Sake is made from rice, water, malt, and yeast. Rice used to brew Sake is a special kind called Saka-mai which contains very little protein oil, So Saka-mai dose not taste good at if one eats, but makes fine Sake. We use Yamada-nishiki, Gin-ginga, and Miyama-nishiki. Saka-mai and of course our sake is brewed by a Nanbu-toji.

Sake is one of most sensitive liquor in the world as well as wine, also, it can be brewed only during winter. In order to sell Sake throughout a year, Sake brewers build Sakagura and store Sake in them. In Sakagura, the temperature change is very little. It is said that Sakagura keeps cold air of night even summer. In old days, Sake was stored in wooden tanks in Sakagura. But today, it is stored in poroelain enamel tanks.

Sakabayashi is a sign let customers know that new Sake and Sakagura(brewers grains) are ready for sale. Sake can be brewed only during winter as it needs to be fermented for a long time at low temperature.
In old days, people bought Sake at Sake breweries as there were very few stores that carried Sake, so, seeing a new Sakabayashi, people know that new Sake was ready. Today, people buy Sake at stores. So, Sakabayashi has no practical meaning. But Sake brewers still continue to hang a new Sakabayashi when new Sake is made as one of their celebrating ceremonies. Brewing of Sake starts around the end of October at Igarashi-Syuzou every year and new Sake is made around the end of November or the beginning of December.