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Company name: Yamakawa
Distillery, Inc.
Founded: 1946
Address: 58 Aza Namisato, Motobu Town, Kunigami-gun
TEL: 0980-47-2135
FAX: 0980-47-6095 |
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The Yamakawa Distillery,
a local favorite for its Kaneyama brand, has a reputation
for working steadily to produce kusu using treasured techniques.
In 1946, Munemichi Yamakawa founded a brewery in Motobu Town with
the wish of reviving the traditional method of producing kusu
and passing it on to future generations. The present third owner,
Munekatsu Yamakawa, has stayed with that tradition to pass on to
the world awamori with a rich aroma and a characteristic
solid taste.
Generally speaking, to be permitted to bear the label of '10-year-old
kusu', the matured liquor must contain a blend of over 50%
10-year-old kusu and under 50% 8-year-old kusu. But
Yamakawa does not put its awamori on to the market until
it has matured for another two years. If the label says 'matured
for ten years', then it means that it has actually been matured
for 12 years. This shows how much the maker believes in maturity.
In the 1950s, when Okinawa was under Allied Occupation, the local
market was flooded with low-priced alcoholic beverages introduced
to Japan from the West, and consumption of awamori plummeted.
But consumption of awamori grew in leaps and bounds following
Okinawa's reversion to Japan because of the introduction of 720ml
bottles of awamori and a Japanese pub boom. All through that
period, Yamakawa quietly continued to mature kusu regardless
of the situation. Its dilemma was whether to market its products
or to leave them to mature further. This was solved by selling a
special limited edition of kusu restricted to certain areas.
Their plan also included steadily increasing the number of storage
tanks to foster more kusu. The oldest liquor on sale today
is Kaneyama Special Edition Treasured 30-year-old Kusu which
is a painstakingly-fostered product from a maker who is determined
to keep the awamori culture alive and pass it on to future
generations. The owner says the company is dedicated solely to the
storage of kusu. It will continue to zealously mature old
awamori for years to come with the aim of producing 40-,
50-, and even 100-year-old kusu. |
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