History
During the period of 200 years, in times of ups and downs of life, people and our environment changed a lot, but what we haven’t changed a lot, but what we haven’t changed is our love for sake. Because we realize that the genuine taste and sweetness, we have preserved to this day does not and will not change forever.
In 1789, Tajibei Seto started a sake business by using a brand name “Maruhei Masamune”. He acquired corporate status for his company. Then he began to release sake “Azumacho” named by Takashi Hara, the then Prime minister of Japan. Since then, the tradition has been handed down to us for over 200 years. We have remained true to the founder’s sprit and tradition in order to make excellent sake.
Takashi Hara, the 19th Prime Minister of Japan Azumacho, named by him
After the resignation of Masatake Terauchi’s cabinet under the influence of rice riots, Takashi Hara of the constitutional political friendship society formed his cabinet for the government as the prime minister in 1918. Japan signed the Treaty of Versailles and joined the League of Nations. In cooperation with the United States, Japan participated in the Washington Conference to discuss then the issues of Pacific of Asia and pushed diplomacy forward eagerly. Also, the then president head, Seto Shuzo Brewery, a political friendship society member had interchange with Takashi Hara. Our president head had continued making sake with a brand name of Maruhei Masamune since the establishment of a business, but he was considering a new brand name as the result of a corporate status of his company.
Our president head was invited by the Prime Minister on the occasion when navy large-scale maneuvers were carried out in Nagasaki. He asked the Prime Minister to give a new name to sake. Then, he named it Azumacho, saying “The sake makes me feel and happy. It’s worthy of praise as king of Sake for its smooth and plump taste. ”. Azumacho has come down to us since then. We continue to make excellent sake worthy of inherited brand name of Azumacho.
Douglas MacArthur GHQ Supreme Commander
Sake of Peace, loved by the Commander
In 1945, a party hosted by the GHQ was held in Japan of the confusion period after the war and the 12th Kakiemon Sakaida, a ceramist of Arita, Saga, was invited there, too. But in those days, Tokyo was far away from his town and he didn’t know much about Tokyo. On the way to Tokyo, he dropped in on Heihachi Seto as a close friend and spent the night drinking with Heihachi, "saying this might become the last sake". Next morning, he was given sake, Azumacho, for a long train journey, but he couldn’t drink it up. Then he had no choice but to attend the GHQ party with Azumacho in his hand. It caught MacArthur’s eye and he was captivated by the sake, Azumacho, which later become a designated product of GHQ. After the war, Azumacho became a symbol of peace for Japan and the United States of America. The sake attracted and loved by MacArthur continues being still loved by many people now.
When we look back on what we have done so far, One thing we can be sure of is our sake has been loved by so many people for so many generations. This is our pride.
Edo period
1789
Tajibei Seto established a business by a brand called Maruhei Masamune
Meiji Period
1897
Seto Shuzo won a first-class gold plaque
1902
Famous sake given to the Emperor Meiji who visited the Army large-scale
maneuver in the Higo district
Taisho Period
1914
Seto Shuzo won the gold plaque for master craftman at the Tokyo Taisho Exposition
1920
*Sake was dedicatedto
his Imperial Highness Prince Nashimoto
*Seto Shuzo Brewery Co.,Ltd.
*Azumacho was released
The 19th Prime Minister, Takashi Hara
1922
Seto Shuzo won an honor prize gold plaque at Tokyo Memorial Peace Exhibition
1926
Honored to be given the Imperial will by a senior envoy, Kaieda chamberlain
different trainer
Showa Period
1928
Sake was dedicated to the Emperor’s coronation
1932
Awarded an honor prize gold plaque by the National New Sake Appraising and
Deliberating Fair
1945
Started to deliver “sake of peace” to the GHQ (MacArthur)
Douglas MacArthur,
GHQ Commander-in-Chief
Douglas MacArthur GHQ Supreme Commander
Heisei Period
1989
completion of Heisei storehouse for bottling and its products
1993
Establishment of new brewing storehouse
completion of new second storehouse
1996
Awarded a gold medal by the National Research Institute Brewing
2001
Started a special agent system
World History
1789
French Revolution
1853
Commander Matthew Perry called
at Uraga Meiji Period
1868
Bosin Civil War Edo castle was surrendered.
1894
Sino-Japanese War
1904
Russo-Japanese War
1914
World WarⅠ
1920
The seventh Summer Olympic Games Antwerp
was held in Belgium
1921
Guccio Gucci established “Gucci”
1922
The 42th U.S. Tennis Open was held
1923
Walt Disney Company was founded
1924
The 8th Summer Olympic Games was held in Paris, France
1925
Tokyo broadcasting station started radio broadcasting
1926
Meiji released “Meiji milk chocolate”
Schrodinger established a wave equation as a quantum-mechanical basics
equation
1927
Charles Lindbergh succeeded in making a non-stop, solo fight across the
Atlantic Ocean
1928
Alexander Fleming invented penicillin
1932
Roosevelt of the Democratic Party was elected in U.S Presidential election
1936
February 26th Incident
1941
The Pacific War began
1945
World WarⅡcame to an end
1964
Tokyo Olympic Games was held
1969
U.S. ApolloⅡspacecraft put the first man on the moon
1972
U.S. President Richard Nixon announced Space Shuttle Program
1975
Sony released home video recorder first unit SL-6300, Betamax
1989
Tiananmen Square Incident in China
1993
J League started
1996
World’s first clonal sheep ”Dolly” was born in Scotland
2001
9/11 Synchronized terrorist attacks in America
Company north-side
Tub washing
Rice washing
Company back-side
Paddling
Washing
The 3rd storehouse
Filtering
Azumacho’s tracks
Squeezing
