Kiuchi Jozo, founded in 1855 in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture, developed the 'iitemai' method unique to this brewery, in which a portion of the steamed rice is naturally frozen using the region's extreme winter temperatures before being added to the mash. This technique, made possible by Saku's severe inland climate, eliminates impurities and produces a clean, smooth character in the finished sake. Hatsuuguisu's Junmai Tokubetsu Seiippon received the top excellence prize at the Kanto-Shinetsu Regional Tax Bureau's warmed sake appraisal in consecutive years.
