The Full Story
My appreciation for shōchū began in my early thirties during a business trip to Tokyo. One evening, while enjoying drinks with colleagues at a cozy izakaya in Nihonbashi, I was introduced to a shiso (perilla) shōchū named Tantakatan. The moment I experienced its vivid, herbaceous aroma and strikingly fresh, botanical flavor, I was immediately captivated; it was unlike anything I had tasted before.
Shortly afterward, I visited a nearby liquor shop and was astonished by the sheer variety of shōchū lining the shelves: dozens of base materials, aging styles, and regional specialties, most labeled exclusively in Japanese. At the time, my inability to read kanji left me both excited and somewhat overwhelmed, so I played it safe and stuck primarily with Tantakatan.
Since I was visiting Japan roughly four times a year during that period, my exploration remained focused on this one remarkable expression. I made a habit of bringing several bottles home on each return flight, eager to share this newfound discovery with friends abroad. Little did I know that this single encounter with shiso shōchū would mark the beginning of a deep and lasting appreciation for Japan’s most versatile spirit.
Several years after my first encounter with shōchū, I relocated to Japan, which opened the door to far deeper exploration. Living here has allowed me to taste countless bottles made from diverse base ingredients and produced across virtually every prefecture. While I enjoy virtually all styles, my primary focus remains sweet-potato shōchū (imojōchū), followed by rice-based shōchū (including authentic Awamori), kokutō (brown-sugar) shōchū, and the occasional barley (mugi) offering. I also seek "off the beaten path" varieties—pumpkin, chestnut, soba (buckwheat), shiso, and others—whenever I encounter them. More than two decades after that fateful glass of Tantakatan, my curiosity has not diminished. I remain continually impressed by the creativity and craftsmanship of Japan’s numerous small, family-run distilleries, many of which I discover only through travel and adventure.
This website is a personal passion project born of a simple observation: despite being Japan’s most consumed domestic spirit, shōchū receives relatively little attention outside the country and is frequently overshadowed by sake in global perceptions of Japanese alcohol culture. Rather than duplicate the excellent technical and regional guides already available elsewhere, I decided to create a personal tasting journal—a running record of bottles I have enjoyed (or occasionally found less inspiring), accompanied by honest tasting notes.
The core focus is sweet-potato shōchū, with substantial coverage of rice-based shōchū and Awamori, kokutō shōchū, and selective barley expressions. For consistency, nearly all reviews are based on the following standard servings: neat, on the rocks, mizuwari (diluted with water) and more recently, paired with chocolate. I rarely employ oyuwari (hot water) or soda, so those preparations are underrepresented—my apologies in advance to those who enjoy shōchū like this.
My hope is that this modest site not only serves as my own reference, but eventually attracts fellow shōchū lovers, sparks conversation, and helps shine a small spotlight on one of the world’s most diverse and rewarding spirit categories on earth.
Shochu Community
Please feel free to reach out, I am always happy to talk about Shochu and discover new bottles to try.
