About Shichiken : The Yamanashi Meijo brewery is located at the foot of the Japanese Alps, in the north of Yamanashi prefecture on the island of Honshu. It was founded in 1750 by the descendant of a long line of brewers originally based in the Nagano region. Mr Kitahara, the seventh generation of this family, discovered water of exceptional quality in the heart of Hakushu. He decided to set up his own brewery there. This pure water comes from the melting snow of Mount Kai Komagatake, whose summit rises to an altitude of over 2,900m. It is fed into the region's springs after being slowly filtered through the granite rock, loading itself with the minerals essential for sake production.
Yamanashi Meijo quickly gained recognition and its reputation spread beyond the boundaries of the locality, to the point where it became a favourite spot for Emperor Meiji, who stayed here during his official visits. Since that time, the majestic family home has been elevated to the status of a place of great historical interest in Japan. Today, the making of sake is still a family affair, and the 13th generation pays particular attention to detail, including long, low-temperature fermentations, with the aim of preserving the signature of Yamanashi Meijo sakes: sakes that are both delicate and rich, with the remarkable quality of the spring water intact.