Hakushika means "white deer." This brand name comes from the mystic legend of a white deer with spiritual powers in China... Once upon a time, Emperor Hsüan-tsung (712-756) found a white deer straying into the lotus garden of his palace. It had a copper medal at the base of its antler. The words engraved on the medal proved that this beautiful animal had been alive over a thousand years. Emperor Hsüan-tsung was so delighted at this good omen as to give a feast and he cherished the white deer as a holy animal. According to this tradition, White deer—Hakushika—has been recognized as a symbol of longevity of a thousand years.
We named our sake Hakushika after this auspicious holy animal with a wish that our sake should be always synonymous with life energy flow, longevity and good omen.
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Kichizaemon Tatsuuma I starts brewing sake in Nishinomiya, Hyogo. |
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Tatsuuma-Honke's sake output volume records 3.15 million liters and ranks first in Japan. "Hakushika" sake receives the gold medal and certificate at the Paris Exposition. *1 |
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"Hakushika" sake wins a prize at the Chicago Columbian Exposition. |
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Completion of the Shinden Breweries No.1-No.10. *2 |
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Tatsuuma-Honke incorporated. |
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Tatsuuma-Honke starts to sell "Kuromatsu-Hakushika" sake in cask. |
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Tatsuuma-Honke starts to sell bottled "Kuromatsu-Hakushika." |
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Kichizaemon Tatsuuma XIII dines with His Majesty the Emperor Showa during the Emperor's visit to Hyogo. *3 |
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Yoshio Tatsuuma appointed as President and becomes the 14th head of the family. |
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Tatsuuma-Honke starts television advertisements of Hakushika. |
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Tatsuuma-Honke starts to sell "Deluxe Kuromatsu-Hakushika." |
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Completion of the Ebisu Brewery which enables to product sake throughout the year. |
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President Chikara Tatsuuma appointed as Chairman of the Japan Sake Brewers Association, serving two terms until retiring in 1978. |
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Akio Tatsuuma appointed as President. |
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Tatsuuma-Honke opens Hakushika Memorial Sake Museum as a commemorative work on the 320th anniversary of Tatsuuma-Honke's founding. *4 |
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Tatsuuma-Honke has a visit from His Imperial Highness Prince Naruhito (the present Crown Prince). |
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President Akio Tatsuuma becomes the 15th head of the family. |
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Completion of the Hakushika Plant in Colorado, the United States. |
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Completion of the Rokko Brewery. *5 |
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The last Shinden Brewery No.10—Twin Brewery—destroyed by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. |
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Closure of the Hakushika plant in Colorado, the United States. |
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President Akio Tatsuuma appointed as Chairman of the Japan Sake Brewers Association. |
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Akio Tatsuuma appointed as Chairman. Kenji Tatsuuma appointed as President. |
*1
The gold medal of the Paris Exposition
*2
Shinden Brewery No.10 nicknamed "Twin Brewery"
*3
Kichizaemon Tatsuuma XIII
*4
Hakushika Memorial Sake Museum
*5
Rokko Brewery
