Inoue Seikichi Shoten, founded in 1868 in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, printed the phrase Shin Jizake Sengen (True Local Sake Declaration) on every Sawahime label and completed a full transition to 100% Tochigi-grown rice starting with the 2004 brewing season. The brewery's commitment to hyper-local ingredients paid off with back-to-back Champion Sake titles at the International Wine Challenge, in 2010 and again in 2022 when the competition attracted a record 1,732 entries.
