Hokushika was established in 1944 when 21 sake producers from Kitaakita and Kazuno districts merged, with the brewery's name drawn from the first characters of those two district names. Located in Odate City, northern Akita Prefecture, surrounded by the Shirakami-Sanchi forests and Towada-Hachimantai highlands, the brewery produces sake using the Akita-style kimoto method and pioneered snow-storage aging in 1990, maturing sake at a constant 0 degrees Celsius under natural snow cover for a mild, fresh profile. Gold medals at the Annual Japan Sake Awards and Tohoku Sake Awards reflect the brewery's consistent quality across its range.
