Tsunan Sake Brewery, located in Tsunan Town, Niigata Prefecture (Head Office: Tsunan, Nakauonuma District, Niigata; CEO: Kengo Suzuki), is pleased to announce the development of a sake lees-based cake, the “Yukigesho Castella”, as part of its ongoing Sake Upcycling Project. The new cake was developed at the Sustainable Food Lab in Toranomon, Tokyo.
To reflect the snowy landscapes of Tsunan, the cake is crafted with a moist texture using sake lees (sakekasu) and features a visual motif of “snow makeup” (yukigesho). To enhance its flavor, the cake is accented with GO DOLCE, a sake from Tsunan Sake Brewery designed to pair with sweets and desserts. The upper layer of the cake is finished with a unique sake lees-based coating that evokes a snowy appearance, offering both a rich taste and a visually immersive experience.
This innovative castella is a new challenge within the Sake Upcycling Project, aiming to repurpose sake lees, a byproduct of sake brewing, into enjoyable and delicious experiences. The cake will be offered at various events going forward, as part of a broader initiative to propose sustainable food culture through creative upcycling.
The development took place at the Sustainable Food Lab, located in Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo. The facility is one of the hubs of the “Foodα Project”, an urban redevelopment initiative led by UR都市機構 (Urban Renaissance Agency) to promote the food of the future. The lab supports startups and companies working to advance sustainable food innovation.
Foodα Project Website: https://fooda.tokyo/
Tsunan Sake Brewery will continue to contribute to sustainability through the culture of sake, while promoting regional circular innovation by merging traditional fermentation practices with cutting-edge technology.
About the Sake Upcycling Project
Tsunan Sake Brewery promotes the Sake Upcycling Project to utilize byproducts of sake production such as sake lees. The project promotes multi-stage use of local resources and circular manufacturing, not only in food applications, but also in innovative fields such as:
- Development of semiconductor and conductive materials using sake lees
- Applied research on sake-derived nanoparticles “SAKESOME”
- Exploration of cell culture food ingredients derived from sake brewing byproducts
About Tsunan Sake Brewery
Tsunan Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. is a sake producer based in Tsunan Town, Niigata Prefecture, one of Japan’s most renowned heavy snowfall regions. The brewery uses natural spring water from 2,000-meter-class mountains and locally grown sake rice varieties such as Gohyakumangoku and Uonuma Koshihikari. Tsunan Sake Brewery blends tradition with innovation under the brand concept:
“Brew for Future – Brewing a Coexistent Future.”
In 2025, the brewery won the Governor of Niigata Award (1st Place) at the Echigo-ryu Sake Brewing Technology Championship.
Website: https://tsunan-sake.com/
