Ilaka Sake Atelier highlights hyperlocal rice grown brewed with the softest water in Japan, coalescing into incredible,
ethereal, tiny-production sake. The continuation of a Nagano sake legacy dating to 1665, the operation relocated to
Matsukawa Village in 2022, surrounded by the majestic Northern Alps. In this epic landscape, Toji Katsumi Tanaka built
his facilities entirely from the ground up with the newest equipment available, and launched Ilaka Sake Atelier.
After over 30 years of brewing experience, Tanaka was finally able to make sake on his own terms: without compromise, marked by clarity and softness through the trinity of water, rice, and the brewer’s skill. As he puts it: “No matter how advanced the technology, there is nothing more important than achieving harmony with nature. We approach sake brewing not with a mindset of ‘challenging’ nature, but with the feeling that we are being given the opportunity to challenge ourselves by this land.”
Along with the rice (all grown within 5km of the brewery) and the water that feeds both the farms and the fermentation, the yeast is sourced exclusively from Nagano Prefecture—a commitment shared by ji-zake (regional/local sake) breweries across Japan that aspire to be true expressions of their locality. As a matter of philosophy, Tanaka-san believes rice-polishing grades matter little in differentiating the price and quality of sake—and so,Ilaka does not disclose its polishing ratio, keeping the focus solely on place, quality and craftsmanship.
The premium Gold Line is led by technique, answered by nature, utilizing pesticide-free local rice, yielding an extraordinarily vibrant, multi-layered profile with an ultra-soft, refined texture.The late-Edo period Zen monk Sengai Gibon depicted the circle, triangle, and square, expressing that “all phenomena return to the One”—the essence of Zen. Inspired by these words, Gold-Tamaki expresses three distinct flavors from a single tank, bottled from three sections: the upper, middle, and lower. This sake opens with an evocative nose of freshly steamed rice. The palate is remarkably full and seamlessly woven, balancing rich rice umami with an unctuous, stunningly elegant texture. Holding with extraordinary depth through the mid-palate, it glides into an endless, pristine finish.
Brewery: Founded 1665; re-established in Matsukawa as Ilaka Sake Atelier in 2024
Location: Matsukawa, Nagano Prefecture
Toji: Katsumi Tanaka
Water source: Incredibly soft (7mg/L)
mountain snowmelt filtered through granitic soils, forming an underground river
Sub-category: Genshu
Rice: Organic Kinmonnishiki (Matsukawa- grown)
Koji: White & yellow
Shubo: Sokujo-moto
Yeast: Nagano D and P33-37
Pressing: Yabuta
Filtration: Muroka (no charcoal)
Pasteurization: Binkan hiire: exacting and brief time at temperature depending on the rice and fermentation
ABV: 15%
After over 30 years of brewing experience, Tanaka was finally able to make sake on his own terms: without compromise, marked by clarity and softness through the trinity of water, rice, and the brewer’s skill. As he puts it: “No matter how advanced the technology, there is nothing more important than achieving harmony with nature. We approach sake brewing not with a mindset of ‘challenging’ nature, but with the feeling that we are being given the opportunity to challenge ourselves by this land.”
Along with the rice (all grown within 5km of the brewery) and the water that feeds both the farms and the fermentation, the yeast is sourced exclusively from Nagano Prefecture—a commitment shared by ji-zake (regional/local sake) breweries across Japan that aspire to be true expressions of their locality. As a matter of philosophy, Tanaka-san believes rice-polishing grades matter little in differentiating the price and quality of sake—and so,Ilaka does not disclose its polishing ratio, keeping the focus solely on place, quality and craftsmanship.
The premium Gold Line is led by technique, answered by nature, utilizing pesticide-free local rice, yielding an extraordinarily vibrant, multi-layered profile with an ultra-soft, refined texture.The late-Edo period Zen monk Sengai Gibon depicted the circle, triangle, and square, expressing that “all phenomena return to the One”—the essence of Zen. Inspired by these words, Gold-Tamaki expresses three distinct flavors from a single tank, bottled from three sections: the upper, middle, and lower. This sake opens with an evocative nose of freshly steamed rice. The palate is remarkably full and seamlessly woven, balancing rich rice umami with an unctuous, stunningly elegant texture. Holding with extraordinary depth through the mid-palate, it glides into an endless, pristine finish.
Brewery: Founded 1665; re-established in Matsukawa as Ilaka Sake Atelier in 2024
Location: Matsukawa, Nagano Prefecture
Toji: Katsumi Tanaka
Water source: Incredibly soft (7mg/L)
mountain snowmelt filtered through granitic soils, forming an underground river
Sub-category: Genshu
Rice: Organic Kinmonnishiki (Matsukawa- grown)
Koji: White & yellow
Shubo: Sokujo-moto
Yeast: Nagano D and P33-37
Pressing: Yabuta
Filtration: Muroka (no charcoal)
Pasteurization: Binkan hiire: exacting and brief time at temperature depending on the rice and fermentation
ABV: 15%
