Founded in the early 20th century as Mitsuyasu Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. on Kyushu, the southernmost island of Japan. In 1912, the company shifted direction, choosing shochu over sake. Today, the distillery is based in Fukuoka, on a quiet street near Hakata Station. Building on centuries of knowledge, Hikari Shuzo's brewmasters use sustainably farmed barley and traditional methods in their shochu and whisky, aiming to be always “honmon,” that is, capture a spirit of authenticity in every bottle. The Hakata brand is named after ``Hakata Kojoro Namimakura'', a puppet theater created by Chikamatsu Monzaemon during the Edo period.