Ito Shuzo in Suwa City, Nagano Prefecture brews Yokobue in the shadow of the Kirigamine highlands, using soft subterranean water fed by the plateau's springs. The brand name honors Yokobue, a lady-in-waiting in The Tale of the Heike whose tragic love story moved the brewery's founder so deeply that he vowed to preserve her name through his sake. Long-grain Shinshu rice varieties and an emphasis on handcraft quantities define the house style, producing a sake that the brewery describes as suited to the full range of serving temperatures.
