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1659	The Kano family starts sake-making in Mikage, Kobe
1667	Jihei, the first head of the family, is born
1687	Jihei runs an independent lumber business and inherits all the family business
1697	Jihei, the second head of the family, is born
1727	Jiroemon Hidetake, the third head of the family, is born

1760	Jiroemon Ryoen, the fourth head of the family, is born
1790	Shipping marks of Sen, Kakurei, Sen, Seirei, and Kakuhon are attached to sake and shipped to Edo
1816	Jiroemon Naoyasu, the sixth head of the family, is born
1818	Jisuke succeeds to the name Jiroemon V Ryojun
1828	Naoyasu succeeds to the name Jiroemon VI
1834	Company ships Dairikimaru, Kashomaru, and Katokumaru are launched
1842	Jiroemon Naonori, seventh head of the family, is born
1843	Company ship Kametokumaru is launched
1853	Jiroemon Naoyoshi, eighth head of the family, is born

1860	Permitted a last name and ability to carry a sword
1877	Exports to the UK for the first time
1882	Naoyoshi succeeds to the name Jiroemon VIII (Shukoo)
1895	Naoyoshi opens Nada Shogyo Bank, becomes president
1886	Trademarks the Kiku-Masamune brand
1887	Awarded the Medal with Yellow Ribbon
1889	Establishes the foundation for modern brewing techniques with cutting edge capital investment
1907	Forms the Honkano Shoten partnership
1918	Becomes purveyor to the Imperial Household Agency
1919	Reorganizes as Honkano Shoten
1927	Becomes founder of Nada High School
1935	Fumiharu succeeds to the name Jiroemon IX Masatoyo
1938	Produces 9,315 KL of sake, the industry’s highest volume
1945	Loses the majority of facilities due to war damage
1947	Emperor Showa visits Kikumasamune’s Head Office

1960	Kiroku becomes the tenth president
1965	The company name is changed to Kikumasamune Sake Brewing Co., Ltd. A four-season brewery is newly built
1968	Signs an agent contract with US distributor Heublein, Inc.
1970	First in industry to be lauded for contributions to exports
1971	Kikumasamune’s brewing system is designated an Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property
1976	Offers training in brewing techniques to customers
1978	The "Furoshiki" television commercial receives the Finalist Award and the Effects Award in the technology category at the 19th Clio Awards.
1979	Sells sales Q&A guide for employees to customers
1981	First in industry to abolish sanzoshu
1983	Starts basic research into the relationships linking the serving temperature of warm sake, sake type, and cuisine. Starts a sake seminar program for consumers Releases Kikumasa Pin
1984	Creates an educational development office for customer education and publication
1985	Creates and expands production factories Taketo becomes the eleventh president
1988	Leads the industry in adopting the Honjozo brewing method for all its flagship products The laboratory is expanded by building the Kikumasamune General Research Institute
1990	Holds its 100th sake seminar in Los Angeles
1992	Starts a correspondence course about sake
1994	Holds its 200th sake seminar in New York
1995	The Sake Brewing Museum is destroyed in the Great Hanshin Earthquake
1996	Opens a customer service office
1997	Launches the Kikumasamune website
1999	Rebuilds the Sake Brewing Museum
2005	Holds the first brewery opening ceremony
2007	Redesigns the labeling for the Honjozo series for the first time in 40 years
2009	Adopts the Kimoto method for the Honjozo series
2010	Launches mail order limited fermented lactic acid drink Kome no Shizuku
2011	Launches Nippon Gambaro sake to support recovery after the Great East Japan Earthquake
2012	Launches Nihonshu no Keshosui sake skin toner
2013	Registers November 1 as Kikumasa Pin Day commemorating the 30th anniversary of Kikumasa Pin
2014	Josen Honjozo wins the iTQi Crystal Taste Award
2015	Obtains international standard for quality management systems ISO 9001:2008 certification
2016	Announces new brand Hyakumoku Releases Shiboritate Gin Pack
2017	Hayato succeeds to the name Jiroemon XII, becomes president Establishes the Taru Sake Meister Factory
2018	Hyakumoku advances overseas

2019	Shiboritate Gin Pack wins the Great Value Champion Futsu-shu and Futsu-shu Trophies at IWC2019
2019	Obtains ISO (FSSC) 22000 certification

The era of the fourth Tokugawa shogun, Ietsuna.
Kano Jiroudayuumunenori, a successful lumber merchant, branched out to the brewing industry, the forefront of the manufacturing industry at the time. He built a sake brewery on a premise of the family’s main house and launched a brewing business in earnest.

Tani Buncho, Edo Kudari Zu (sailing down to Edo). collection of the Honkano Family.

Museum sign by Nakabayashi Gochiku
Shukoo, the eighth head of the family, gazed upon a single white chrysanthemum in the garden and was impressed, “the chrysanthemum weathers the frost and snow, its fragrant aroma wafting through the air as if to surmount all difficulties and raise its spirit.” This inspired him to name the sake Kiku-Masamune, using the character for chrysanthemum, kiku, for the first character name.

Becomes the head of Nada Junior High School, later Nada Senior High School, founded by the Kiku-Masamune, Hakutsuru, and Sakuramasamune families.

The distinguished guest room at Kiku-Masamune’s Head Office.

The PR song Hajimete no Machi de was released in 1975.
Composed by Hachidai Nakamura, lyrics by Rokusuke Ei, sung by Sachiko Nishida

Stores 566 Important Tangible Folk Cultural Properties.

Traditional techniques from Tamba are recreated at Kikueigura Plant (a four-season brewery) on the occasion of the company’s 350th anniversary.

A new brand, Hyaku Moku, is announced for the first time in 130 years.

Hyaku Moku advances overseas starting from Paris, France.

Wins two awards at International Wine Challenge (IWC), the first-ever recipient as a paper carton product.