When rich nature and the wisdom of the people who live there are combined, various "treasures" are born in that land. Numerous shining "treasures" are born in various parts of Kagoshima Prefecture. They are now attracting attention from around the world. A journey around "Kagoshima, the treasure box of the south". This time, we will introduce four distilleries that aim to produce world-class Japanese whiskey by utilizing the traditions and techniques of shochu brewing unique to Kagoshima: Mars Tsunuki Distillery, Kanosuke Distillery, Hinokami Distillery, and Hishida Distillery, as well as two bars where you can taste such Japanese whiskey.

Kagoshima Prefecture is home to the most whiskey breweries of any prefecture.

While Japan's traditional sake brewing has been recognized as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO, Japanese whiskey has also attracted a lot of attention, and its export value has now surpassed that of sake. There are nearly 180 whiskey distilleries (or more precisely, licensed whiskey distilleries) in Japan, with Kagoshima Prefecture boasting the highest number of distilleries by prefecture, with 13 (2024 National Tax Agency survey).

Kagoshima's distilleries, which have both pure water filtered through the volcanic Shirasu Plateau and sake-making techniques handed down by shochu brewers, have been producing a succession of distinctive whiskeys in recent years.

Mars Tsunuki Distillery (Honbo Shuzo Co., Ltd.)
Malt distillery restarts in Tsunuki, the birthplace of the malt spirits

A huge tower suddenly appears among the mountains of the Satsuma Peninsula, where lush green mountains form beautiful ridgelines. The word "Tsunuki" is vividly painted on the wall of the imposing 26-meter-tall tower.

This is the Mars Tsunuki Distillery, run by Hombo Shuzo, a shochu manufacturer with over 100 years of history and one of the largest in Kagoshima Prefecture. Hombo Shuzo has long been involved in whiskey production in Nagano and other areas, but in 2016 it resumed distilling malt liquor in Tsunuki, Minamisatsuma City, its birthplace.

The giant still is a testament to the passion that has gone into making shochu.

The tower, called the "old distillation tower," was built to cover the still that produced Hombo Shuzo's signature potato shochu, which was in operation until the early 1970s. Stepping inside, you'll be surprised at the enormity of the still. The still, which is equipped with long distillation tubes to remove the distinctive odor that occurs when refining high-purity alcohol, is the embodiment of the passion that Hombo Shuzo has poured into shochu production.

It is only natural that such stills remain as symbols even though they are no longer in operation, and they give a sense of their deep history. On the surrounding walls, there are also panels summarizing the history of Hombo Shuzo and the Hombo family, which have been leaders in shochu production in Kagoshima.

Currently, Mars Tsunuki Distillery produces single malt whiskey bearing the name "Tsunuki." The mountain basin has a climate with large temperature differences, and the high-quality spring water is a blessing from the surrounding mountains. This, combined with the history and techniques cultivated over many years of shochu production, led to the birth of the "Tsunuki" brand, named after the place. It has received high praise both at home and abroad.

The barreled raw sake waits for maturation in a heavy stone storehouse.

Aging is an essential part of the whiskey-making process. At the Mars Tsunuki Distillery, the raw liquor waits for the years to mature in a stone storehouse. The interior, surrounded by heavy exterior walls reminiscent of old European castles, is silent. The sight of rows of barrels lit by subdued lighting is overwhelming.

Before you know it, you'll notice a faint aroma of whiskey... This is the aroma of the raw liquor evaporating little by little from the barrels while it is aging. The thick beams, the stone walls, the concrete floor... The aroma permeates everything, and it also gives rise to the history.

Enjoy a tasting while taking in the beautiful Japanese garden. A truly Japanese whisky experience.

Next to the distillery, the mansion "Hojo", where the second president of "Hombo Shuzo", Hombo Tsuneyoshi, once lived, has been renovated and is open to visitors as a cafe, bar and shop. The guest rooms, which were converted from tatami rooms, face the lush Japanese garden and are a bright and open space, in stark contrast to the stone storehouse.

There are whisky tastings and distillery goods for sale. You can experience the subtle differences in the flavor of whisky, which are caused by the barrels used and the degree of aging. Drink your whisky while looking out at the beautifully maintained Japanese garden. It's a taste that can only be found in "Japanese whisky."

