True Sake Exclusive – Our Tonoike Bo TSS Just Won An Amazing Honor In Japan

What can we say? We pick and sell great sake! And as we wrote in the last Newsletter, True Sake just added its 7th Exclusive sake to our True Sake Selects, which are exclusive to our inventory and several selected restaurants that have great taste too. And many of you have already purchased this brew called Bo. 

So it is with great honor to share with you some amazing news from the importer of this sake (Saké Infinity) about a very serious award that Tonoike Shuzo just won and more importantly, how gifted their Toji Ono-san is in the world of sake making. This is a HUGE Award! And you are very lucky to be a part of it! 

“A Historic Double Win: TONOIKE Takes Top Honors in Both Ginjo and Junmai Divisions at Japan’s Prestigious Nanbu Toji Sake Competition”

This spring, the sake world witnessed a historic achievement from Tochigi Prefecture.

At the 106th Nanbu Toji Jijo Seishu Kanpyokai—one of Japan’s most respected and long-standing sake competitions—Tonoikeshuzouten Co., Ltd. claimed First Place in both the Overall Ginjo Division (for sake polished to 60% or less, without added flavors or aroma agents) and the Overall Junmai Division (for sake polished to 70% or less, also without any added flavors), making it the first time a single brewery has achieved this double crown under the current judging system.

This year, the competition received 581 entries: 274 in the Ginjo category and 307 in the Junmai category, submitted by 134 breweries across Japan.
Judging was conducted by a panel of 26 experts from national and regional tax offices as well as technical research institutions.

Historically, the competition avoided awarding First Place to the same brewery in multiple divisions. However, since the 103rd edition in 2022, this restriction was removed, allowing results to be ranked strictly based on their evaluation scores. This year’s double win is the first of its kind since the revision—solid proof of consistent excellence across styles.

The Nanbu Toji Guild, which hosts the competition, is Japan’s largest sake brewing guild, with roots in the Edo period in what is now Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture. Its brewing traditions, once used to make sake for feudal lords, have been passed down through generations and now define what is known as the refined and technically advanced “Nanbu style.”

At True Sake, we proudly feature a curated selection of sake from this acclaimed brewery. Among them is TONOIKE, their premium brand for the U.S. market—crafted to showcase the depth, clarity, and elegance that define a new era of sake excellence.

Now available in the United States through SAKÉ INFINITY, a U.S. importer specializing in premium Japanese Alcohols.