Company Name: Kaiun Shuzo Co., Ltd. | 株式会社奄美大島開運酒造
The Amami archipelagois is the only place in Japan where Kokuto (brown sugar) Shochu (Japanese distilled liquor) is produced, and Kaiun Shuzo is one of the 25 rare Amami Kokuto Shochu distilleries.
Amami Oshima Kaiun Sake Brewery is located in Uken Village in southern Amami Oshima, 380km south-southwest of Kagoshima in Kyushu. Uken is at the bottom of the sacred mountain Yuwandake, the highest peak in the Ryukyu Arc. In July 2021, the area around Mt. Yuwandake was registered as a World Natural Heritage Site. The area is blessed by warm climate, fresh air from the surrounding forests, and a pristine underground water source that is perfect for sake brewing.
Adopting the company name Kaiun (means “good luck”), the brewery was founded in 1996 by a group of amateur sake brewers who want to harness this remarkable natural environment to create an unparalleled Amami Kokuto Shochu, with the hopes of reviving an aging village. Guided by the “Amamian Spirit”, the founders adopted the theme of “living with nature and Amami” in their production of brown sugar Shochu. They experimented with different new ideas and came up with a unique maturing process called “acoustic aging,” in which classical music is played to tanks holding maturing Shochu to produce a beautiful flavour and aroma. Their Shochu became the best-selling Shochu in Japan and has also received recognition globally.