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Omachi is often called the “mother of sake rice.” First cultivated in Okayama in the late 19th century, it is one of the few traditional rice varieties still grown today and has become the genetic ancestor of many modern sake rices, including the famous Yamada Nishiki.

Unlike newer strains bred for ease of brewing, Omachi is notoriously difficult to cultivate and polish. Yet brewers prize it for the character it brings to sake: fuller body, lively acidity and a slightly wild, expressive structure.

This tasting explores Omachi in its pure form and through its descendants, showing how one historic rice variety continues to shape the flavour and diversity of modern sake.

FLIGHT DETAILS

Akaiwa "lucky 7' Junmai Daiginjo

Watanabe Shuzo | Hida Furukawa, Gifu

The Mother

Produced by Hourai at Watanabe Shuzo in Hida Furukawa, Gifu, this sake celebrates the seventh generation of the Watanabe family.

Made with 100% Akaiwa Omachi rice from Okayama, polished to 50%, and fermented with the legendary Kyokai No.7 “Masumi” yeast.

Omachi here produces a subdued, mellow aromatic profile rather than the loud tropical fruit often associated with modern ginjo styles.

Tasting Notes
Fresh banana, light cream, pear and melon with subtle notes of steamed rice. Soft, rounded and elegant.

Nito Junmai Ginjo Omachi

Maruishi Jozo | Okazaki, Aichi

The Stepmother

Nito is produced by Maruishi Jozo in Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture and forms part of the brewery’s modern Nito range.

Inspired by the proverb “Only he who runs after two hares will catch them both”, brewer Mr Fukada works to combine elements that seem mutually exclusive: taste and aroma, tartness and umami, sweetness and dryness, complexity and cleanness.

Made using 100% premium Omachi rice polished to 55%.

Tasting Notes
Gentle rice sweetness and soft aromatics with a smooth, balanced palate. A refined and approachable expression of Omachi.

Eto Midoshi Red 2025 Junmai  

Koimari Shuzo | Imari, Saga

 

The Southern Wild Card

Across Asia, the Koimari Saki brand is famous for its distinctive “Muscat grape” (green grape) aromatic profile.

The Red 2025 Junmai balances this bright fruitiness with Omachi’s natural weight and structure.

Koimari releases two versions of its Zodiac sake each year:
Red (Junmai / Omachi) and Black (Junmai Ginjo / Yamada Nishiki).

Tasting Notes
Very fresh and aromatic with green grape, nectarine and apricot. A delicate “gasu-kan” effervescence gives the palate a creamy yet lively texture. Omachi provides a foundation of subtle umami that keeps the fruit from becoming cloying. Crisp acidity leads to a clean, refreshing finish.

The slightly soft water of Imari in Saga helps round Omachi’s edges, creating a particularly juicy and approachable style.

Kuncho Junmai Ginjo Next  (Tamasakae) 

Kuncho Brewery | Oita

The Great-Grandchild

Part of Kuncho’s “Next” series, a project highlighting under-utilised heritage rice strains. Made with 100% Tamasakae rice from Tottori Prefecture, a descendant of Omachi through its parent Shiragiku. Tamasakae is notoriously difficult to polish due to internal cracking, making its use in ginjo-grade sake relatively rare.

Technical Details

Rice polishing ratio: 60%
Alcohol: 17%
SMV: +5 (dry)
Acidity: approx. 1.7–1.8

Tamasakae inherits Omachi’s tendency to dissolve easily during fermentation, producing a bold and richly structured sake.

Tasting Notes
A youthful yet complex nose of melon, banana bread and subtle lactic yoghurt notes. Dry and crisp on entry despite the fruity aromatics, with a grainy cereal-like umami and firm acidity providing structure. There is a slight effervescence if opened fresh, followed by a mellow, rounded mid-palate that reflects the "Next" series' focus on texture.

 

Matsuemon Daiginjo 

Hideyoshi, Suzuki Shuzoten | Akita

The King

This daiginjo is named “Matsuemon” in honour of the successive heads of the brewery, now in its 19th generation.

Made with 100% Hyogo Yamada Nishiki, widely regarded as the king of sake rice and itself a direct descendant of Omachi. Extracted using the traditional shizuku method, where the sake is allowed to drip naturally by gravity rather than being mechanically pressed.

Technical Details

Rice polishing ratio: 40%
Yeast: Kyokai No.1801, known for producing elegant apple and melon aromatics.

Awarded Gold Medal – Japan Sake Awards 2024
Gold Medal – Fine Sake Awards Japan 2023

Tasting Notes
An intense ginjo aroma of cotton candy, ripe melon and pineapple. Rich yet elegant on the palate with deep, velvety sweetness and remarkable depth.

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