Contemporary Japanese artist Takashi Murakami has joined forces with NEXT5 brewing unit to produce a limited edition range of sake. Announced by Murakami’s company Kaikai Kiki Co., the special range features bottles designed by the artist filled with a unique brew of Akita sake.
The collection showcases four original bottle designs, one in glass and three in ceramic, featuring Murakami’s signature motif of smiling flowers. However, Murakami’s art is not the only special aspect of the range. The bottles contain pure Junmai Daiginjo Sake from the NEXT5 producers, brewed using methods older than the traditional Kimoto-zukuri method; dating from the earliest years of the Edo period (1603-1868). As both are created using materials sourced specifically from the Akita prefecture of Japan, with maximum attention to detail, the brew is limited to only 5,000 units.
NEXT5, the creator behind this unique sake, is a joint brewing unit of five prominent Akita brewers joining their knowledge and skills together to create sake for the next generation. They comprise of Tadahiko Kobayashi of Akita Brewery, Yusuke Sato of Aramasa Brewery, Koei Watanabe of Fukuokuju Brewery, Tomofumi Yamamoto of Yamamoto Brewery and Naouilo Kuribayashi of Kuribayashi Brewery.
With this collection Murakami joins them on this mission, saying that ‘NEXT5 are going back to question the very nature of what sake is when they create sake…We want to grasp this thread and weave it into a fresh form.’
The bottles for the limited brew feature Murakami’s signature motif of anime-style smiling flowers. Pictured: Murakami’s original glass bottle
The three ceramic designs featured in the collection are created in the shape of traditional comprador bottles used in the late Edo period to export sake. Pictured: Gold relief, White relief and Gosu porcelain bottles
Pictured: Takashi Murakami with the NEXT5 brewers Tadahiko Kobayashi, Yusuke Sato, Koei Watanabe, Tomofumi Yamamoto and Naouilo Kuribayashi
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Kaikai Kiki Co. Ltd. website
Photography: Courtesy of Kaikai Kiki Co. Ltd.
-
A major Frida Kahlo exhibition is coming to the Tate Modern next yearTate’s 2026 programme includes 'Frida: The Making of an Icon', which will trace the professional and personal life of countercultural figurehead Frida Kahlo
-
Stay at Nujuma, a forward-facing sanctuary in the Red Sea regionNujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, sets the bar high as one of Saudi Arabia’s ultra-luxury destinations
-
Pierre Yovanovitch’s set and costumes bring a contemporary edge to Korea National Opera in SeoulFrench interior architect Pierre Yovanovitch makes his second operatic design foray, for The Marriage of Figaro in Seoul
-
Elle Fanning and Sofia Coppola unite on a Japanese craft gin inspired by the seasonsElle Fanning and Sofia Coppola collaborate on a campaign for The House of Suntory’s Roku Gin – a seasonal blend inspired by Japan’s floral botanicals
-
30 years of Nobu: chef Nobu Matsuhisa on the trials and tribulations of a culinary empireNobu celebrates 30 years of its revolutionary Japanese and Peruvian cuisine. We speak with co-founder and chef Nobuyuki ‘Nobu’ Matsuhisa on setbacks, special guests and his love for painting
-
Kioku is a spectacular new Japanese restaurant at The OWO, LondonAt The OWO’s Kioku by Endo, James Bond vibes meet Japanese dining and spectacular London views
-
Spectacular spirits for the season of entertainingOur spirits writer Neil Ridley looks back at some of the year’s most spectacular spirits releases – spanning whisky, cognac, rum and tequila – as thoughts turn to gifting and celebrating
-
Ardray whisky reinterprets Scottish traditions with a Japanese approachArdray whisky is the result of an exciting and groundbreaking collaboration between Scottish and Japanese whisky makers that presents new perspectives on a long-lasting tradition
-
Humo, a new Mayfair restaurant, revolutionises wood-fired cookingMayfair restaurant Humo experiments with different types of wood to create unique and delicious flavours
-
Roketsu offers spectacular Japanese kaiseki cuisine in LondonThe new Japanese restaurant in London serves exceptional kaiseki cuisine in an intimate setting for a little slice of Kyoto in the heart of the UK capital
-
Straight up! The best whiskies bar noneOur whisky edit features some of the world’s rarest and finest examples
