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Company name: Hateruma Distillery
Founded: 1952
Address: 156 Aza Hateruma, Taketomi Town, Yaeyama-gun |
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A simple and friendly awamori,
much loved by the local people
Hateruma is the only distillery on Hateruma Island, Japan's southernmost
island. It was originally founded by local people as a joint project
in 1952. The business is now run by the second owner, Tadao Hateruma,
and his wife. When the distillery was set up, it used awa (foxtail
millet) to produce the awamori, and so the liquor was named
Awanami ('Waves of Millet'). It has a distinct flavor and
aroma-made possible by the water on the island, which has a salty
texture-and somewhat resembles the Chinese liquor Mao Tai.
It is a regular liquor, but has the texture of young kusu.
It is easy to drink and mellow.
This was originally a liquor made by the locals for the locals.
There is also a certain limit to how much liquor a single distillery
can produce, especially when it maintains the traditional production
methods. It has now become hard to come by even for local people,
because the popularity has spread to outside the island.
The distillery does not sell directly at all; the products are only
available in stores. However, the liquor never reaches the shelves,
because so many people order it in advance. That means it is not
an easy liquor for tourists to get hold of. The locals seem to want
tourists to acknowledge this, and thereby appreciate it as a liquor
with limited access.
The unavailability has certainly boosted the popularity of the liquor:
it is nice to have something to look forward to, something to want
to get hold of, eventually! We hope that the quality of the liquor
fostered by the natural properties of the souhrnmost island known
as 'Petit Rome' will have remained unchanged by the time we get
hold of a bottle ourselves! |
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