Hyakujuro

Hayashihonten, the brewer of Hyakujuro, is headquartered in Kakamigahara City, Gifu Prefecture, and the brand was named after the local kabuki actor Ichikawa Hyakujuro, who donated 1,200 cherry trees to the city that became the celebrated Hyakujuro Sakura, now listed among Japan's top-100 cherry blossom sites. Fifth-generation proprietor Rieko Hayashi, who returned to the brewery after a career in sales at a major beer company, relaunched the Hyakujuro brand in 2012 and in 2019 developed Japan's first triple fermentation method, a no-additive technique that achieves the benefits of both kimoto and sokujo fermentation. The brewery aims for sake described as strong and refined, like a woman, with sharp, clean dryness and expressive umami.