Who will enjoy this brewery
- People who want to buy sake that changes with the seasons at a brewery shop close to Kochi Ryoma Airport (weekdays only; there is no information on brewery tours)
- People who want to try sake made with “Gin no Yume (吟の夢)”, a sake rice grown in Kochi Prefecture
- People looking for sake with local words in their names, such as a sake named from the Tosa dialect of Kochi
About Sento Shuzojo
Sento Shuzojo (仙頭酒造場) is a brewery in the village of Geisei (芸西村), in Aki District (安芸郡), Kochi Prefecture. It was founded in 1903 (the 36th year of the Meiji era) and became a company in 1953. The representative is Miki Sento (仙頭美紀), and the head of brewing is Ryota Sento (仙頭竜太).
Its brands are “Tosa Shiragiku (土佐しらぎく)” and “Mishio (美潮)”, started in 2014. Tosa is the old provincial name for Kochi Prefecture.
Sento Shuzojo sells its sake at the brewery shop (weekdays only; checked on October 29, 2026). There is no information on brewery tours on the official website.
The Shikoku Mountains to the north, the Pacific to the south
Geisei is a small village with the Shikoku Mountains to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. Sento Shuzojo has been making sake in this village for more than 100 years.
For its brewing water, the brewery draws underground water from the Shikoku Mountains on its own premises. Kochi is warm, but the brewery says it makes sake of consistent flavor with its own methods. Most work, including rice washing and koji making, is done by hand.
For rice, the brewery uses Kochi Prefecture’s sake rice “Gin no Yume” at the center, alongside various other rices, including “Yamada Nishiki”, “Hattan Nishiki”, “Omachi” and “Shizuku-hime (しずく媛)”. Each season it releases sakes that bring out the character of each rice.
From Shiragiku to Tosa Shiragiku
“Tosa Shiragiku” is the brewery’s flagship brand, continued since around the time of its founding. It was named “Shiragiku (白菊)”, after the “kiku (菊)” in the name of the first head of the brewery, 仙頭菊太郎, and today it is sold in Japan and abroad as “Tosa Shiragiku”.
What the brewery aims for is “fresh & juicy” sake that is pleasant and easy to drink. It makes its sake with the thought that it wants people who do not usually drink sake, and the younger generation, to get to know it too.
- Tosa Shiragiku 特吟 Ginjo (土佐しらぎく 特吟 吟醸) — A “ginjo”: with 40% or more of the outer part of the rice polished away, and a small amount of brewer’s alcohol added. It has sold well ever since “Tosa Shiragiku” was born, and the brewery says it pairs easily with all kinds of dishes
- Tosa Shiragiku Zankara Tokubetsu Junmai (土佐しらぎく 斬辛 特別純米) — A “tokubetsu junmai-shu”: made only from rice, rice koji and water, with 40% or more of the outer part of the rice polished away. “Zankara (斬辛)” is a name meaning a crisp, dry finish. In sake, “karakuchi (dry)” does not mean spicy; it means a taste in which you feel little sweetness (Amakuchi and karakuchi)
- Tosa Shiragiku ぼっちり Tokubetsu Junmai (土佐しらぎく ぼっちり 特別純米) — “ぼっちり” is Tosa dialect for “just right”. The brewery says it tastes just right whether chilled or warmed
- Mishio (美潮) — A series started in 2014 by the head of brewing, Ryota Sento, built around the concept of an elegant, honey-like sweetness. There are products that are “junmai ginjo” (made only from rice, rice koji and water, with 40% or more of the outer part of the rice polished away, and fermented slowly at a low temperature) and products that are “junmai daiginjo” (with half or more of the outer part of the rice polished away). The name of the rice goes into the product name, as in “Mishio Junmai Ginjo Gin no Yume (美潮 純米吟醸 吟の夢)”
There are also many seasonal products. In winter (December to February) comes “あらばしり” (the first run from the press, bottled unpasteurized), a namazake (unpasteurized sake) in which the first part of the pressing is bottled as it is, and in autumn (September to November) comes “hiyaoroshi”, released after aging through the summer, among others. The rice and the rice polishing ratio differ from product to product, so please check the label for the type.
Visiting the brewery
Brewery tours
There is no information on brewery tours on Sento Shuzojo’s official website (checked on October 29, 2026).
The brewery shop
Sento Shuzojo sells its sake at the brewery. It also stocks seasonal sake.
| Sento Shuzojo’s shop (checked on October 29, 2026) | |
|---|---|
| Opening hours | Monday to Friday, 9:00–11:30 and 14:00–16:00 |
| Closed | Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays |
| Phone | 0887-33-2611 |
The shop is not open at midday (11:30–14:00). It is closed at weekends, so please be careful about the day you visit.
Getting there
Address: 〒781-5701 高知県安芸郡芸西村和食甲1551番地
- By train: About 7 minutes on foot from Wajiki Station (和食駅) on the ごめん・なはり線 line of the Tosa Kuroshio Railway. Please check train times on the Tosa Kuroshio Railway website
- By plane and car: About 20 minutes by car from Kochi Ryoma Airport
- Landmark: Go about 200 m north from the Wajiki pedestrian bridge (和食歩道橋) on Route 55, and you will see the brewery’s chimney and sign on your left
Travel times are estimates as of October 29, 2026.
If you are driving, please do not drink sake. In Japan, drunk driving is prohibited by law.
Opening days and tour arrangements may change. Please check the brewery’s official information before visiting.
Where to buy Sento Shuzojo’s sake
The brewery does not publish a list of stockists (checked on October 29, 2026). Tosa Shiragiku is sold at authorized retailers (liquor stores that have a contract with the brewery to sell its sake) around Japan. If you ask the brewery, it will introduce you to an authorized retailer near you.
- The brewery shop: As described in “Visiting the brewery” above (weekdays only)
- Shipping: The brewery also accepts orders to ship sake, and asks you to inquire by email. The email address for inquiries is on the company information page of the official website
- Online shop: The brewery has no official online shop (checked on October 29, 2026)
Before you buy
- Seasonal products such as あらばしり and hiyaoroshi are only released at their time of year.
- If you are taking sake home abroad: Bottles over 100 ml cannot go in your carry-on bag before security screening. Put them in your checked baggage, or buy them at a duty-free shop after security screening. Please check in advance what applies if you have a connecting flight, and the import limits of the country you are arriving in. → Travel tips
Other breweries in Kochi Prefecture are gathered on our Kochi Prefecture page.
Brewery facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Brewery | 有限会社仙頭酒造場 (Sento Shuzojo) |
| Founded | 1903 (the 36th year of the Meiji era). Incorporated in October 1953 |
| Representative | Miki Sento (仙頭美紀) |
| Head of brewing | Ryota Sento (仙頭竜太) |
| Address | 〒781-5701 高知県安芸郡芸西村和食甲1551番地 Open in Google Maps |
| Phone | 0887-33-2611 (fax 0887-33-2612) |
| Main brands | Tosa Shiragiku (土佐しらぎく), Mishio (美潮) |
| Official website | https://www.tosashiragiku.com/ |
| Brewery tours | No information on the official website (checked on October 29, 2026) |
| Brewery shop | The brewery’s shop (Monday to Friday 9:00–11:30 and 14:00–16:00; closed Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays) |
| List of stockists | Not published. The brewery introduces nearby authorized retailers on request (checked on October 29, 2026) |
| English support | The official website has an English page |