Yoshinosuke Distillery (Komasa Yoshinosuke Distillery Co., Ltd.)
An elegant distillery located on a hilltop with a spectacular view overlooking the East China Sea

Kanosuke Distillery is built on a plateau overlooking Fukiagehama Beach, which faces the East China Sea and is known as a nesting ground for sea turtles. If Mars Tsunuki Distillery is a mountain distillery, Kanosuke Distillery may be more appropriately called a sea distillery.

This distillery, which opened in 2017, was established by Kosei Brewery, a long-established shochu manufacturer with over 140 years of history. Kosei Brewery is a brewery that produces barrel-aged rice shochu known as "Mellow Kozuru." The reason this long-established brewery, which specializes in shochu, started producing whiskey was due to the passion of its fourth-generation owner, Kosei Yoshitsugu.

We want to make whiskey that can be enjoyed around the world, and one day spread the word about shochu, the origin of our distillery.

"Melo Kozuru was the first shochu to be barrel-aged in Japan. It was released in 6 after a long period of six years of barrel storage. It is a mellow and wonderful shochu that is still loved by many people in Japan. However, when I, the fourth generation owner, tried to find sales channels overseas, there was no culture of drinking distilled spirits with meals at the time. Furthermore, while most distilled spirits in the world have an alcohol content of 1957% or more, honkaku shochu, with an alcohol content of around 4%, was considered half-hearted. Demand was limited to Japanese restaurants frequented by Japanese expatriates overseas, and it was difficult to expand sales channels."

"In that case, I wanted to spread shochu, my starting point, and shochu culture to the world through the barrel-aging techniques I developed with Mellow Kozuru, and the flavor of the whiskey that can be enjoyed anywhere in the world. With that in mind, I launched this whiskey distillery in 2017. 'Kanosuke' is the name of my grandfather, Yoshinosuke Komasa, the second generation distiller who created Mellow Kozuru with an eye on the world."

The use of three stills is made possible by the technology cultivated over many years of shochu making.

There are three stills in operation at the Yoshino Distillery. Each still has a different shape and performance, and by combining them, they can create a wide variety of raw spirits with different aromas and flavors.

Kosei Brewery, the parent company of Kanosuke Distillery, still produces shochu at the Hioki Distillery, located about a five-minute drive from Kanosuke Distillery. The Hioki Distillery originally used as many as seven stills to produce a variety of shochu. It is precisely because these techniques have been passed down that the complex and time-consuming process required for whiskey production has become possible. Among the standard products, the raw liquor for pot still whiskey is produced here using shochu techniques. In addition to the commonly used bourbon and sherry barrels, the whiskey is aged in barrels that have previously stored Mellow Kozuru, and various other ingenious efforts can be seen throughout the distillery.

Enjoy a mellow whisky while gazing at the majestic East China Sea beyond the window.

The final tasting area on the distillery tour is "THE MELLOW BAR," named after "MELLOW," the concept behind the whiskey produced at "Kanosuke Distillery." Behind the single-piece counter and glass windows, the majestic East China Sea spreads out before you.

"Because we are a distillery close to the sea, we did consider making a taste that emphasizes the peaty flavor, like the typical Scottish whiskey, with a bitter and salty taste. But we felt that the whiskey we make at KANOSUKE should be soft and mellow, so we didn't go in that direction."

While listening to a lecture from Komasa, the participants will compare three types of whiskey, including "Single Malt Kanosuke," which can be considered the flagship product of "Kanosuke Distillery."

The subtle differences in flavors are shared by the refined and gentle bitter-sweetness. As Komasa said, the soft and rich flavor of barrel aging, which has been cherished by KANOSUKE and is made using shochu-making techniques that have been passed down from Mellow Kozuru, is alive and well.

Fire God Distillery (Satsuma Shuzo Co., Ltd.)
The southernmost whisky distillery on the mainland opens in Makurazaki

Satsuma Shuzo's Hi no Kami Distillery, known for its potato shochu Satsuma Shiranami, will begin producing whiskey in 2023. This marks the birth of the southernmost whiskey distillery on the mainland. In addition to the two malt whiskey stills installed inside the all-glass modern distillery building, the premises are also equipped with a continuous still for grain whiskey.

A rare distillery in Japan that has a "cooperage" (barrel workshop)

Satsuma Shuzo is a brewery that is part of the Hombo Group, which is based around Hombo Shuzo, which owns the Mars Tsunuki Distillery. As such, the distillery was established with advice from Hombo Shuzo, a senior in whiskey production. The biggest feature of Hi no Kami Distillery is that not only does it have a production system for grain whiskey in addition to malt whiskey, but it also owns a barrel workshop called the Cooperage.

