The powerhouse — a third of Japan's sake starts here
Five brewing districts between Kobe and Nishinomiya, blessed with miyamizu — hard, mineral-rich spring water that ferments fast and clean — and first pick of Yamada Nishiki, the king of sake rice, grown in Hyogo's hills. Nada sake built its name supplying Edo by ship; the style is still called 'otoko-zake' (masculine sake): structured, dry-leaning, built for the table rather than the tasting flight.