NihonshuFYI
Discover Japanese sake grades, breweries, rice varieties, and guides. Your complete sake encyclopedia.
Sake Grades
Featured Sake
Aizu Homare Junmai Daiginjo
会津ほまれ 純米大吟醸
Aizu Homare
Akabu Junmai
赤武 純米
Akabu Shuzo
Akabu Junmai Ginjo
赤武 純米吟醸
Akabu Shuzo
Akishika Junmai Kimoto
秋鹿 純米 生酛
Akishika Shuzo
Aramasa Colors Cosmos
新政 コスモス
Aramasa Sake Brewery
Aramasa Colors Ecru
新政 エクリュ
Aramasa Sake Brewery
Aramasa No. 6 S-type
新政 No.6 S-type
Aramasa Sake Brewery
Aramasa No. 6 X-type
新政 No.6 X-type
Aramasa Sake Brewery
Sake Prefectures
Featured Guides
Sake 101
How to Taste Sake
A beginner's guide to sake tasting, covering appearance, aroma, palate, and finish. Learn the vocabulary and techniques used by sake professionals to evaluate and describe what they experience in the glass.
1 min read
Grades & Types
The Sake Classification System
A comprehensive overview of Japan's official sake grading system, the tokutei meisho-shu framework that defines eight premium grades and how they relate to futsu-shu and the broader market.
1 min read
Grades & Types
Junmai Sake Explained
Everything you need to know about junmai sake — the pure rice style with no added alcohol. Learn what junmai means, how it tastes, when to serve it warm, and why it is many enthusiasts' favorite category.
1 min read
Brewing Process
Rice Polishing Deep Dive
Rice polishing (seimai) is the first and one of the most important steps in sake production. Learn how polishing ratios affect flavor, the mechanics of modern milling, and the extreme polishing trend.
1 min read
Brewing Process
The Art of Koji Making
Koji making (seikiku) is universally considered the most critical step in sake brewing. This guide details the 48-hour process of cultivating Aspergillus oryzae on steamed rice in the koji-muro.
1 min read
Sake 101
How Sake Is Made
An overview of the sake brewing process from rice polishing to bottling. Understand each major step and how the brewer's decisions at every stage shape the final flavor in your glass.
1 min read
Popular Grade Comparisons
Sake Rice
Yamada Nishiki, Gohyakumangoku
Yeast Strains
Kyokai & Proprietary
Serving Temperatures
From Yuki-hie to Tobikiri-kan