Hayashi Shuzojo, established in 1626 in Asahi Town, Toyama Prefecture, is the oldest sake brewery in the prefecture, tracing its origins to a former tollkeeper for the Kaga domain who began brewing as a side enterprise. Kurobekyo draws its name from the Kurobe Gorge, fed by glacial snowmelt from the Tateyama mountain range, and the brewery uses locally grown sake rice polished to at least 56 percent to achieve the brand's hallmark clean, aromatic style. The brewery received an excellence award from the Kanazawa Regional Tax Bureau's sake appraisal in 2024.
