Chugoku Jozo, founded in 1918 in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, became a pioneer in packaging innovation when its Hakosake Ichidai paper carton sake, released in 1967, became one of Japan's first boxed alcoholic beverages and gained fans as far as Antarctic exploration teams. The brewery's premium range Ichidai Misen, built around Hiroshima-grown sake rice, produces fragrant, full-bodied expressions; the Aoi Misen Daiginjo won the top prize at Monde Selection in 2009. Chugoku Jozo later became Sakurao Brewery and Distillery, expanding into whisky and craft spirits while continuing to produce sake under its established regional identity.
