Asahi Shuzo | 旭酒造

Asahi Shuzo, the brewery behind the renowned Dassai brand of sake, has a fascinating history that blends tradition with innovation. Founded in 1948, Asahi Shuzo is based in the Yamaguchi Prefecture, and Dassai has become one of Japan's most celebrated and innovative sake labels.

Initially, Asahi Shuzo was a small, struggling brewery in the post-war era, producing sake for the local market. By the late 1980s, Japan’s economy was booming, but the demand for traditional sake was declining due to competition from beer, wine, and other alcoholic beverages. It was around this time that Hiroshi Sakurai, the current president of Asahi Shuzo and the son of the founder, took over the family business.

Sakurai realized that the brewery needed to change its approach to survive. Instead of competing with mass-market, low-grade sake, he decided to focus on producing premium, high-quality sake using modern techniques. This decision led to the creation of Dassai, which would become one of Japan's first sake brands to embrace a modern, global outlook.