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Dewazakura Shuzo is a pioneer of ginjo sake (quality sake). In the old days, sake was cheap as it was for blue-collar workers, and the breweries brewed ginjo sake just for contests. Dewazakura was one of the first breweries who market ginjo sake. Their quality standard is very high, witnessed by winning IWC Sake Champion twice. They are the brewery who never stops challenging - they will start to grow their own sake rice shortly. There are reasons why Dewazakura is marketed worldwide.
https://www.dewazakura.co.jp/en/

Established in 1775, Hachinohe Shuzo brews famous Mutsu Hassen and also Mutsu Otokoyama (the local brand of the brewery). The balance between craftsmanship and automation of the brewery is second to none. Only four brewers produce this fabulous sake.
The brewery buildings are registered tangible cultural properties, which are worth observing wth your eyes.
The brewery offers a general brewery tour, but the tour bookable on this Story of Sake platform is exclusive. You can enter into the usually-closed part of the brewery - where sake is actually brewed - and experience a special sake tasting session that is not offered for general tours.
https://mutsu8000.com/en/

Kikkawa Jozo is one of a few breweries whose quality of sake has improved after M&A. Kikkawa Jozo was acquired by a company in Tokyo several years ago, and their sake has become popular these days. In 2024 they made their debut on Craft Sake Week, a sake festival where only popular breweries are allowed to open a booth.
You will definitely feel very welcomed when you visit the brewery - the management team of the brewery as well as the brewery master are great people. On sake, their usage of acidity is very characteristic and second to none.
https://kikkawa-jozo.com/en?srsltid=AfmBOoob92eqPlyXUro1f7svqAUeCk2eWC7-kKg9hoGyXw0PJvBw9wpG

Mitobe Sake Brewery was founded in 1898 and is now run by the fifth generation. The sake he brews is very fruity, the quality of which expanded the prestige of his sake from Yamagata to Tokyo a while ago. The master brewer is the one to guide you through. With his fluent English, you will forget that you are in a sake brewery in the most rural area of Japan.
Mitobe Shuzo is unique in that it has its own rice fields. They grow rice, from which they brew sake. If you visit there in fall, you may witness golden rice field.
https://www.mitobesake.com/?page_id=523&lang=en

Shuho, a brewery in the residential area, is a brewery that keeps taking risks. They use a variety of rice from all over the country, and also they use various kinds of yeast. The products are all good. That is made possible by the CEO of the brewery, Hidekazu Takeda. Rarely enough for the CEO of a sake brewery, he has a doctor’s degree from one of the most prominent universities in Japan. Having worked for a non-sake company as an engineer, he does not stick to the common sense of the sake industry.
https://shuhosyuzo.com/en/home/

Suginomori, reborn in 2021 after 10 years of silence, is one of the smallest breweries in Japan and brews sake in one of the highest breweries in Japan, standing at an altitude of 940m and surrounded by an abundance of nature. While many breweries typically use a stable water source such as well water, narai uses the fresh water from the mountains, flowing from an altitude of over 1,000m.
The brewery is nestled in the historic townscape of Narai-juku, a well-preserved post town in Nagano stretching for about 1km – the longest of its kind in Japan.
https://www.narai.jp/en

Founded in 1719, Yucho Shuzo brews the freshest sake in the world. They know their sake is the best right after the sake is pressed, and they try everything to keep the sake in the best quality until it is brought to the mouth. For that reason, they do not ship the sake overseas except for limited occasions where the cold chain is strictly maintained. The secret of the famous sake Kazenomori is hidden in Gose, Nara, where the sake was first brewed in history.

Yukawa Shuzo expanded their fame by winning IWC Sake Championship in 2023. Located in the scenic area of Nagano, they brew unique yet very delicious sake with pure water. They use acid very well, which is very difficult for a sake brewery.
The brewery is managed by Naoko-san (the CEO) and Shinichi-san (brewery master), which bears a home-like atmosphere in the brewery. They made the brewery in an innovative way, looking towards the future of sake.
https://www.yukawabrewery.com/en