Tsunan Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tsunan Town, Nakauonuma District, Niigata Prefecture; CEO: Kengo Suzuki) officially launched its virtual brewery in the metaverse, “Lunar Brewery,” on Wednesday, December 31, 2025. This full-scale launch is designed to support inbound tourism and overseas promotion.
Based on our long-term vision of “Building a brewery on the moon (2040 Vision),” we are focusing on the value of “fermentation creating food culture,” even within closed environments. Through this initiative, we are promoting the design of brewing culture in the space age and creating a venue for cross-border communication.
[Click here to access Lunar Brewery]
Background: With Tourism and Exports Growing Simultaneously, “Experience” Becomes a Key Competitive Edge
Inbound tourism to Japan is trending at record-high levels. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the cumulative number of foreign visitors to Japan in 2025 reached 39,065,600 as of November, surpassing the previous year’s record. Concurrently, sake exports maintain high levels, making “storytelling and experiential value” increasingly important in overseas markets.
Tsunan Sake Brewery has been advancing the fusion of tradition and cutting-edge technology, leveraging the terroir of the snowy Tsunan region, utilizing Uonuma Koshihikari rice, and implementing smart brewing incorporating Generative AI. Additionally, we are establishing systems for global dissemination, such as the introduction of the “Sake Brewery Promotion AI Agent (Beta),” which enables multi-language, multi-market communication even with a small team.
We have launched “Lunar Brewery” to further enhance the experiential value of our brewery for both domestic and international audiences.
About “Lunar Brewery”
The concept of “Lunar Brewery” is to “recreate a brewery of 2040 in the modern day.” The goal is to construct a brewery in the metaverse, creating a space where people can gather and exchange value.
The space is designed so that when users access it from their devices, they can gain insights into lunar architecture and understand the potential of microbial production on the moon.
As a virtual venue, “Lunar Brewery” plans to sequentially host:
- Virtual tours of a future brewery
- Global conferences inviting participants from around the world
- Meetings regarding distribution and business partnerships
Note: The “Lunar Brewery” service is operated using “metatell,” constructed by Urth Co., Ltd. Service details for metatell: https://u-rth.com/metatell/
Comment from the Representative
Kengo Suzuki, CEO, Tsunan Sake Brewery
“Sake is not just about ‘taste’; it is a culture born from the overlapping of land, water, rice, microbes, and human activity. I believe ‘Lunar Brewery’ will serve as a new contact point to share the story of our brewery in this snowy region of Tsunan across national borders.
We aim to allow inbound travelers to begin their journey before they even arrive, enable people overseas to connect with the brewery transcending distance, and share the possibilities of fermentation with the world.”
About Tsunan Sake Brewery
Tsunan Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. is a sake brewery based in Tsunan Town, Nakauonuma District, Niigata Prefecture—one of Japan’s heaviest snowfall regions. The brewery uses natural spring water sourced from mountains rising over 2,000 meters as its brewing water. Guided by its brand concept, “Brew for Future – Brewing a Coexistent Future,” Tsunan Sake Brewery crafts sake using locally sourced rice varieties such as Gohyakumangoku and Uonuma Koshihikari.
In 2025, the brewery was awarded the Niigata Governor’s Prize (1st Place) at the Echigo-style Sake Brewing Technology Competition, a prestigious contest evaluating advanced brewing techniques.
Tsunan Sake Brewery website:
https://tsunan-sake.com/
