Azumarikishi

Azumarikishi, meaning sumo wrestler of the East, has been the signature brand of Shimazaki Sake Brewery since its founding in 1849 in Nasukarasuyama, Tochigi Prefecture, named by a second-generation sumo-enthusiast brewer who declared it a famous sake unbeaten in a fight. The brewery is widely known in Japan as the Cave Brewery, having aged its premium sake in a wartime underground cave since 1970, making it one of the country's pioneering long-term aging producers. The house ethos focuses on drawing out the full umami inherent in the local rice to create a hearty, complex brew.