Sumikawa Shuzo

Sumikawa Shuzo is a sake brewery in Hagi, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, which reached its 100th anniversary in 2021. It brews only the Toyobijin brand, a name given by its first head of household in memory of his late wife. The fourth-generation kuramoto toji, Yoshifumi Sumikawa, took office in 2004 and has pursued sake brewing combining inherited tradition with innovation.

In 1921 (Taisho 10), the Sumikawa family, then a rice merchant, took over a relative's sake brewery and founded the business. The brewery brews only the Toyobijin brand, named by the first head of household in memory of his late wife. In 2004, Yoshifumi Sumikawa became the fourth-generation kuramoto toji; to expand sales channels in Tokyo, he chartered overnight buses to carry sake and began visiting restaurants for tastings. In 2010, at the FIFA World Cup South Africa, Toyobijin was sold in São Paulo as an officially licensed FIFA sake. At the end of July 2013, torrential rain hit Hagi, flooding the brewery above floor level, rendering machines such as steamers unusable, and washing away more than 10,000 bottles of sake stored in refrigerators, causing catastrophic damage; however, more than 1,500 friends joined the recovery work, and the brewery, said to be unable to produce again, made a miraculous recovery. In 2014, a new three-story sake brewery was built, combining the latest machinery and technology with the sensibility Yoshifumi had accumulated through countless experiences. Also in October of that year, it won the grand prix in the "Free Style under 5000" category of SAKE COMPETITION, one of the world's largest sake competitions. In 2016, "Toyobijin Junmai Daiginjo Ichibanmatou" was chosen as the dinner sake for the Japan-Russia summit. In 2016, "Toyobijin Ichibanmatou" was loaded onto the Japanese government aircraft. In 2018, "Toyobijin Ichibanmatou" began being served and sold aboard the TWILIGHT EXPRESS Mizukaze. In 2019, "Toyobijin Junmai Daiginjo Itten" joined the lineup as a sake served in JAL first class. In 2021, the brewery marked its 100th anniversary and continues to seek further evolution and growth.

• Toyobijin Junmai Daiginjo Ichibanmatou

• Toyobijin Chihokou

• Toyobijin Tokugin Junmai Daiginjo Banshu Aiyama

• Toyobijin Junmai Daiginjo Princess Michiko

• Toyobijin Limited Junmai Ginjo Jundo Ichizu Yamada Nishiki

1. 1東洋美人 - 株式会社澄川酒造場toyobijin.jp