Tenryohai Brewery was founded in 983 as Sado Meijo. After a period without a successor, in 2018, 25-year-old Senichi Kato—then the youngest and an industry newcomer—took over the brewery. During his university study abroad, he realized his lack of knowledge about Japanese culture, which sparked his interest in sake. After working at a securities company, he seized the opportunity to acquire the brewery. On May 1, 2019, he launched the new brand “Utashiro.” Made with Sado’s soft natural water and low-pesticide rice, Utashiro embodies a clean, light, and fresh taste, representing a modern take on the “new Niigata style.” The young brewer continues to experiment, blending tradition with innovation in every batch.
