Torayahonten, founded in the Tenmei era (1788) in Utsunomiya, Tochigi, traces its original label back to a brand called Kiku, before launching the Shichisui line in the early 2000s under the concept sake that makes the heart dance. The name references the seven famous pure water sources of Utsunomiya that the brewery has drawn on since its earliest days, and the Shichisui range uses Tochigi-grown sake rice and water from the Kinugawa river system. In 2023, the brewery's junmai ginjo took Sake of the Year at the Oriental Sake Awards in Hong Kong, the largest sake competition in Asia.
