**Updated January 1st, 2021 Sponsored by the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association (JSS), the Sake Future Summit was a nearly non-stop live broadcast starting at 11 AM JST on Saturday (Nov 21st) and running straight through until 6 PM Sunday (Nov 22nd). And it's 100% dedicated to kokushu (Japan's national beverages)! The Sake Future Summit's (SFS) mission is to … [Read more...]
Nankai Gold Collects Medals
Nankai Group in California is currently the leading importer of honkaku kokuto shochu in the United States. Founded by Paul and Mai Nakayama, the company imports two kokuto shochu expressions produced by Machida Shuzo on Amami Oshima in Southern Japan. While the standard expression, Nankai Shochu, has had its fair share of success on the spirits competition circuit, it's the … [Read more...]
How to Read Like a Shochu Pro
Reading is primary, as my writing teachers used to say, and that is especially true for anyone wishing to spread Japan's best-kept secrets to drinkers far and wide. So if you're the type of nerd (like us) who really likes to dig into new subject areas, then this article is for you. What follows is a list of publications that should greatly enhance your understanding of what … [Read more...]
List of Amami Kokuto Shochu Distilleries
Here are the 28 distilleries making kokuto shochu in the Amami Islands (Kagoshima Prefecture). The distilleries are spread across five separate islands in the Amami chain. They are listed alphabetically here. Most of these distilleries are not easily accessible without a car. Fortunately, most of these places have at least one guest parking space available. Want a more … [Read more...]
Torrential Rain Causes Extensive Flooding in Kyushu
**Scroll down for important updates to this article. (July 21, 2020) Kyushu experienced unprecedented storms over the past week with some areas, especially Hitoyoshi (Kumamoto Prefecture), Jojima (Fukuoka), and Hita (Oita), suffering widespread devastation as riverbanks were breached across the island. The number of deaths has risen quickly over the past 48 hours, with … [Read more...]