Hakushika History (白鹿)
“Hakushika,” which literally means “white deer,” is the subject of an old Chinese legend. According to this legend, the Tang Emperor Hsuan-Tsung who ruled from 712-756 and is known as the longest reigning emperor during the culture rich Tang Dynasty, found a white deer one day wandering in his palace gardens. Seeing that this rare and beautiful animal was adorned with a bronze medal indicating that the animal was 1000 years old, the Emperor recognized this as an auspicious sign symbolizing a long and prosperous life.
The Japanese, who have traditionally adopted the Chinese images and legends of the deer also regard the white deer as a sign of longevity. As such, we chose Hakushika as our brand to represent both our long history as well as the future ahead of us.
Kuromatsu Brand (黑松)
Kuromatsu, which literally means “black pine,” is a symbol the Japanese have adopted to represent longevity. In Japanese art, the black pine and deer image are popular to strongly represent the image of long life and prosperity.
In traditional Japanese sake branding, it was common to adopt two brand names: a main brand name and a second brand name. Hakushika is our main brand name and Kuromatsu is our second brand name. Today, we use the Kuromatsu name on some premium class products.
Hakushika Concept
The Hakushika brand represents good taste, quality and a sense of tradition. As the leading sake brewer in Nishinomiya, famed throughout Japan for its “miyamizu”, water reputed to be the best for making sake, we are dedicated to producing the finest.
We believe that a little luxury, such as a nice sake with a delicious meal, can enrich the life. As in traditional Japanese aesthetics, we believe that the beauty of an excellent sake is in both its subtleties and its appearance of clean simplicity which conceal the tedious care and attention we put into each bottle.
Nishinomiya (西宮市)
Nishinomiya, which is located in the “Nada area” between Osaka and Kobe, was long famed for its quality water, access to choice rice and location near the ocean. By the 1600s, it also became famous for its innovative sake brewers. One of these brewers was Kichizaemon Tatsuuma who founded his sake brewery in Nishinomiya in 1662.
And now, Hakushika is known as one of Japan’s leading sake brews and enjoys increasing popularity as the sake best suited to match the nearly limitless range of Japanese cuisine. Abroad, more discerning sake fans appreciate Hakushika sake not only as a pleasant accompaniment to sushi but also for its own merits.
Good Rice, Good Water, Good Price
