Brand's products FUKANO SHUZO

Quality over quantity is the motto of the Fukano distillery, which has been hand-brewing shochu in earthenware jars for over 200 years. Fukano produces a number of internationally acclaimed shochu, including Homare no Tsuyu, which won the platinum medal in the rice shochu category at the 2021 Kura Master, and Saiba, which won the gold medal in the same category.

Fukano also produces aged kuma shochu such as Koku no Fuin. Homare no tsuyu is handmade from koji, brewed in a kame (earthenware jar), distilled under ambient pressure and also stored in a kame.

Behind the distillery, founded in 1823, are artificial grooves that are thought to have existed for over 400 years. White 'himebaikamo' seaweed (Ranunculus Kazusensis) blooms here from July to August, before flowing over the surface of the water to the second home of the Sagara clan, seven kilometres away. As you enter the distillery, you'll feel enveloped by the fresh air. Everything in the distillery is made by hand, right down to the 150-year-old clay vats arranged in rows.

You can hear various distillery sounds during the brewing season: the steaming of the rice, the koji (rice mash) being transferred from the koji room to the clay vats, the sound of the fermentation process evoking rain, the distillation and bottling. The "tôji", or "master distillers", are able to distinguish the subtle differences between the sounds and carry out their work with calm and precision. They produce an aura of extreme concentration that would dissuade anyone from daring to disturb them. It is the 'people' as well as the 'things' that perpetuate tradition. Tastes change over the years, forming a fusion with the present; they are nurtured and connected to the past. "This allows us to feel that good products are born of persistence in any era.

Our distillery is open to the public, so you can visit and taste our products. You can even taste our 'Kura no Hizoushu', a shochu that has matured in clay vats for 10 years. We don't just take care of the distillation, but also the hospitality for each and every one of our customers.