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.
Ilaka’s Silver-Black is the original expression and philosophical foundation of the Silver Series. embodying Toji Tanaka’s vision. Brewed under the theme of “returning to the origin,” it seeks to showcase Matsukawa’s water, rice, and landscape. Pale with a subtle hint of straw yellow, Silver-Black has an expressive, rice-driven nose of fresh apple blossom and soft fondant sweetness. The palate seamlessly balances power and delicacy with an unctuous, highly textural umami depth. A gentle lift from the alcohol carries these complex layers into a long, beautifully sustained 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: Hitogokochi (Matsukawa-grown)
Koji: White & yellow
Shubo: Sokujo-moto
Yeast: Nagano D & C 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.
Ilaka’s Silver-Black is the original expression and philosophical foundation of the Silver Series. embodying Toji Tanaka’s vision. Brewed under the theme of “returning to the origin,” it seeks to showcase Matsukawa’s water, rice, and landscape. Pale with a subtle hint of straw yellow, Silver-Black has an expressive, rice-driven nose of fresh apple blossom and soft fondant sweetness. The palate seamlessly balances power and delicacy with an unctuous, highly textural umami depth. A gentle lift from the alcohol carries these complex layers into a long, beautifully sustained 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: Hitogokochi (Matsukawa-grown)
Koji: White & yellow
Shubo: Sokujo-moto
Yeast: Nagano D & C 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%