Thirty miles north of Sendai in Miyagi prefecture, Ichinokura started in 1973 by combining four local premium sake breweries. Their policy hasn’t changed since its inception that all brewing processes must be done by hand. Sake brewing requires all human senses and the physical involvement of touching, tasting and smelling in the production; they believe this is the only way to brew high quality sake. Making the best sake with a new start was undoubtedly a challenge, but they’ve succeeded in creating multiple sensational products over the years and have become one of the best known breweries in Japan, maintaining a decades-long history of export as well.