Maruo Honten is a sake brewery in the town center near Konpira-san (officially Kotohira Shrine), one of Kagawa Prefecture’s most famous landmarks. The brewery was founded in 1885 when Sataro Hasegawa, who ran a sake shop called Shin Yoshidaya, transferred his brewing rights to the Maruo family. Their signature brand, Yorokobi Gaijin, is known for its bright acidity, sharp finish, and bold, distinctive flavor. Every bottle is brewed with great care using traditional methods, including a cast-iron kettle (wagama) and a wooden steaming vat (koshiki). Because each batch is made slowly and in small quantities, this sake can be hard to find. To highlight the unique qualities of rice, each batch is brewed using only one rice variety, from the same region, and for both the koji and the main mash. This strict focus on rice is one of the defining features of Yorokobi Gaijin. Over 70% of the sake produced by Maruo Honten is namazake (unpasteurized). Normally, namazake must be kept refrigerated, but Yorokobi Gaijin is known for aging beautifully even at room temperature—a rare and special trait. Although it has high acidity and a high sake meter value (which usually means dry), Yorokobi Gaijin still delivers the natural sweetness of the rice, resulting in a well-balanced flavor that doesn’t taste as sharp as the numbers suggest.