Fushimi's Soft Water — The Spring That Made Kyoto's Sake

Fushimi — Kyoto’s sake district — sits in the southern part of the city, along the banks of the Uji River. Its sake has been famous for centuries, and the reason begins with water.

Gokosui — The Water of Fushimi

The spring water that surfaces throughout Fushimi is called “Gokosui” (Imperial Fragrance Water), selected as one of Japan’s finest. It is exceptionally soft — low in minerals, low in iron — and produces sake with a gentle, yielding character. Where Nada’s hard water creates the assertive “men’s sake” (otoko-zake), Fushimi’s soft water creates the graceful “women’s sake” (onna-zake). The contrast is one of Japanese sake’s defining polarities.

A History of Sake and Power

Fushimi was reconstructed as a castle town by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the late 16th century, and the sake industry flourished in its shadow. The district’s sake traveled by river to Osaka and beyond, earning a reputation for refinement suited to the Kyoto aesthetic. The area still preserves the atmosphere of an old sake town — canals, traditional warehouses, walls stained with sake.

The Major Breweries

Gekkeikan, the largest of Fushimi’s breweries, has played a central role in the national popularization of sake since the Meiji era. Saito Shuzoen’s “Eikun” is celebrated for its work reviving “Iwai” — a Kyoto-specific sake rice that had nearly disappeared. Kinoshita Shuzo’s “Tamagawa,” brewed by an English head brewer, brings a distinctive global perspective to Fushimi’s traditions.

Visiting Fushimi

The sake district is walkable from Fushimi-Momoyama station, and several breweries offer tasting facilities. The best approach: walk along the canal, stop at tasting rooms, eat well, and let the surroundings do the work of explaining what the sake is.