Yushin Brewer, founded in 1854 in Ayagawa Town, Kagawa Prefecture, is unusual among sake breweries for combining traditional hand-brewing with active research into rice fermentation science — work that led to the development of Rice Power Extract, a proprietary compound now used in cosmetic and health products. The brewery uses Yamada Nishiki grown by local Kagawa farmers under reduced-pesticide cultivation agreements, and draws brewing water from the underground aquifer of the Ayagawa River. Company employees rather than external toji oversee the brewing, and the lineup includes the innovative Lisenoir, a naturally pink-hued sake produced from ancient Kagawa rice rich in anthocyanins.
