Kita no Nishiki

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Kita no Nishiki (720 ml) 'Maruta' Tokubetsu Junmai Muroka, Hokkaido Prefecture

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Kita no Nishiki is the flagship sake of Kobayashi Shuzo, a historic Hokkaido brewery established in 1878 during the Meiji era. The name reflects both place and purpose: kita (“north”) evokes the vast frontier of Hokkaido, while nishiki (“brocade”) poetically expresses pride, success, and excellence. Together, the name captures founder Kobayashi Yonesaburo the First’s determination to build a legacy in Japan’s northernmost region. In recognition of its cultural significance, the brewery was designated a National Cultural Heritage Site in 2006.

Kobayashi Shuzo is located in Kuriyama, just east of Sapporo and adjacent to Yubari—an area known today for its famed melons, but historically central to Hokkaido’s agricultural development. Kuriyama was the first region north of Sapporo to successfully cultivate rice, establishing a foundation for local sake production.

Neighboring Yubari once thrived as a major coal-mining town. In those years, Kobayashi’s sake was crafted as a source of comfort and reward for the miners who helped fuel Hokkaido’s growth.

The Hokkaido Identity
For generations, the brewery has pursued a guiding question: What makes a truly regional sake—one inseparable from Hokkaido?

Their answer became a motto: “Made by Hokkaido hands, with Hokkaido rice and water.”

Long before local rice was valued for premium brewing, Kobayashi Shuzo invested in research, experimentation, and regional agriculture. In 2004 and 2005, the brewery earned Gold Medals at the National Sake Competition with sakes made from Hokkaido sake brewing rice. By 2009, this commitment became absolute: every sake they produce is now brewed exclusively with Hokkaido rice.

The brewery’s longest-produced bottling, Kita no Nishiki Hizo Junmai, was introduced in 1985. Originally brewed with Miyama Nishiki, it is now made with Ginpu, one of Hokkaido’s hallmark sake rice varieties. The sake undergoes a minimum of three years of bottle-tempering, allowing its umami and complexity to slowly deepen.