Founded in 1922 as a branch of Segashira Brewery, Gochoda Brewery in Saga Prefecture built its reputation on a singular commitment to rice: when Yamadanishiki was still scarce in southern Japan, the brewery began growing it themselves in the paddies surrounding the facility in 1988, a pioneering move at the time. Their motto, brewing sake that grows from the rice, is realized through in-house milling using custom-built tools, including a square wooden steamer for uniform steaming. Saga Prefecture earned its Geographic Indication (GI Saga) in 2021, with Gochoda's effort to cultivate local rice central to that recognition.
