Prologue KATSUYAMA SAKE BREWERY: A Living Legacy of the Samurai Spirit

Katsuyama is not merely a sake brewery— it is a living embodiment of Japan's aristocratic heritage and warrior ethos. Deeply interwoven with the official merchant system of the Sendai Domain, Katsuyama has thrived alongside the governance of the Date clan since the era of Lord Masamune. Its lineage, carried by the Isawa family since 1190 under the reign of Minamoto no Yoritomo, upholds a unique fusion of samurai values and merchant pride. Beyond its exceptional craftsmanship, Katsuyama stands as a rare cultural touchstone—a symbol of Japan’s historical identity, spiritual depth, and artistic refinement.

Ancestral Origins: Bloodline of Service to the Shogunate

The Isawa family traces its distinguished ancestry to Isawa Iekage, appointed as guardian of the northern provinces by Minamoto no Yoritomo in 1189. Iekage's father, Fujiwara Kanenobu of the noble Hokke lineage, anchors the family in both warrior and courtly tradition. By the 13th century, a cadet branch of the Isawa family transitioned to a respected rural samurai household, eventually establishing itself in the castle town of Sendai as a prominent merchant family—positioned at the financial heart of the domain's capital.

Edo Period: Bond with the Date Clan and the Rise of Merchant-Samurai

Originally retainers of the Mizusawa Date family, the Isawa clan leveraged their standing during the Genroku era to obtain brewing rights within the expanding city of Sendai. This was made possible through progressive sake policies initiated by the visionary daimyo, Date Masamune. In 1608, Masamune invited master brewers from Nara, established official sake breweries near Aoba Castle, and empowered trusted artisans with stipends and land. The Kayanomori family, among the first, brewed refined sake such as Nanto-Morohaku and Itami-style Dry-sake for the shogunate

As demand grew among townspeople, the domain licensed lower-ranked samurai and elite merchants to run "city breweries" under a tightly regulated monopoly. The Isawa family, with their samurai roots and proven integrity, received brewing rights to produce nigorizake (unrefined sake) that served the city’s expanding palate while supporting the domain's fiscal needs. By the late Edo period, the Isawa house had ascended to an official class of public merchant-samurai.

As fuchinin (stipendiary vassals) permitted to carry swords, they served in financial administration and were entrusted with sake production for military and noble purposes. Under the fourth-generation heir Heizo, Katsuyama earned the title "Gunyō-sakaya narabi ni Fudai-goyō-sakaya" —a supplier of military and hereditary clan-use sake. Their elite status was further solidified as former official breweries such as Kayanomori declined under fiscal reforms, leaving Katsuyama as one of the last surviving sake houses from that era.

The Origin of the Name "Katsuyama"

Founded in 1688, the brewery initially focused on traditional Nanbu-style nigorizake. In the late Edo period, master brewer Tsurumatsu was dispatched to Nada to learn the "Nada no Ki-ippon" method. Upon return, a superior sake was presented to the Date family under the house name Isawa-ya, bearing the label "Kazuyama." It was soon renamed "Katsuyama"—a title derived from the Buddhist posthumous name of Isawa Iehiro (d.1267), younger brother to Isawa Iekage. The name "Katsuyama" was selected not only for its auspicious meaning —"to accumulate victories as vast as mountains"— but also to reflect the martial valor and prestige associated with Iehisa, resonating with the warrior culture of the time. Some attribute the name’s popularity to the fashionable "Katsuyama" hairstyle of the period, but all agree it conveys nobility and strength.

The Thirty Brews of the Shogunate Breweries

The shogunal sake houses produced an astonishing variety of over 30 types of sake, including: On-ue Gozenshu, On-tsugi Gozenshu, Morohaku, Summer Ice sake, Portuguese-style sake, honeysuckle liqueur, mulberry sake, ginseng elixir, grape sake, loquat sake, awamori, mirin, citrus sake, sugared awamori, chrysanthemum sake, strawberry sake, perilla sake, snow sake, shiso sake, umeshu, medicinal sake, kanroshu, egg sake, and more.

Meiji to Early Showa Era: Catalysts of Modernization

Even after the fall of the shogunate, the Isawa family remained pivotal to Sendai and Miyagi's transformation. The sixth-generation patriarch, Heizaemon Isawa (1862–1934), rose as both Chairman of the Sendai Chamber of Commerce and President of 77 Bank. Amid war and depression, he personally financed major industrial expositions and led the regional banking consolidation that birthed what is now the Tohoku region’s largest financial institution.

He was also a prominent Buddhist philanthropist, donating to Tohoku University, Tohoku Gakuin Protestant University, and founding Seiwa Academy for women's education. Politically, three successive generations of the family served in Japan's House of Peers, affirming their national stature. Notably, in 1909, the first trial of the now-revolutionary "quick fermentation starter" method (sokujo-moto) took place at Katsuyama.

Post-War Legacy and Glory

Following WWII, the eighth-generation Heikatsu Isawa again served as President of 77 Bank and led Sendai’s economic revival. Alongside the Date clan's 18th lord, Yasumune Date, Heikatsu and his successor Heiichi preserved and revitalized the historical bond between brewery and clan.

In 1956, Katsuyama was awarded First Place in the National Sake Appraisal, a historic triumph under Master Toji Engoro Terui. A visionary of the Nanbu Toji school, Terui perfected sake blending techniques involving silk-filtering and vintage assemblage—comparable in sophistication to Grand Cru winemaking.

Present Day: A Living Archive of Gastronomic Culture

Today, 10th-generation heir Shohei Isawa leads the brewery while also presiding over Miyagi Culinary Academy, continuing to serve as culinary advisor to Lord Yasumune Date.

He collaborates with the Sendai City Museum to research and revive Edo-period samurai banquet traditions and etiquette. The school mandates instruction in "Sendai-han Protocol," preserving ancestral discipline and hospitality.

Katsuyama’s sake is engineered with a distinct philosophy: structured and resilient enough to endure multi-course banquets, yet possessing a crystalline finish that enhances flavor progression between dishes. With a whisper of rice sweetness akin to wasanbon sugar and a graceful finish reminiscent of powder snow, it elevates cuisine without ever overshadowing it.

Epilogue: From Legacy to Legend

Katsuyama is more than a historical footnote—it is a beacon of cultural legacy reborn in each bottle. Infused with samurai aesthetics, intellectual rigor, and generational trust, it stands as a timeless testament to Japanese heritage. As it reaches across oceans, Katsuyama invites the world to experience not just sake, but a living philosophy distilled over centuries.