Before anywhere else in the Amami Islands, Kikai Island welcomes the first morning sun. It is a miracle that the ground, formed by coral reefs, still continues to rise. Blessed with rich nature and diversity of Kikai Island, Asahi Shuzo began crafting brown sugar shochu (called "kokuto shochu" in Japanese) in 1916.
We are the oldest kokuto shochu brewery in Kikai Island, cherishing its nature and culture. We continue to craft a drink that embodies the essence of the island: the sea, the sky, the sound of sugarcane leaves rustling in the wind, and even the activities of the islanders. It is like a letter sent from Kikai Island.
Located approximately 380km south of Kagoshima, Kikai Island floats in the cobalt blue sea. This offshore paradise, blessed with a warm climate and abundant nature, features a sea teeming with coral and tropical fish, coastlines lush with banyan trees and sago palms, and sugarcane fields where Rice Paper butterfly, a protected species, flutter about. Asahi Shuzo's black sugar shochu is born from the eath of Kikai Island.
With the desire to let you feel everything about Kikai Island through kokuto shochu, Asahi Shuzo has been cultivating organic sugarcane in its own farm since 1999. Through obtaining organic JAS certification, JGAP certification, and practicing sustainable agriculture, we deliver shochu that lives in harmony with the nature of Kikai Island.