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Niigata: Niigata is famed for its jizake, or unique, “micro-brewed” sakes with character. Niigata is considered by many to be the best place in the world to find high quality sake. The toji in Niigata use highly polished rice and exacting filtering techniques to create a distinctive style. They are aided by the cold climate and the isolation of the mountains, as well as good regional rice and pure mountain water. (Source: The Sake Companion).
>> Read a Wine & Spirits article on Niigata

According to JETRO:
"The sakes of each area vary in style according to a combination of the chemical makeup of the local water, the type of cultivated rice used, the traditions of the tōji (brew master), as well as regional history and culture, regional products, and local dietary habits.
Nada, the largest region by volume, is known for its masculine, sturdy and dry sakes due in large part to the high mineral content of its water, while Fushimi with its softer water produces more feminine sakes that are often slightly sweet. Niigata is popularly regarded for its precise, dry, and angular sakes. Akita makes tightly wound, nervy sakes balanced by a medium mouth feel. Hiroshima, known for its soft water, creates appropriately soft sake, which is also often sweet. The region of Fukushima is large and hard to generalize about, but it tends to be responsible for some of the more blousy and flamboyant sakes on the market."

>> View a Map of Japan's Sake Regions