The Honke Matsuura brewery was founded in 1804 by Naozo Matsuura in in the city of Naruto, Tokushima Prefecture. Their Narutotai (Naruto sea bream) brand of sake has been a registered trademark since 1866. In addition to its strong association with the Naruto Strait, the tai – commonly regarded as the king of fish on the island of Shikoku – was chosen as a mascot for the brewery due to its elegance. Narutotai was one of the first premium sakes to gain a cult following in New York and has been championed by Master Sommelier/Sake Samurai Roger Dagorn since 1998.