Aoki Shuzo was founded in 1717 in Shiozawa, Uonuma City, Niigata Prefecture, a district celebrated for producing some of Japan's finest sake rice and blessed with what is described as the best-quality well water in the entire Uonuma region. Now in its 12th generation under Takafumi Aoki, the brewery follows a philosophy of wago, the harmony between producers, sellers, and drinkers, as the source of fine sake. Gokenji is one of the brands produced at this 300-year-old snow-country kura, which brews exclusively in the cold winter months, letting natural temperatures guide fermentation.
