Brand's products YAMATOICHI SHUZO

A former schoolteacher, Yamatoichi President is studying Kuma shochu origins to reproduce its original taste and production, in order to preserve Kuma shochu tradition and know-how. This distillery has reproduced one of the oldest Kuma Shochu: Meijihatouka. Its manufacture was recorded in archives dating back to the Meiji period, which were found and recovered by Yamatoichi.

The distillery made this shochu by reproducing Kabuto still distillation process that continued from the Muromachi (1336-1573) to the Meiji (1868-1912) eras. Yamatoichi also produces shochu variants, such as Onsen Shochu, made from hot springs that gush up on the company's land, and Milk Shochu, made from local fresh milk fermentation and rice, which has won over many fans thanks to its fruity apple aroma and smooth mouthfeel.

Bit of history:

Distillation began in China, then spread to Korea, Thailand, the Okinawa Archipelago (leading to the production of Awamori distilled spirit) and finally to Kyushu Island, starting with Kagoshima, then Kumamoto 500 years ago, on a 100% rice base (sweet potato shochu only appeared in 1795). Origins of Kumamoto's 100% rice-based shochu lie in the presence of the SAGARA clan in the Hitoyoshi region.

Kumamoto Prefecture was blessed with excellent, highly fertile land for growing rice. At the time, rice was considered a precious commodity, necessary to feed the people. OnKyushu island, northern clans under control of the Shogun were in constant battle with southern Shimazu clan, and rice was a rare commodity and a prize of war. Segara clan (1193-1868), a samurai clan (made up of daimyo or governors from military classes) originally from Shizuoka, moved to the heart of Kumamoto in 1193, right in the middle of the conflict zone. It took him a century to take control of Hitoyoshi and Kumamoto, and another century to take control of the north and south of Kumamoto Prefecture. The last thing he wanted was to show the land there was fertile enough to grow and harvest rice in abundance.

Best way to hide surplus rice was to distill it. This gave rise to rice shochu, reputed to be the most precious of all. In 1546, Portuguese Jorge Alvarez informed Portuguese Court a distilled rice alcohol existed in southern Japan, north of Kagoshima. In 1559, name of shochu appeared for the first time in the writings of a temple in the town of ISA, northern Kagoshima Prefecture, on the border with Kumamoto Prefecture. In 1908, writer Katai Tayama learned that an excellent rice shochu was being distilled in Hitoyoshi, and name Kuma Shochu was coined. Throughout Japan, it is said to be the best, so rich is its flavor and aroma, with surprisingly sweet notes. Until the early twentieth century, shochu was made exclusively with "genmai" brown rice. When fermented, genmai rice produces less alcohol than rice from which the husk has been removed. Polished rice produces much more alcohol. This type of rice shochu is no longer produced, as the know-how has disappeared. Yamatoichi has rediscovered the secret.