Ota Shuzo Co., Ltd. named its flagship brand Hanzo after the legendary ninja Hattori Hanzo, who hailed from the Iga region of Mie Prefecture where the brewery is located and served as one of the most celebrated retainers of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Hanzo sake is brewed with local rice and indigenous yeasts MK-1 and MK-3, and nine expressions in the lineup have received Geographical Indication certification from Mie Prefecture. The brand was served to world leaders at the G7 Summit in Mie in 2016 and has earned gold awards at both the Kura Master 2021 and the IWC 2020.
