A century of shochu craftsmanship. Discovering a new vista after groping in the dark to develop non-alcoholic products.

"Hakko Amasake Shiro koji" is a non-alcoholic product, a field that Kirishima Shuzo has barely touched in its history of over 100 years since its founding.
What was the real intention behind releasing non-alcoholic product after building up a track record as a shochu manufacturer? We spoke to development team members Riho Yamamoto from the Planning Department and Sho Setoguchi from Research and Development Department.

The impetus for development came from a request from a shop located within the " Shochu no Sato Kirishima Factory Garden."
"We want a product that can be enjoyed by drivers and people who drink no alcohol."
The facility bustles daily with tourists and locals, many arriving by car. The wish was for drivers and children to experience Kirishima Shuzo more fully.
Coincidentally, around that time, Research and Development department was researching koji and discovered a promising koji with functional properties, and was considering its food applications. Using that koji, they focused on amazake, a product that was experiencing a booming market at the time. After prototyping and tasting, everyone present felt confident in its potential. Thus began Kirishima Shuzo's development of amazake.

Many members of the newly formed development team reportedly had reservations about amazake. What could Kirishima Shuzo, unfamiliar with amazake and lacking expertise, use as a weapon in the ever-expanding market?
They arrived at a change of mindset: "Let's create a new standard for amazake – one only we can make, enjoyable even for those who dislike it." Precisely because they were this team, with a long history as a shochu manufacturer, they were able to draw on their accumulated expertise and craft an amazake unconstrained by convention. With that realization, the direction forward became clear.

The finished product, "Hakko Amasake Shiro koji," is an amazake made with white koji.
The koji most often used in amazake is yellow koji, which is commonly used in sake brewing, but by using white koji, which is often used in shochu production and produces citric acid, a light and refreshing taste is achieved. Furthermore, among the white koji, young koji, which has been cultivated for a shorter period of time than usual, is used to adjust the acidity so that it does not come out too strongly. This makes amazake easy to drink even for those who do not like the thick texture and strong sweetness of traditional amazake.
At the time, there were very few amazake made with white koji in the amazake market, and this allowed for a distinctive taste. It was a product that was typical of Kirishima Shuzo, full of the ideas of a shochu manufacturer. In addition, the name "amazake" was written without using kanji, even removing the voiced consonants, and was made into "amasake," due to its smooth and gentle taste.

Countless hurdles had to be overcome before reaching the launch.
" The tough parts? Everything was incredibly difficult," Yamamoto and Setoguchi now recall with a laugh.
"We learned about the history and culture of amazake from scratch, compared the taste of over 50 different amazake products to create our own unique flavor map, conducted tastings both inside and outside the company and conducted surveys, and based on the results we repeatedly made prototypes. With no knowledge, experience, or manuals available within the company, we took things one step at a time, groping our way through the process."
However, it wasn't just difficult days for the development team.

"Just when we managed to solve a problem and make some progress, a new challenge would pop up. It was a recurring cycle, but there was also constant joy as we cleared it and our horizons opened up. Everyone on the development team was positive and we enjoyed working, always thinking, 'What's next?'"
With a long history, it is not surprising that any new endeavor would encounter opposition or headwinds, but the company was very supportive of the development of amazake. In a tasting survey of employees, along with their impressions of the taste, they also received supportive comments such as "I'm very happy to have been involved in the development" and "I'd like to give it to my children when it's released," which also served as a tailwind for the development.

Currently, "Hakko Amasake Shiro koji" is only sold at "Shochu no Sato Kirishima Factory Garden."
Amazake was developed with the hope that car drivers and children would be able to experience more of Kirishima Shuzo, and is said to be enjoyed by a wide range of customers.
"When we saw a child around two years old drinking Hakko Amasake Shiro koji with gusto, we were filled with a sense of satisfaction that all our hard work had paid off," the two said happily.
Small children are drinking Kirishima Shuzo's products. This opened up a new vista that Kirishima Shuzo has rarely seen before. Of course, they are not satisfied with this and are not finished yet. There are still many dreams they want to realize on this new path in non-alcoholic market.
Beyond a century of history, what new vista will they open next? Kirishima Shuzo's journey of challenge continues.