Major shochu manufacturers in Japan 2021, by net sales

In 2021, Kirishima Shuzo Co., Ltd. was the leading clear Japanese liquor (shochu) manufacturer in Japan, with net sales amounting to around 60 billion Japanese yen. Since its founding in 1916, the distillery headquartered in Miyazaki Prefecture has expanded its portfolio to include the manufacturing of beer, low-malt beer (happoshu), and other spirits.

Shochu production – from rice to carrots

Shochu is a clear beverage that can be made from a variety of agricultural products. Typical ingredients include sweet potatoes and grains like rice or barley, which are the main segments covered by the portfolio of the industry leaders. Other possible ingredients include buckwheat, potatoes, carrots, and edible flower buds among others. Unlike sake, the other clear liquor of importance in the Japanese alcoholic beverage market, shochu goes through at least one distillation process before maturation. Japanese liquor tax laws separate products into two categories, singly distilled shochu and multiply distilled shochu, with single distillation showing a higher production volume in the domestic liquor market.

Shochu drinking culture

The clear, distilled liquor is widely available as a pure product in the Japanese retail market, packaged in plastic bottles, cans, paper cups, and glass bottles. Due to a variety in flavor profiles which is based on the main ingredients used in the fermentation process, it is a popular drink for casual drinking. It is commonly enjoyed on the rocks or watered down with water, tea, or fruit juice. Within the alcoholic beverage industry, shochu, particularly multiple distilled products, is used as a base for liqueur manufacturing by mixing additional flavors like syrups, herbs, and soft drinks into the distilled product. A staple of the liqueur segment are highballs, so-called chuhai. Commercially available as a ready-to-drink (RTD) product, the flavored mixed drink is a liquor choice for home drinking.