MANDOBA is Japanese sake brewed by the flow of nature.It is brewed by nature and ecosystems from soil cultivation through rice cultivation to sake making.

U・STYLE, a design company that has been growing pesticide-free rice in the terraced rice paddies of Yasuzuka, Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, met with Takeda Sake Brewery, a sake brewery also located in Joetsu City, to make this happen.

We, U・STYLE, are working to revitalize a “Satoyama” in Joetsu City's Yasuzuka Ward., which is in decline due to a declining and aging population. 

Satoyama is generally used Japanese word. It is a combination of the Japanese words "sato" (village) and "yama" (mountain), and refers to the settlements where people live (sato) and the surrounding mountainous areas (yama). Satoyama has its own unique value, combining beautiful scenery, rich ecosystems, and cultural heritage in harmony with the environment and the coexistence of nature and people.

Despite such abundance, many satoyama in Japan, including Yasuzuka, are facing problems such as declining population, lack of farmers, and increasing abandonment of cultivated land.

We have been promoting the revitalization of terraced rice paddies and satoyama resources in the hope of combining what we can do to revitalize the land . Sake MANDOBA was developed to deliver the value of Yasuzuka's satoyama and rice in a delicious and enjoyable way.

We do not use pesticides or chemical fertilizers to grow rice suitable for sake brewing. In growing rice for sake brewing, we place the utmost importance on maximizing the power of nature and microorganisms.

In the sake brewing process, we have maintained the same passion for rice cultivation, and we are committed to a brewing method that incorporates the effects of nature to the very end. The process is called Kimoto-method, in which lactic acid is not added during the brewing process.Furthermore, no yeast is added in the production of MANDOBA.

This method allows the lactic acid bacteria and yeast present in the brewery to naturally enter the barrels and wait for fermentation to take place . While the brewing process is more difficult, it is also more complex and deep in flavor.

The rich, deep umami of the sake, which can only be obtained through the Kimoto-method method and additive-free yeast, and the luscious aroma, which changes gorgeously in the mouth and reminds one of fruitiness. The sweetness of the rice is utilized to create a delicious flavor, which is typical of Takeda Shuzo, with the added depth of a sake made without using yeast or traditional sake yeast.

MANDOBA wants the drinker to enjoy it while feeling the seasons and the activities of the satoyama in Azuka, even if only a little. Each sake has a title and a wish that is derived from the seasons and activities of the satoyama in Azuka, and is released in sequence according to the season.