In 1711, Ozeki Sake was established in Imazu, Hyogo prefecture, praised for centuries for its great water quality. Over the years Ozeki Sake has become one of the major sake brewers in Japan. As Japan has emerged as a global economic power in the 1970s, the interest in Japanese food and culture grew significantly in the U.S. And along with the surging popularity of Japanese specialties like sushi, people discovered sake. Unfortunately, in those early days the general quality of sake products available outside Japan was rather disappointing, and there were no seasoned sake brewers with years of experience to make premium quality sake in the U.S. In order to better provide fresh tasting premium sake for American consumers, Ozeki started its U.S. production in Hollister, California, in 1979. Ozeki was the first Japanese sake brewer to locally brew sake within the U.S. They were innovative in localizing the entire sake brewing production, including the use of local rice grown especially for sake-making. As rice and water are the two major ingredients in sake brewing, it was crucial to find a location with access to the best sources. After a long search, Hollister, California was found to have both the finest locally grown rice and easy access to the clear water from the Sierra Nevada in Northern California. The city of Hollister is located about 100 miles southeast of San Francisco and 40 miles east of Monterey. Hollister is situated in California's Central Coast region with a mild climate perfect for sake brewing. As the popularity of sake has steadily grown, the product lineup of Ozeki has been expanded to retail, food service, and food manufacturing industries. In 2019, Ozeki Sake USA celebrated its 40th anniversary and renewed its pioneering spirit and commitment to brewing the finest fresh sake.