Satsuma Shuzo is the only shochu brewery that has a barrel workshop and barrel storage facility to produce Kami no Kawa, a representative brand that ranks alongside Satsuma Shiranami. There are very few shochu breweries that handle their own barrels, which play an important role in determining the flavor of whiskey. After 20 years, it has once again come into the spotlight in whiskey production.

Barrel maintenance is an essential part of whiskey production

When we visited The Cooperage, three young craftsmen were working on maintaining the barrels. They were maneuvering the huge empty barrels with ease, adjusting the hoops, replacing the tops and bottoms, and otherwise repairing the barrels that had been purchased.

A barrel is like a house where raw liquor spends a long time. The work of caring for this house and creating a comfortable environment for raw liquor is like an indispensable behind-the-scenes support. It is said that there are currently only a few dozen barrel craftsmen in Japan. In this respect, the potential of Hi no Kami Distillery, which has a "cooperage", is high.

A single malt nurtured by the climate of Makurazaki. Anticipation building for the first release

The first single malt, "God of Fire," is scheduled to be released in 2026. In addition, the distillery is scheduled to open to the public in 2025, and a guest space with a visitor's center will be established on the same premises as the distillery.

Chief Distilling Manager Matsuzaki Masahiko said, "Makurazaki has a complex climate, with warm temperatures, but hot summers and occasional snowfall in winter. It's also close to the sea, and the sea breeze probably speeds up the aging process. I'm personally looking forward to seeing what kind of whiskey will be born from this southernmost distillery in the mainland in such an environment." We can't wait for the first release.

Hishida Distillery (Tensei Shuzo Co., Ltd.)
A mellow flavor made using the prefecture's best super soft water, "Hishida's groundwater"

On the other side of the Satsuma Peninsula, on the Osumi Peninsula, whiskey production was also born. The distillery is called "Hishida Distillery." It is run by "Tensei Shuzo," a manufacturer of shochu, which uses "Hishida groundwater," known as the softest water in Kagoshima Prefecture, as its brewing water.

The Hishida area is known for its high-quality underground water, and during the Meiji period, it was a thriving area for shochu production, with over 120 sake breweries operating there. Tensei Shuzo is one of these breweries, and has been producing a variety of shochu for over XNUMX years.

He started making whiskey after winning a gold medal at a shochu competition.

Tensei Shuzo's flagship shochu brand, Tensei Hojun Aka, won the highest gold award in the shochu category at the Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition, Japan's only Western liquor competition, for two consecutive years in 2021 and 2022. This sparked a growing momentum to make whiskey using Hishida Water, leading to the opening of the distillery.

In 2022, they obtained a whiskey production license. They began producing malt and grain whiskey. And in March 2025, they released their first official bottle, "Hishida Distillery Newborn Prelude I."

Although the aging period was short, less than three years, the extremely soft water of Hishida, known as ultra-soft water, and the warm climate of the Osumi Peninsula resulted in a whiskey with a smooth mouthfeel. In addition, by using Tensei Shuzo's unique "Early Drop Distillation Method" for the distillation of the whiskey, it was possible to obtain a smooth, mild flavor similar to that of shochu.

Encouraging words for the fledgling distillery

As Nakahara Masaru, a director of Hishida Distillery, was previously a staff member involved in whiskey production at Nagahama Distillery in Shiga Prefecture, his sister distillery has a partnership with Nagahama Distillery, known as the smallest distillery in Japan, and the two distilleries exchange various techniques.

The fledgling small distillery has also received warm words of encouragement from fellow distillers across the country.

Each of the four distilleries we visited had their own unique techniques, and they were proud to use them to create distinctive whiskeys. At the same time, they were constantly competing with each other to share information, and we could sense their enthusiasm to increase the appeal of craft whiskey in Kagoshima Prefecture as a whole. Japanese whiskey is currently attracting a lot of interest not only in Japan but also around the world, and there is no doubt that Kagoshima Prefecture will become the core that drives this momentum in the future.

On your trip to Kagoshima, you'll want to spend the evening sipping Kagoshima whiskey to your heart's content at these two bars.

If you're traveling to Kagoshima, we'd like to introduce you to two bars where you can enjoy Kagoshima-made Japanese whiskey. You can also sample whiskeys from the breweries introduced here side by side, a luxury you can only experience here.