SATSUMA SHUZO

Satsuma Shuzo is located in the southernmost part of Satsuma Hanto (the Satsuma Peninsula), which is an area of clean waterand ideal and fertile soil for growing sweet potatoes. With these good ingredients and the skills and traditions of their Toji,delicious and high quality Shochu is made.Their motto is quality first, and to that aim they do not freeze any of the potatoes that they make their Shochu with.

Satsuma and Sweet Potato

The major islands of Japan stretch from Hokkaido in the north to Kyushu in the south. At the southernmost tip of Kyushu sits the region known in modern times as Kagoshima Prefecture, but traditionally known as Satsuma. Historically, Satsuma was the feudal domain name, only replaced late in the nineteenth century by the modern prefecture name of Kagoshima. For many people in Japan, Kagoshima is still Satsuma. Satsuma has come to be so identified with the Japanese sweet potato that the name of the Japanese sweet potato itself is, literally, Satsuma Imo (Satsuma=Kagoshima, Imo=Potato). We are located in Minami Satsuma (Minami= South), the best area for growing Satsuma Imo. Our Honkaku Imo Shochu benefits from all the favorable conditions that make Minami Satsuma the best place for making Imo shochu.