Founded in 1870 in Nakano, in Nagano Prefecture, at the heart of the upheavals of the Meiji Restoration, Maruse Shuzo-ten has carried since its inception the ideal of a peaceful and harmonious world instilled by its founder Shichirō — an ideal it has perpetuated across five generations through the crafting of high-quality saké.
Deeply rooted in a town historically devoted to agriculture and brewing, once home to numerous breweries, it maintains a close bond with its community, contributing to its vitality while asserting a strong local identity. True to its traditions, it distinguishes itself through the use of "Mochigome Yondan Jikomi", an ancestral four-stage fermentation method incorporating glutinous rice — rare in Japan and unique within the prefecture — lending its sakés a richness, a deep umami, and a sought-after balance between dryness and subtle sweetness, further refined since 2006 by an exacting technique of directly incorporating hot mochi rice to encourage a more complex fermentation. Committed to its terroir, the brewery uses exclusively locally grown, high-altitude rice varieties — Hitogokochi, Kinmon Nishiki, Yamae Nishiki, and Himenomochi — benefiting from favourable climatic conditions, as well as snowmelt water from Shiga Kogen, meticulously purified to preserve its essential mineral qualities. Guided by the symbol of the carp swimming upstream through the rapids — an embodiment of perseverance and achievement — it pursues a quest for excellence and distinction, crafting sakés designed to be chosen, blending heritage, expertise, and contemporary standards.
