Umami density
The concentration of amino acids — chiefly glutamic and aspartic — released during long koji ageing. Dense means a broth-like, savoury weight on the mid-palate. Highest in Junmai Black at 36 months; lowest in Pure Rice at 12.
Volume XII · Spring/Summer 2026 Release
Six fermentations,
one unbroken culture.
What follows is the working catalog of our six vinegar lines — each one matured between twelve and thirty-six months in cedar and cypress barrels, each one carrying its own lot number, harvest season, and tasting signature. They are listed not by price or popularity, but by the order in which they enter our cellar each year.
Every bottle on this page descends from a single mother of Aspergillus oryzae — the “Shigaraki-Hatchi” koji culture that has been propagated by our family since 1817. The differences between Junmai Gold and Junmai Black, between Brown Rice and Ume-infused, are not the differences of brand or recipe. They are the differences of time, grain, and season, expressed through the same lineage of slow fermentation.
- Cellar
- 14–16°C, year-round, unmechanized
- Maturation
- 12 – 36 months in cedar & cypress
- Annual yield
- ~18,000 litres, six lines
- Kōji lineage
- 207 years, Edo period to present
Index · Six Lines
The Collection
Listed by ascending maturation. Filter by format, season, or taste. Each entry is a complete catalog record; lot numbers link to brewing notes and Certificate of Analysis.
-
01LOT
Junmai · Gold
Junmai Gold
The house flagship. Polished short-grain rice, our koji, spring water from Mt. Kōka.
- Maturation
- 24 months
- Acidity
- 5.0%
- Formats
- 100 / 300 / 500 ml & 1 L
- Harvest
- Spring 2024
- Lot
- JG-S24-014
Tasting — Clear amber. Ester brightness up front, soft honeyed mid-palate, walnut-skin finish lasting 18–22 seconds. Recommended for sushi rice, light dressings, and finishing raw scallop.
from ¥1,840 / 100 ml Add to Cart -
02LOT
Junmai · Black
Junmai Black Vinegar
Unpolished brown rice, fully aged. JAS Organic certified. 2024 Japan Vinegar Awards Gold.
- Maturation
- 36 months
- Acidity
- 4.8%
- Formats
- 300 / 500 ml & 1 L
- Harvest
- Autumn 2022
- Lot
- JB-A22-007
Tasting — Deep mahogany. Dense umami, caramelised-grain sweetness, espresso-bean finish with no bitterness. For braising, reductions, and the “black vinegar tonic” served at room temperature.
from ¥2,640 / 300 ml Add to Cart -
03LOT
Brown Rice · Aged
Aged Brown Rice Vinegar
2023 Japan Vinegar Awards Gold. The line most often shipped to Michelin kitchens.
- Maturation
- 18 months
- Acidity
- 5.1%
- Formats
- 100 / 300 / 500 ml
- Harvest
- Summer 2023
- Lot
- BR-Su23-031
Tasting — Russet amber. Rounded mid-palate, brown-butter aroma, gentle cereal sweetness, clean 14-second finish. Versatile: vinaigrettes, deglazing, pickles, and chilled soba dipping.
from ¥1,520 / 100 ml Add to Cart -
04LOT
Pure Rice · Classic
Pure Rice Vinegar
The entry to our cellar. Polished rice, twelve months, no caramel — the clarity is the point.
- Maturation
- 12 months
- Acidity
- 5.2%
- Formats
- 100 / 300 / 500 ml & 1 L
- Harvest
- Spring 2024
- Lot
- RV-S24-052
Tasting — Pale straw. Light ester lift, restrained sweetness, mineral finish at 10–12 seconds. For sushi rice, sunomono, and any application requiring clean acidity without colour.
from ¥1,180 / 100 ml Add to Cart -
05LOT
Infused · Stone Fruit
Ume-Infused Vinegar
Whole Nanko ume from Wakayama macerated in Junmai Gold for nine months after primary fermentation.
