Kitajima Shuzo has been brewing in Shiga Prefecture's Omi Basin since 1805, relying on cold winter winds descending from the Hira mountain range and soft subterranean water from the Suzuka mountains. The brewery practices kimoto-zukuri, the labor-intensive traditional method using ambient bacteria and lactic acid fermentation to cultivate yeast. Miyosakae is the brewery's classical brand, its name drawn from the Man'yo-shu, Japan's oldest poetry anthology, evoking the image of a prosperous reign symbolized by golden blossoms on eastern Mount Michinoku.
