Mori Shuzojo

Mori Shuzojo was founded in Hirado in 1895 (Meiji 28) by Mori Kuniyoshi under the trade name Komatsumya. Hirado is a port town that once flourished as Japan's first base for overseas trade, where Portuguese, Dutch, and British trading houses were established approximately 400 years ago, creating a region where foreign cultures intersected.
At the time of founding, the brewery used the brands Kiku no Tsuyu (nihonshu) and Senteki (shochu), but during the 1950s-60s corporate reorganization, it changed to Mori Shuzojo, and the flagship brand evolved from Honen to Hiran.
The name Hiran derives from Hirado's former name Hirantou (Hiran Island). This was because the island's appearance from the sea resembled the mythical bird ran taking flight. It is a brand that embodies Hirado's terroir and history in its name.
The young fifth-generation brewery owner, Yutaro Mori, who studied fermentation at Hiroshima University and trained at major breweries, is dedicated to expressing Hirado's terroir through sake-making using indigenous brewery yeast. After years of developing kuratsuki kobo (indigenous brewery yeast), it was successfully incorporated into the HIRAN's Mile products released in 2025. Under the theme of tsugikizunagaru saketsukuri (sake-making that continues tradition and connects people), brewing continues supported by spring water from the foot of Saikyoji Temple and local rice.