A small brewery in Okage Yokocho, by the Inner Shrine of Ise.
Iseman’s Naikumae brewery stands in Okage Yokocho, part of the shrine town outside the Naiku (Inner Shrine) of Ise Jingu. It is a small operation: the brewery sits directly behind the shop.
The brewing water is groundwater from the Isuzu River, drawn from beneath the brewery. Okagesama sake was first made in 1993, the year Okage Yokocho opened. Its name refers to the okage-mairi pilgrimages that were popular in the Edo period, and to gratitude toward the gods and nature of Ise.
Most of the work is done by hand, so volumes are small, and the sake is sold only at the shop and at liquor stores in the Ise-Shima area. At the 2023 Annual Japan Sake Awards it won a gold medal for the second year in a row. Iseman also makes shochu and gin, and WAIN99 carries ISE GIN, a craft gin made with ingredients from Ise.
- A brewery inside Okage Yokocho, by the Inner Shrine of Ise Jingu
- Brewed with groundwater from the Isuzu River
- Okagesama sake, first made in 1993, is sold only at the shop and in Ise-Shima
- Gold medal at the 2023 Annual Japan Sake Awards (second year in a row)
