Tenju Shuzo
Takeshi Ohi was born in the 134 year-old house adjacent to his family’s brewery. As an infant, he was constantly surrounded by the fragrances of rice and koji that linger, like the family’s rich history, in the wood, walls and foundation of his home. Consistently exposed to the industry since childhood through his father and grand-father, Takeshi formalized his training by majoring in sake brewing at Tokyo University of Agriculture and working at Takara Shuzo, one of the largest breweries in Japan. He then returned to the family business, and has been working as President for over 25 years. He is also very active in his local community, serving on the Chamber of Commerce, the Akita Brewing Association, the Yashima Board of Education and several PTAs.
Takeshi’s younger brother, Hitoshi, after completing a degree in Law at Japan University in Tokyo and working as a banker for Sumitomo Bank, returned to the family business 8 years ago. He heads the international division and is invaluable to the continued success of the tightly knit family business. Takeshi invites you to join his father, his brother and himself in lifting a glass of Chokaisan Junmai Daiginjo. Kanpai!! Cheers!
Shunji Sato was born in a small, rural village in Akita. The pride of the prefecture was instilled in him from an early age as he watched first-hand the cyclical inter-connection between rice and sake production, and the culture and cuisine of his native region. Although he toiled under previous toji at Tenju Shuzo for 20 years, Mr. Sato is now one of the youngest toji in Japan. Appointed toji at only 40 years of age, he has had much attention drawn to him over the last 5 years as the youngest toji to win numerous accolades for his brewery. Chokaisan Junmai Daiginjo has consistently won Gold and Silver medals in national and international competitions.
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Located in the town of Yashima on the foothills of the beautiful Mt. Chokai, Tenju Shuzo sits in the shadows of the so-called “Fuji of Akita.” The mountain is not only a source of wonder and inspiration to the local people, but also of incredibly pure water which can be used in brewing. Perhaps this is why, despite a population of only 5,000, Yashima is host to several sakes breweries. Tenju Shuzo is among the oldest of these breweries, having been founded in 1874 by Eikichi Ohi. Six generations later is it still run by the Ohi family, with brothers Takeshi and Hitoshi now at the helm.
Despite a long tradition of premium sake at the brewery, president Takeshi does not shy away from innovation. In addition to making sure his brewery is equipped with the latest brewing technology, much of which has been developed in the brewery, he also helped discover a new strand of sake yeast derived from flowers. This unique ingredient provides the wonderfully perfumed bouquet for which their sake is known.
Not only does Mt. Chokai provide clean water for brewing, but it also creates ideal climatic conditions for rice. Nobody is more familiar with this than Shunji Sato, who is toji at Tenju Shuzo during the winter, but during the summer becomes head farmer of the team that grows the rice for the following brewing season. Having this intimate connection with all stages of sake making allows him to create sakes exactly as he wants them. His ultimate goal, he says, is to brew a sake that gives the drinker the sensation of looking up at the gorgeous Mt. Chokai on a clear winter’s day. It is the sincere hope of the brothers Ohi that when American consumers first taste Chokaisan Junmai Daiginjo, they too will get a sense of the beauty of the mountain after which it is named.
