Founded in 1849, the second-generation owner Kumakichi was an avid sumo wrestler, so he named the sake "Higashi Rikishi" (Azuma Rikishi). Since then, with the motto "Azuma Rikishi, a famous sake that will never be defeated in a match," the brewery has continued to produce delicious, strong sake that brings out the full flavor of the rice. In 1970, the brewery began working on long-term aging of sake, and in recent years has been challenging itself to create new flavors of sake by using natural caves as aging cellars and creating unique storage environments.