Kimura Shuzo was established in 1615 in Yuzawa, Akita, by a family of high-ranking samurai retainers, making it one of Japan's oldest operating sake breweries. At the inaugural National Sake Awards in 1911, the brewery claimed first prize, and it has since accumulated more than 100 prizes at that competition, including multiple Gold Prizes in recent decades. Rafusen is among the brands produced by this storied Akita brewery, which pursues fresh, fruity sake flavors using locally developed ingredients alongside its flagship Fukukomachi line.
