The first-generation owner, Yuemon Matsuoka was born in Anesaki, Echigo-Kubiki District, into a sake brewing family. This brewery was founded in 1851 after Yuemon relocated his entire brewery to the area with the aim for finding a place that was suitable for “sake brewing”.
At the time, since Ogawamachi intersected the Chichibu Okan Road and Hachioji Highway, it was a transportation hub that dealt in many daily commodities. There were many markets held each month, and it boomed as a location for merchants to gather. Additionally, it is said that were many grain dealing in-termediaries between the Chichibu region which had little rice production and the flatlands where production was high. Since this would naturally lead to an environment where the consumption of sake would be high, Yuemon set his sights on the prospering Ogawamachi.