- Maturation
- 24 + 9 months
- Acidity
- 4.9%
- Formats
- 100 / 300 ml
- Harvest
- Ume June 2023
- Lot
- UM-J23-009
Tasting — Dusty rose. Stone-fruit aroma, lactic softness, citric brightness on the finish. For salads with bitter greens, grilled mackerel, and the traditional “umesu” highball.
from ¥2,240 / 100 ml Add to Cart -
06LOT
Infused · Citrus
Yuzu-Infused Vinegar
Cold-pressed Kôchi yuzu peel steeped in Pure Rice Vinegar. Released in late winter only.
- Maturation
- 12 + 3 months
- Acidity
- 5.0%
- Formats
- 100 / 300 ml
- Harvest
- Yuzu December 2024
- Lot
- YZ-D24-004
Tasting — Pale gold. Bright yuzu peel oil on the nose, white-pepper finish at 8 seconds. For crudo, oysters, avocado, and dressings where you would otherwise reach for lemon.
from ¥2,420 / 100 ml Add to Cart
Six lines in rotation. Limited sub-lots and seasonal single-barrel releases are published quarterly in the Journal.
View the current lot register →Sidebar · How to read a lot card
The vocabulary on the cards above
A short guide. Every adjective below is measured at the cellar by a panel of three brewers using the same reference scale we have kept since 1968. None of these terms is borrowed from wine tasting. They describe vinegar on vinegar’s own terms.
Ester brightness
The lifted, fruity top notes produced by esterification in the barrel. Think pear, apple, or banana at low intensity. Reads as the vinegar’s first impression. Strongest in Junmai Gold and Yuzu-Infused.
Residual sweetness
Unfermented rice sugars that remain because the mash was deliberately halted short of full dryness. A measured, cereal sweetness — not confectionery. Prominent in Aged Brown Rice and Junmai Black.
Finish length
Measured in seconds from swallow to final perceptible note on the palate. Our reference scale runs 6 (short) to 30 (very long). Junmai Black regularly exceeds 22 seconds; Yuzu-Infused sits around 8.
Acidity
Expressed as percent acetic acid, tested lot by lot and printed on every Certificate of Analysis. Our range is 4.8–5.2% — lower than industrial vinegar (typically 8–12%), because we never dilute and we never spike.
Lot number
A four-character code: line, harvest season and year, sequential batch. Each lot is a single barrel or small group of barrels bottled together. Scan the QR on the bottle to read its specific brewing notes.
Verified · Independent credentials
Recognised by the people who measure vinegar for a living.
Four numbers we cite often. None of them is our own survey.
2×
Japan Vinegar Awards Gold Medals
Aged Brown Rice (2023) and Junmai Black (2024), judged by the All Japan Vinegar Brewers Association.
41
Michelin-starred restaurants served
Including Narisawa (Tokyo), Pierre Gagnaire (Paris), and Sushi Nakazawa (New York).
23
Countries exported to
Distributed through 380+ specialty retailers; shipped year-round from the Shigaraki cellar.
100%
Lot-level Certificate of Analysis
Acidity, amino-acid profile, and microbial panel for every bottle, accessible by QR code.
Further credentials: Certified Authentic Shigaraki-Gōshu product (one of seven houses); recommended by the Japan Fermentation Wellness Council; Junmai Black holds JAS Organic certification.
Order · Gift · Speak with us
Choose a bottle, a gift set, or speak with our concierge.
Every order ships with its lot’s brewing notes and Certificate of Analysis, hand-folded into cedar shavings from the cellar’s offcuts. Gift wrapping in unbleached washi is available at checkout.
Path 01
Buy a single bottle or set
Direct purchase of any of the six lines, in 100 ml, 300 ml, 500 ml, or 1 L ceremonial formats. Free domestic shipping on orders over ¥8,000.
Shop the CollectionPath 02
Gift sets & corporate gifting
Hand-numbered presentation boxes of two, three, or six bottles, with personalised lot cards. Lead time two weeks for orders of fifty sets or more.
View Gift SetsPath 03
Speak with the concierge
For chef inquiries, wholesale accounts, restaurant partnerships, or a single-barrel allocation. Replies within one business day, in English or Japanese.
[email protected]Tel. +81 748-82-0317 · 1278-3 Shigaraki, Kōka-shi, Shiga Prefecture 529-1841, Japan