Kirishima Shuzo at 110: Pot-Aged and Home-Bred Sweet Potato Shochu Mark the Anniversary

Kirishima Shuzo, a shochu maker founded in 1916 in Miyakonojo, Miyazaki Prefecture, in southern Kyushu, reached its 110th anniversary in May 2026. To mark the occasion, it has been selling a limited set of two sweet potato shochu, “Sogyo Hyakujunen Kinen Hyakujuju” (110th Anniversary Edition ‘Hyakujuju’), in Japan since 8 October 2026. One bottle is based on Kuro Kirishima, the company’s flagship of tradition; the other on KIRISHIMA No.8, which represents its more recent ventures. Both are 30% ABV, and the two 1,100 ml bottles come in a presentation box with a recommended retail price of ¥18,000 including tax.

17 Years in Pots, and a Base Spirit from Home-Grown Potatoes

Honkaku shochu is a Japanese distilled spirit made by fermenting ingredients such as rice or sweet potatoes with koji and distilling them just once in a pot still. The first bottle, “Uzumon”, centres on Kuro Kirishima stored in pots for 17 years, blended with several other Kuro Kirishima base spirits. Two kinds of pot were used for ageing, Japanese and Chinese. The long pot ageing is said to give a mellowness with the rough edges smoothed away and a faintly nostalgic finish, with gentle aromas of sweet potato and pot rising from the glass.

The second bottle, “Yuteki”, is built on KIRISHIMA No.8, launched in 2023, for which Kirishima Shuzo handled even the development of the sweet potato variety itself. From its base spirits, only those made by vacuum distillation (a method that lowers the pressure so the spirit can be distilled at a lower temperature, preserving a light, fragrant aroma) were selected and blended. It has a fruit-like freshness and a clear sweetness, and the strength was set at 30% to bring out the aroma. According to Mai Tomura of the Quality Control Department, who was in charge of the blend, Yuteki was scrapped once during development and its flavour redesigned from scratch.

Bottles Overseen by a Leading Arita White Porcelain Kiln

The bottle designs were overseen by the Inoue Manji Kiln in Arita, Saga Prefecture, in northern Kyushu. Arita ware is one of Japan’s best-known porcelains, with a history of more than 400 years. The late Inoue Manji was a potter designated a Living National Treasure (Holder of an Important Intangible Cultural Property) for hakuji, white porcelain that expresses beauty through whiteness and form alone, without painted decoration. The Uzumon bottle is the last work he oversaw in his lifetime. The swirl pattern, one of his signature techniques, is rendered in 11 lines in honour of the 110th anniversary. The Yuteki bottle was overseen by his grandson, the third-generation Inoue Yuki, and is characterised by the chance patterns that arise when glaze is used boldly. For both, the kiln first made a prototype in Arita ware, and glass bottles are then produced using moulds based on it.

For European Readers

Hyakujuju is sold within Japan, and no overseas sales have been announced. Even so, the set neatly illustrates two directions in sweet potato shochu: the depth of flavour that comes from long ageing in pots, and the fruit-like aroma that comes from improving the raw-material variety and using vacuum distillation. If you come across sweet potato shochu in Europe, checking the label for how it was stored and distilled is a good way to understand the differences. The blender recommends drinking it on the rocks: add one large ice cube and enjoy how the aroma changes as the temperature drops.

Sources

• Kirishima Shuzo, “Special Kuro Kirishima and KIRISHIMA No.8 dressed in works overseen by a Living National Treasure of Arita ware and his grandson. ‘Sogyo Hyakujunen Kinen Hyakujuju’ on sale in limited quantities!” https://www.kirishima.co.jp/news/2026090801.html