Misuzu is the flagship brand of Misuzu Shuzo, founded in 1893 in Shiojiri City, Nagano Prefecture, at an elevation of over 700 meters in a small mountain village at the edge of the old Waseba post town. The brand name is drawn from misuzu karu, a classical poetic pillow word for Shinano Province found in the Man'yoshu anthology, reflecting the natural beauty of the surrounding highlands. The brewery produces all its sake in small batches of 1.5 tonnes or less, with handwashed koji made in careful 10-kilogram increments.
