Back to our roots: perfecting sweet potato shochu

From the end of the Taisho period through the Showa and Heisei periods, the standard in shochu-making changed from using black koji to white koji. At Kirishima Shuzo, our flagship product Kirishima (now Shiro Kirishima) was made with white koji and rivalry with other products helped us hone our own.
While we explored various possibilities, including shochu made from other grains like barley, Kirishima Shuzo was founded as a sweet potato shochu distillery. This desire to incorporate potatoes and go back to using black koji really did lead us “back to our roots.”
As we researched for our vision of creating a shochu that enhances food without overpowering it, we traveled across Kyushu and Okinawa. While on Tanegashima Island in Kagoshima, we encountered a black koji sweet potato shochu that was gaining a reputation for excellence. This encounter gave us a new confidence in using black koji to make potato shochu, so we set out to develop a new kind of sweet potato shochu using black koji. And in 1998, Kuro Kirishima was born.

The idea came from a car navigation systemDuring product development, the team was thinking of label design ideas. One day, a team member was driving through a tunnel and noticed the car navigation system’s background color switch from white to black.  That moment sparked inspiration — we inversed the design of our authentic shochu "Kirishima" (now "Shiro Kirishima"), which has black text on a white background, and gave our "Kuro Kirishima" gold text on a black background. At the time, making a label with a black design was quite novel.

Using simple flavor profile explanationsTo help those who’ve never tried Kuro Kirishima understand and remember its flavor, we gave it a slogan. Kuro Kirishima has a uniquely rich sweetness and crisp finish, which is why we describe it as “Rich and Crisp.”

Each label has its own slogan:
・Shiro Kirishima "Bold and Light"
・Aka Kirishima "Aromatic and Smooth"
・Akane Kirishima "Vibrant and Refreshing"
・Kirishima ≪Miyazaki limited≫ "Strong and Lingering"
・Torafu Kirishima "Tart and Sweet"

Creating a product of the times and establishing productionKuro Kirishima’s subtle, non-overpowering flavor profile made it the perfect pairing for food—especially as Japan’s dietary trends shifted toward richer, meat-heavy dishes. It carved out a strong position as a shochu that went well with meals and enhanced the flavor of dishes.
Around the year 2000, there was a growing health trend in Japan that “black food = healthy,” like black sesame, rice, vinegar, and beans, while shochu gained popularity for being low in calories and less likely to lead to a hangover. In 2003, Kuro Kirishima won the Hit Product Award in the alcoholic beverage category at the 2002 Hit Food Awards, gaining recognition as an exceptional product.
 At one point, the demand for Kuro Kirishima outpaced supply. In response, we enhanced our production system by developing new freezing techniques for sweet potatoes, improved manufacturing processes, and further strengthened our relationships with producers to ensure the quality and amount of sweet potatoes while still delivering high-quality products at affordable prices.

They use different types of koji and sweet potatoes

23 items, as well as our Kenreishu series and moreOur products come in a variety of shapes (glass bottles, cartons, and PET bottles), sizes (200ml, 700ml, 720ml, 750ml, 900ml, and 1800ml), and alcohol content (20% and 25%) based on their use.  The lineup features 23 items, including international products.
Kuro Kirishima also created a Kenreishu series, which incorporates “colorful elegance” and “health-conscious” elements. In 2007, Kin Kirishima was released, followed by Kokuho Kirishima in 2009, and Ax Kirishima in 2010. In November 2022, Kin Kirishima and Kokuho Kirishima were reformulated to use Kuro Kirishima EX as the base. Another variation called Kuro Kirishima MELT was released in November 2017 (and revamped in April 2024).
In July 2018, our Kenreishu series released Gyokuso, a blend of Kuro Kirishima and eight rare health-supporting ingredients from around the world (sales ended in May 2021). In September 2018, we came out with Kuro Kirishima EX, which further refined the appeal of Kuro Kirishima using the “Delicious Pentagon Method,” and added a 1800ml carton version in March 2019, followed by a 900ml carton in May 2020.
In February 2022, we released Shibitakojo Kuro Kirishima Genshu, which is made without adding any water to Kuro Kirishima after distillation.

On the rocks or with soda

本格焼酎のおいしい飲み方はこちら

黒ッキリボールサイトはこちら

Served at the Academy Awards Governor’s BallKuro Kirishima, Shiro Kirishima, and Aka Kirishima were the only Japanese alcoholic beverages (including beer and whiskey) served at the Governor’s Ball, the official afterparty for the 90th and 91st Academy Awards held in Los Angeles, and they were specially selected by the chefs. For two consecutive years, they were paired with Miyazaki Beef, a prized local delicacy from Miyazaki Prefecture.

*3: An official Academy-approved afterparty held right after the Academy Awards ceremony. Over 60 dishes and drinks made from the world’s finest ingredients are served.