sake that stays interesting through a full evening of Kochi's legendary food culture — that is the real craft. Toyonoume achieves it through a deliberate three-style system: celebratory apple-fragrant daiginjo, balanced junmai ginjo for food pairing, and earthy warming junmai for the everyday table.

Whether chilled and elegant or gently warmed in winter, every Toyonoume bottle earns its place at the meal.

100% Kochi — From Rice to Yeast

Takagi Shuzo committed to 100% Kochi-sourced ingredients the moment the prefecture developed its own sake rice — and has never wavered. Every bottle is brewed with rice, water, and yeast that could only have come from this corner of Japan.

The rice is Gin no Yume (吟の夢) — a sake-specific variety bred in Kochi by crossing Yamada Nishiki with locally grown Hinohikari. The water is ancient soft groundwater fed by the Monobe River. The yeast is one of over ten Kochi-developed strains, each producing a distinct aromatic character — from apple-like freshness in daiginjo to banana and melon notes in everyday junmai.

This commitment to local ingredients is not just philosophy. It is what makes Toyonoume taste like nowhere else on earth.

Toyonoume in Australia

Sake Nami brings Toyonoume to Australian tables — one of our most expressive ranges, spanning classic junmai ginjo, seasonal namazake, and liqueurs made from Kochi's beloved yuzu and ume plum.

Junmai Ginjo Gin No Yume — 100% Kochi-grown Gin no Yume rice. Fragrant, lively, and unmistakably Tosa. The new Toyonoume philosophy in a glass.

Junmai Ginjo Itookashi — beautifully refined and food-forward, with a clean finish that pairs brilliantly with seafood or lightly seasoned dishes.

Shop the full Toyonoume range →

Know Your Kura

Brewery: Takagi Shuzo Co., Ltd. (高木酒造株式会社)
Brand: Toyonoume (豊能梅)
Founded: 1884
Location: Akaoka, Konan City, Kochi Prefecture, Japan
Generation: Sixth — Ippo Takagi, Toji & President
Rice: Gin no Yume (吟の夢), 100% Kochi-grown
Water: Monobe River groundwater (moderately soft)
Yeast: Kochi Prefecture original strains (10+ varieties)
Style: Aromatic, food-friendly festival sake rooted in Kochi terroir
Notable: Official sake of the Dorome Festival, Akaoka
Learn more: toyonoume.com