Located in the north-west section of the Aizu basin, beautiful mountains surround Kitakata. Mt. Iide, the fountainhead of Kitakata’s tasty sake, lies to the north. Pure white snow decorates Mt. Iide during the fall harvest. When the snow starts to melt in spring, the crystal-clear runoff water slowly streams into the plains. Kitakata uses this high-quality stream water to make miso, soy sauce, and sake.

Kitakata Sake makes a name for itself not only in Fukushima and Japan but also internationally. A brewery in Kitakata won the world sake contest the “International Wine Challenge” in 2015 and 2016. Kitakata has one of the highest ratios in Japan between sake production and population. Sake is not only a delicious liquor in Aizu area, but also a specialty drink in Japan that is not worth missing out on.