Chiyonosono Sake Brewery faces the Buzen Highway near the Kikuchi River that runs through the northern part of Kumamoto Prefecture. Founded in 1896, the brewery was built in the Edo period (1603-1868), and its symbolic chimney gives it the air of a historic brewery. After World War II, the brewery became one of the first in Japan to focus on the production of Junmai-Shu. The brewery produces about 15 to 20 varieties of sake, centering on its main brand 'Shuhai', as well as red sake, shochu, liqueur, and mirin (sweet sake for cooking).