Most skincare brands have a founding story that goes back a few decades.
Kikumasamune's goes back to 1659.
The Kano family founded their sake brewery in the Nada district of Kobe during Japan's Edo period, in a region famous for its mineral-rich water called miyamizu, the same water that gives Nada sake its famously crisp, dry character. For the next 350 years, they made sake. Good sake. Award-winning sake. Sake that became a household name across Japan.
Skincare wasn't part of the plan.
But something kept happening at the brewery that was hard to ignore. The workers, despite years of physical labor, had remarkable skin. Soft hands. Smooth complexions. Generation after generation, the same observation got passed around: something in the fermentation process was doing something good. In 2010, Kikumasamune finally decided to find out what.
350 years of fermentation expertise in a bottle
The science behind it is straightforward once you understand how sake is made. Fermentation naturally produces amino acids, organic acids, and kojic acid, compounds that function as serious skin-supporting ingredients. Amino acids attract and retain moisture. Kojic acid gently fades dark spots over time. Together, they create the kind of hydration that feels different from conventional moisturisers because it works with the skin's own biology rather than sitting on top of it.
What sets Kikumasamune apart is that they use junmai ginjo grade sake in their formulas. That's premium drinking sake, not a byproduct or a diluted extract. The same quality standard that goes into the bottle you'd order at a restaurant goes into the bottle in your bathroom.
Rei Cosmetics has visited the Kikumasamune brewery and museum in Nada firsthand. The care, the craft, the obsession with quality that defines their sake is exactly what defines their skincare. This isn't heritage invented by a marketing team. The brewery predates the skincare line by over 350 years.
Find Kikumasamune products at Rei Cosmetics
Kikumasamune Japanese Sake Lotion: the one that built the brand's skincare reputation. A full measure of junmai ginjo sake with 12 amino acids and ceramide, in a generous bottle designed to be used freely on face and body after a shower. Absorbs immediately, leaves skin deeply comfortable, and costs far less than it probably should.
Kikumasamune Japanese Sake Emulsion: the follow-up that locks the lotion's hydration in. Three ceramides and amino acids in a lightweight milky texture that works on face and body. Non-greasy and easy to make a daily habit.
Kikumasamune Japanese Sake Cream: for drier skin or colder months. Four amino acids, three ceramides, rice bran oil, squalane, and jojoba in a formula that absorbs well despite its richness. Face and body, morning or night.
Kikumasamune Japanese Sake Face Wash: a foaming cleanser with sake, cellulose, amino acids, and squalane. Cellulose lifts debris from pores while the sake and amino acids keep skin balanced. A good second step in a double cleanse.
Kikumasamune Japanese Sake Makeup Remover: a liquid first-step remover with sake, amino acids, placenta extract, and arbutin. Dissolves makeup while supporting hydration throughout. Safe for lash extensions.
Rice Made+ Cleansing Lotion: a no-rinse cleansing lotion applied with a cotton pad, infused with stabilised Vitamin C and ceramide EOP, NP, and AP. A gentler first step for lighter makeup days. Also safe for lash extensions.
The bottom line
In Japan, Kikumasamune is a household name. Their sake appears everywhere from high-end restaurants to convenience stores. The skincare carries the same quiet authority: no dramatic promises, no flashy marketing, just consistent hydration backed by centuries of knowing exactly what fermentation does to living things.
Some brands have a story. Kikumasamune has 350 years of one.
Read more: Sake in Skincare: Ancient Brew, Modern Miracle and Monozukuri: The Craft Behind Kikumasamune Skincare