Nihonshu Oendan is a one-of-a-kind sake startup founded in 2015 by entrepreneur Nao Kohara. Instead of brewing on their own premises, Nihonshu Oendan works with small makers scattered around Japan to craft original styles that express the terroir of each region.

Each of the company’s partner breweries creates one item specifically for Nihonshu Oendan, and the brews bear the name of their place of origin. Kohara gives master brewers free range to develop styles that reflect the geography and food culture of the area. All sakes, however, are of the junmai muroka nama genshu variety: unfiltered, unpasteurized, and undiluted, made without the addition of brewer’s alcohol.