Founded in 1883, this is a long-established distillery in Hioki City, Kagoshima Prefecture. Known as a pioneer in the culture of aging shochu, they launched "Mellow Kozuru," Japan's first barrel-aged shochu, in 1957. In 2017, they launched "Kanosuke Distillery," named after the second generation owner, to elevate their long-cultivated barrel-aging techniques to whisky making. They continue their challenge to share the culture and spirit of Kagoshima with the world by fusing traditional shochu making with innovative whisky making.