NON SUMO: Sake "Ozeki" and their trademark

[Masumi Abe <abe@accesscom.com>]

Sake Maker "Ozeki"

1711: started making Sake at Nada area
1884: started using "Ozeki" trademark
(1890: "Yokozuna" was used officially the first time on Banzuke by Ozumo 
authority.)
(1909: "Yokozuna" was recognized officially the first time as the highest 
rank by Ozumo authority.)
1935: incorporated
1962: changed the corporate name to "Ozeki Shuzo"
1979: opened a sake brewery at Hollister in California
1991: changed the corporate name to "Ozeki"

The Ozeki's official site does not mention anything about the relationship 
with their corporate name "Ozeki" and Sumo at all.

When they started using their trademark with Yokozuna rope, Yokozuna was 
not recognized as the highest rank. That means that Yokozuna was just 
Yokozuna Ozeki, an Ozeki who was allowed to use yokozuna rope for special 
ceremonies.

Even after Yokozuna was recognized as the highest rank by Ozumo authority, 
Ozeki Sake Maker did not change their trademark and kept Ozeki with 
Yokozuna rope as their trademark.

My personal guess is that the head person of their operation at 1884 was a 
sumo fan and wanted to push the Sake Maker to be the champion/ozeki in the 
Sake making world. Ozeki with yokozuna rope was the best of all sumo 
fighters/wrestlers who are the strongest people in Japan, at the time.

-Toshiyori Masumiriki