TOYONAGA SHUZO

Located a 30-minute drive east of the Hitoyoshi Interchange, Toyonaga Distillery was founded in Yunomae, in the Kuma region, in 1894. “Tsurumatsu” was the name of a man who married into the Toyonaga farming family. The distillery’s story began when he started making a shochu called “Miyakozuru” from rice grown by the family.

This shochu takes its name from the Miyako River, a tributary of the Kuma River that flowed near the distillery. Under its second owner, Tsuruichi, Toyonaga tried making sake, miso and soy sauce, but ultimately decided to focus on shochu.

The distillery’s major turning point came much later, in 1985. That year, vacuum distillation equipment was introduced in place of atmospheric distillation, sparking a surge of interest in vacuum-distilled shochu. At the time, the distillery’s fourth and current president, Shiro Toyonaga, had only just returned to the family business after a corporate career. Believing that selling only in Hitoyoshi-Kuma was holding back their growth, Shiro approached wholesalers to find ways to market Toyonaga’s products in larger cities, while learning to make shochu under the guidance of the distillery’s experienced toji. Eventually, Shiro concluded that he needed to produce a shochu that could represent the Kuma region.

Toyonaga believes in terroir. A French term used in winemaking, terroir refers to a region’s soil, natural characteristics and climate. Toyonaga Shuzo places great importance on shochu made with “Kuma ingredients, Kuma water and the people of Kuma”. In 1990, Toyonaga began producing organic shochu from organic rice grown by local farmers under contract. In recent years, Toyonaga has grown its own organic rice, sowing and harvesting according to the lunar calendar. As part of its biodynamic farming practices, the company even schedules distillation around the phases of the moon. Although vacuum-distilled Toyonagakura has many devotees thanks to its floral aroma and refreshing taste, richly aromatic, smooth and full-bodied shochus distilled at atmospheric pressure are becoming increasingly popular. The company is also experimenting with distinctive new styles of spirit, such as Cardomon 7, a liqueur made from cardamom-infused rice shochu, and Mugishiru, a barley shochu made with rye. These creations have been very well received by young Japanese people and customers abroad. These efforts show how seriously the Kuma Shochu distillery takes market feedback as it continues to evolve.