Creating a place to unwind in Miyakonojo. The unwavering banner that guided the ship carrying the future.

Creating a place to unwind in Miyakonojo. The unwavering banner that guided the ship carrying the future.
Behind the scenes of the major project "KIRISHIMA GREENSHIP icoia."

The fountain next to the Kirishima Shuzo's Headquarters Expanded Factory is one of the symbols that has watched over Kirishima Shuzo's progress for many years.
Near that fountain, a new facility opened in January 2026. Its name is "KIRISHIMA GREENSHIP icoia."
This facility was born from a collaborative project between Kirishima Shuzo and Starbucks.
In addition to a Starbucks store, the facility also houses a Kirishima Shuzo store, a botanical garden, and a rooftop garden, and has finally opened as a place to unwind in Miyakonojo.
Shochu and coffee. At first glance, the two companies seem to have little in common, but how did they resonate with each other and create this space?

The two companies first met in 2017 when Starbucks visited Kirishima Shuzo as part of an in-house training program.
As they continued to interact after that, the conversation expanded to include the idea that there might be a collaboration that only the two companies could achieve.
"This is the first time that both our companies have collaborated, starting from scratch and looking ahead to activities after the opening. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous."
This is what Masaya Ide of the NS Product Department, which was newly established for this project, recalls about that time.
Ide has previously been involved in the launch of another facility, and is such an avid coffee lover that he owns a roaster at home, that he was selected as a key member of the team.

The first thing the two companies did was to deepen their mutual understanding, focusing on what they value and the types of businesses and activities they are engaged in.
Ide says that at first he had a hard time getting a sense of the team's enthusiasm.
"At first, we felt that Starbucks, a globally active company, was a distant presence, for better or worse. However, to make this project a success, we needed to approach it with the same perspective and awareness. That's what we spent a lot of time on."

At their first social gathering, Ide made an espresso using Starbucks beans and mixed it with Kuro Kirishima's raw liquor in front of Starbucks partners (employees) to create an original collaboration cocktail.
"I was nervous about brewing coffee in front of these professionals, but I was happy that they were impressed. Even though it was a collaboration between companies, in the end it's still between people. I feel that by revealing myself, I was able to close the gap between us."
True to his words, Ide never neglected to make an effort to convey his feelings to the person in front of him, no matter what the situation.

Through repeated conversations, the idea emerged: why not build a facility that embodies the vision of both companies?
From there, they actively exchanged ideas toward conceptualizing the facility. The theme was " How can we make Miyakonojo a better place?"
"Through our conversations, I learned that Starbucks is exploring the best store format for the local community in each store it opens across the country. Their commitment to the local community is in line with what Kirishima Shuzo has always valued."
Being able to share the same underlying values brought us closer together.
"We're not doing this for the sake of corporate PR. We're thinking about what strengths each party can bring to this facility for the benefit of the local community. We kept this perspective in mind as we proceeded with the project."
They spent roughly two years in dialogue, from the project's full launch in 2022 until construction began in 2024.
The two keywords that emerged from this process were "natural environment" and "local community."

"The main theme is to create a place to unwind where local people can experience the cycle of nature's blessings and connections between people, and we've packed it with the thoughts that we hold dear and the experiences we want our guests to have."
As he spoke, Ide's eyes were filled with confidence in what he had created.

The architecture was commissioned to Kengo Kuma, known for projects like the National Stadium.
"Kengo Kuma is someone who values architecture that blends into the local environment and culture. We felt that this was in line with the goals of this facility, so we asked him to design it."
The botanical garden, designed in harmony with nature, allows visitors to experience something out of the ordinary while viewing subtropical plants. A rooftop garden with a panoramic view of Kirishima mountains and the Okimizu River, as well as an open lawn area, complete the relaxing space.

We also spoke with Kazuhiro Yanagi, a representative from Starbucks Coffee Japan.
"Through our discussions, we really got a sense of the personalities of the people at Kirishima Shuzo, their passion for shochu, and how much they value the power of shochu to connect people. These things resonated with our passion for coffee, and we felt there was a strong cultural fit. Because this was an unprecedented endeavor, we actively shared our ideas with each other from the early stages of the project, through trial and error, and the process of gradually making it a reality continued."
Yanagi reflected that even though there were sometimes differences of opinion, they were able to work together over time to create the vision they wanted to achieve, which was only possible thanks to the passion and mutual respect between both companies.

"Opening is not the end; in fact, the hard work may begin from here," says Ide with a happy cry.
They are already considering new collaborative initiatives, such as using the facility for workshops, in the future.
"Currently, we are working on the 'Compost Club'. This is a project to transform waste shochu lees and coffee grounds into compost, giving it new value. We worked with Starbucks and people from the local Minami Kyushu University on trial and error to determine the allocation and materials. It was amazing when it actually turned into compost," he says with a smile.
The Compost Club plans to continue expanding its activities to involve the entire community.

The name "KIRISHIMA GREENSHIP icoia" was chosen to evoke the image of a ship moving forward into the future, inspired by the building's shape and the energy from Sweet Potato Power Generation.
The ship, carrying many people and their hopes, finally set sail on January 27, 2026.
This ship was born from the resonance of two companies that would never normally mix, yet shared a fundamental vision. What kind of encounters will it create, and how many unwinding moments will it provide?
The voyage has already begun.

■KIRISHIMA GREENSHIP icoia website: