Gekkeikan Sake (USA)

What Gekkeikan Sake (USA) does

Gekkeikan Sake (USA), Inc. is a wholly-owned US subsidiary of Gekkeikan Sake Co., Ltd. (Japan), operating a state-of-the-art sake brewing facility at 1136 Sibley Street, Folsom, California. The company was established in 1989 as the North American production and distribution arm of the parent, whose origins trace to 1828 in Fushimi, Kyoto. Gekkeikan USA's core activity is brewing traditional Japanese sake using koji (Aspergillus oryzae) fermentation, rice polishing (with polishing ratios ranging from 50% for Daiginjo to 84% for the newer Junmai line), moto seed mash preparation, fermentation, pasteurization, aging, and — for its nama (draft) sake — ultra-micro-filtration in lieu of pasteurization. The product portfolio spans California-brewed sake (Traditional, Haiku, Black & Gold, Nama) and imported Kyoto sake (Horin, Suzaku, Nigori, Cap Ace, Zipang), alongside Japanese plum wine.

Revenue is generated through a multi-channel model: (1) wholesale/retail distribution of both California-brewed and imported sake lines across the US; (2) direct-to-consumer e-commerce via us.gekkeikan.com; and (3) a tasting room and Japanese Garden at the Folsom facility, open to visitors on Fridays and Saturdays and accepting purchases Monday–Friday (cashless only as of March 2026). The parent company also operates the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum in Fushimi, Kyoto, charging ¥600 for adult admission, ¥100 for ages 13–19, with children 12 and under admitted free; the museum functions as a cultural tourism and brand-credibility asset. Customer segments are primarily individual sake consumers and enthusiasts, with a secondary segment of cultural tourists to the Kyoto museum. The company emphasizes natural ingredients (no artificial additives, preservatives, or sulfites) and leverages 400-year brand heritage as its core differentiator.

Name

Gekkeikan Sake (USA)

Legal name

Gekkeikan Sake Co., Ltd.

Website

https://gekkeikan.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1828

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gekkeikan Sake (USA), Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gekkeikan Sake Co., Ltd. (Japan), brewing and distributing traditional Japanese sake from its Folsom, California facility to US consumers through retail, wholesale, e-commerce, and a tasting room.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Sake Brewing

NAICS

Beverage Manufacturing (3121), Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (312)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Sake, Soju & Other Asian Alcoholic Beverages Producers & Brands (CRADAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sake & Traditional Rice Wine Production (AFAFAAAG)

Keywords

• Japanese sake brewing
• Premium sake products
• Plum wine production
• Sake museum tours
• Traditional sake manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Folsom

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Sake Product Sales: Sale of sake products including California Sake (Traditional, Haiku, Black & Gold, Nama), Kyoto Sake (Horin, Suzaku, Nigori, Cap Ace, Zipang), and Plum Wine. Products are sold through the tasting room, e-commerce, and retail distribution.
2. Museum Admission: The Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum in Kyoto charges admission fees (¥600 for adults 20+, ¥100 for ages 13-19, free for 12 and under) and offers guided tours, sake tasting, and cultural experiences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Gekkeikan Sake (USA) is a sake brewing company that operates a state-of-the-art brewery in Folsom, California, producing California-brewed sake (Traditional, Haiku, Black & Gold, Nama/Draft) and importing Kyoto-brewed sake (Horin, Suzaku, Nigori, Cap Ace, Zipang) as well as Plum Gekkeikan plum wine. The company sells its products directly to consumers through a Tasting Room & Japanese Garden and an e-commerce platform, while also distributing through U.S. retail and wholesale channels. The parent company additionally operates the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum in Fushimi, Kyoto.

Product overview

Gekkeikan Sake (USA) is a sake brewing company with operations in both Northern California (Folsom) and Kyoto, Japan. The product portfolio consists of two main lines: California Sake (Traditional, Haiku, Black & Gold, and Nama/Draft) brewed at their Folsom facility, and Kyoto Sake (Horin, Suzaku, Nigori, Cap Ace, and Zipang) imported from Japan. Additionally, the company produces Plum Gekkeikan, a Japanese plum wine. All products are made from simple ingredients of rice and water with no artificial additives, preservatives, or sulfites. Gekkeikan also operates the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum in Fushimi, Kyoto, as a cultural and tourism offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Horin: Premium sake product line
• Suzaku
• Nigori
• Haiku
• Black & Gold
• Nama
• Cap Ace
• Zipang
• Plum Gekkeikan
• Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum
• Gekkeikan Uchigura Sake Brewery

Products and services

• Traditional Sake California-brewed sake made using traditional Japanese sake brewing methods with rice and water; positioned as a core product for everyday sake consumption.
• Haiku Sake California-brewed sake offering a unique flavor profile, part of the core Gekkeikan USA product line.
• Black & Gold Sake Premium sake product with distinctive black and gold branding, brewed in California.
• Nama (Draft) Sake Unpasteurized fresh sake (namazake/draft) with a fresh, fruity flavor profile achieved through ultra-micro-filtration instead of pasteurization.
• Horin Sake Premium Kyoto sake featuring a refined taste and elegant presentation, imported from the parent company's Kyoto brewery.
• Suzaku Sake Kyoto-brewed sake with distinctive character and quality, imported from Japan.
• Nigori Sake Cloudy sake that is roughly filtered, retaining rice texture from the moromi and giving it a white, milky appearance.
• Cap Ace Sake Kyoto sake product in a distinctive packaging format, imported to the U.S. market.
• Zipang Sake Japanese-style sparkling sake product from Kyoto, imported to the U.S. market.
• Plum Gekkeikan (Plum Wine) Japanese plum wine made from Japanese plums and sake, offering a sweet and tangy flavor profile.
• New Junmai Sake (84% Rice Polishing Ratio) New Junmai sake featuring an 84% rice polishing ratio, launched by Gekkeikan in March 2026.
• Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum Museum in Kyoto's Fushimi district where visitors can experience sake brewing history, view historical brewing tools and exhibits, and taste ginjoshu sake. Features a traditional Japanese garden and cultural heritage sites including the Gokonomiya-jinja Shrine and Fushimi Yumehyakushu building.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Asahi Shuzo (Dassai): Premium Junmai Daiginjo sake producer that has built a US brewery in New York, competing with Gekkeikan's premium lines and premiumization strategy.
• Takara Sake USA (Sho Chiku Bai): Japanese-owned sake brewer with a Berkeley, CA production facility and tasting room, producing and distributing sake across the US market—directly analogous to Gekkeikan's US operation.
• Hakutsuru Sake Brewing Co. One of Japan's largest sake producers with strong US export presence, competing directly with Gekkeikan across premium and everyday sake lines.
• Ozeki Sake (U.S.A.), Inc. US subsidiary of a major Japanese sake house brewing sake in Hollister, CA and distributing nationally, competing directly for the same premium and mainstream sake consumers.
• SakeOne: Oregon-based craft sake brewery and importer producing US-brewed sake (Momokawa, Moonstone) and distributing Japanese brands, competing in the same US sake retail and on-premise channels.
• Hakushika (Tatsuuma-Honke Brewing): Established Japanese sake brewery exporting to the US, overlapping with Gekkeikan's imported Kyoto-style product lines and heritage positioning.

Regional players

• Kizakura Co., Ltd. Fushimi, Kyoto-based sake brewer operating in the same historic sake district as Gekkeikan with comparable brewing heritage, but primarily serving Japan.

Emerging players

• Hana Awaka / Sudo Honke and other craft US sake startups: Small US craft sake makers producing locally brewed sake for enthusiast and restaurant channels, intersecting with Gekkeikan's California-brewed lines and tasting-room model.
• TYKU Sake: US-focused premium sake brand targeting bars, restaurants, and modern consumers, overlapping with Gekkeikan's premium and enthusiast segments.

Broad incumbents

• Gekkeikan Sake Co., Ltd. (Japan parent): The Kyoto parent and global sake leader whose broader portfolio and international operations encompass and back the US entity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/gekkeikansake
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCwJqsv5OBMWL-Ci4vguD8yw
• Instagraminstagram.com/gekkeikansake_usa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gekkeikan Sake (USA)