Ryu never forgot the moment he tasted Kyoto water in 2020, and spent years searching for its source.
At the time, overwhelmed by a fast-paced life, he traveled to Kyoto in search of calm and stillness. At a temple, he drank water—and remembers how his mind quietly settled, as if everything softened.
In 2025, through a former colleague, he was introduced to a historic sake brewery and was entrusted with its deep well water—drawn from a confined aquifer over 30 meters underground, used for nearly 400 years.
But bringing this water to the United States became a long journey.
Few bottling companies would accept externally supplied water, as it required additional sanitation controls. Ryu also insisted on glass, avoiding any compromise in taste—yet glass bottling options in Japan had become limited, with declining demand and few suitable formats.
He called dozens of companies across Japan, often late at night from Los Angeles, spending hours on each call. Many declined. Some simply could not take on new clients.
Then, in Osaka, Nose Brewery Co., Ltd. stepped forward.
Though initially refused, a change in personnel—and persistence—opened the path forward.
Protected within its aquifer, this exceptional Kyoto water can be used to prepare matcha—or simply enjoyed as it is, slowly, in its purest form.
We are still building. One story at a time.