Kawatsuru Brewing Company

Kannonji City, which originates from Shippozan Kannonji Temple, one of the 88 sacred sites in Shikoku, is a town located on the western edge of Kagawa Prefecture. Kawatsuru Sake Brewery, which has a brewery there, was founded in its current location in 1891 (Meiji 24) by the first generation who ran a dyeing business in Tokushima Prefecture. The brand name “Kawatsuru” is said to have come from the fact that the first generation of the brewery saw a gorgeous crane descending on the Zaida River that flows behind the brewery. This is widely known locally as the brewery’s signature brand, and is still popular today, more than 120 years later. At its peak in the middle of the Showa era, when sake sold well, shipments once reached a record of 9,600 koku, but the Seto Ohashi Bridge, which was built at the end of the Showa era, caused major changes in the market, and the sales volume decreased. It decreased year by year. When the current brewer, the 6th generation, took over the brewery in 2004, he decided to change his policy from the regular sake that had been the standard to one that emphasizes quality. In 2010 (Heisei 22), the label was renewed and a new brand was born as a limited edition sake, but the brand was not changed and it was distributed nationwide as “Kawatsuru”, and its reputation increased year by year. It has been highly praised at numerous competitions, and recently, “Sanuki Kuraudy”, which is paired with the local specialty “Tori with bones”, has become a hot topic and has been featured in numerous media outlets. In addition, they are continuing to take on the challenge of developing various products, such as creating a new brand called “NORA” that is free of lactic acid and yeast, based on the theme of kimoto and mizumoto.