Kitamura Shoten, which handles the wholesale of food manufacturing equipment and materials, has opened an online gallery called "Kitamura Sake Exhibition." This gallery showcases and sells high-quality, long-aged sake—hidden treasures of breweries that missed their shipping window—as works of art. The inaugural piece, named "AQUETHA by Tsukasabotan," was brewed by Tsukasabotan Shuzo in Kochi Prefecture and released in a limited edition of 300 units.

Kitamura Shoten has worked with breweries across Japan for a century. Hayato Kitamura, the managing director, discovered during his visits to sake breweries nationwide that a considerable number of high-quality Japanese sakes were being stored for extended periods, having missed their shipping deadlines. This situation was also taking up valuable space in refrigerators and other storage areas.

To bring these precious Japanese sakes, like treasures sleeping in the brewery, to the world, Kitamura Shoten conceived and launched an online gallery that treats aged sake not as "products" but as "artworks." The first "artwork" has now been unveiled.

According to Kitamura Shoten, "long-aged sake" refers to Japanese sake that has been aged in the brewery for three years or more. It is said that long aging gives the sake an amber hue, a rich and sweet aroma, and a smooth palate. The inaugural piece presented and sold is "AQUETHA by Tsukasabotan," born from Tsukasabotan Shuzo, a brewery with nearly 400 years of history in Kochi Prefecture.

"AQUETHA" uses three types of yeast, including Yamada Nishiki and a proprietary Kumamoto yeast strain, and was aged for over three years at sub-zero temperatures (-5°C) to develop its complex flavors—a process that demands significant time and cost. This aging method results in a sake where water and alcohol molecules are perfectly integrated, creating a harmonious balance of mellow flavor and floral aroma. Uniquely, despite its long aging, it remains colorless and transparent due to the ice-aging process.

To complement this exceptional long-aged sake, the containers are equally special. Each bottle is hand-blown by glass artist Yutaro Kijima and individually numbered. With unique textures, they are fitting vessels for a one-of-a-kind creation.

This is an opportunity to acquire a rare, art-like aged sake that is usually difficult to obtain. It makes a perfect gift for a loved one or a way to spend a special, leisurely time with a unique "artwork."