Watarai Honten, established between 1615 and 1624 in Tsuruoka City's Oyama district on the Shonai Plain, is one of Yamagata's oldest sake producers, operating for over 400 years in a region long celebrated for its rice cultivation and the cold, clear springs of Mount Gassan. The Dewanoyuki brand draws on the traditional kimoto method adapted from the 400-year-old Itami style, using extended low-temperature fermentation to develop the yeast starter.
