The Okuchi distillery lies in the Okuchi basin in the north of Kagoshima Prefecture.
It’s cold in winter in spite of its location in the southern part of Japan.

Shochu is a kind of distilled beverage representing Kagoshima.

The shochu made in the cities of Okuchi and Hishikari is in particular called Isa Shochu after the name of the region and enjoys quite a reputation.

In 1954, funny graffiti on a piece of board was found at a local Shinto shrine. It was written by a shrine carpenter who worked for the shrine renovation. It says: our client never offered us shochu. The graffiti is from the year 1559 and the oldest written document with the term shochu.

We are very proud of our practice of shochu making in this place of long tradition and history. Quality rice and water, not to mention sweet potatoes, are indispensable for good shochu. Isa grows good rice, and its cold climate and pure streams all help. Here, traditional skills and modern
methods blend well, making a unique rich flavor of Isa Shochu.