Fujii Sake Brewery was founded in 1863 by I. Zenshichi, who recognized the exceptional quality of Takehara’s crystal-clear water and its potential for sake brewing. Since its beginnings, the brewery has specialized exclusively in junmai sake, following traditional Japanese brewing methods without adding distilled alcohol to its products. In 1907, Fujii was awarded first place at the first Japan Sake Awards, a remarkable recognition for the young brewery at the time.

Takehara, the brewery’s hometown, is a historic coastal town in Hiroshima Prefecture. Once known for its thriving salt industry, the town is also celebrated for its pristine water, rich food culture, traditional wooden houses, and historic temples.

Today, Fujii Brewery is run by the fifth generation, who have been overseeing production for more than 30 years. Their focus is on creating sake that pairs naturally with food. The brewery’s style is characterized by rounded umami, refreshing acidity, a gentle dryness, and a subtle tartness, resulting in sake with depth and balance.

Fujii also embraces unconventional approaches to maturation, including the use of wine barrels for some of its recent releases. One example is Haregi Ryu, which is also available at Gravity Shop.

Another distinctive feature of the brewery is its revival of Kioke, an ancient fermentation technique using large wooden vats that has almost disappeared from Japanese sake production since the 1960s. In 2019, Fujii restored a set of wooden vats dating back to the Taisho era that had long stood unused. By bringing them back into production, the brewery has revived a traditional method that contributes to the deeper aromas and complex flavors of its sake.