Koten Brewery was founded in 1871 in the city of Okaya, Nagano Prefecture, situated on the western shore of Lake Suwa. Surrounded by the dramatic landscapes of the Yatsugatake Mountains and the Kirigamine Highlands, the Suwa region offers pristine water and a cool climate ideally suited to sake brewing. The brewery has been crafting sake in this same location for over 150 years. The name Koten, meaning "high heaven," derives from the Buddhist posthumous name of the founding family's ancestor. In 1928, the brewery made history by becoming the first in Nagano Prefecture to win the prestigious Honor Award at the National Sake Competition, helping establish Nagano's reputation as one of Japan's great sake-producing regions. Today, the brewery is run by a brother-and-sister team — a rarity in the sake world. The elder brother manages the business, while his younger sister serves as toji, or head brewer. Together, they uphold a commitment to fully in-house production, relying on traditional hand-crafted methods rather than automated machinery. The sake they aim to create is what locals in the Suwa dialect call "suberakkoii" — meaning it glides effortlessly down the throat. Koten's signature style is dry and crisp with a clean finish, yet rounded and smooth on the palate. Remarkably, around 90% of their production is consumed within the local Suwa area, a testament to just how deeply this brewery is cherished by the community it has served for over a century and a half.