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Torikai Distillery

One day, around 2000, on a walk through a regional forest, I came across a small stream whose flow had slowed to a mere trickle.
It was the Kusatsu River of Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto Prefecture, a tributary of the Kuma River (Kumagawa).
Soon after, I was told that there were plans to build an industrial waste treatment plant in that very location. Being a born-and-bred local, I was shocked and was immediately intent on putting a stop to that project. We set about persuading many local landowners to object to the waste plant plan and we eventually collectively acquired the rights to the land. Time passed quickly as we repaired the scars caused to the landscape by the mudslide, and cleared away the debris from the logging that had dammed up the river and had scattered across the area. The work to protect the clear, pristine waters of the river continues to this day.

Yoshinobu Jumonji spent nearly a year photographing the restored nature.

Please take a look at the place where Torikai is created, a shochu proudly made with your invaluable support.
It would be our greatest pleasure if you could share in our work.

Kazunobu Tobikai

TORIKAI short version
TORIKAI short version [1:03]


TORIKAI 1
Movie 1 [3:25]
TORIKAI 2
Movie 2 [3:16]
Film producer:Torigai Kazunobu, Jumonji Yoshinobu
Director/cameraman:Yoshinobu Jumonji
Music: Jun Miyake

Shochu Making at Torikai Distillery

distillery Liquid completed as shochu for the first time after distillation

Torikai Brewery has been in its current location for over 400 years.
Our distillery is built inside a lush 150 hectare valley, and we access the finest water from a nearby mountain stream.
Since 2000, we have been working hard to protect and maintain the natural integrity of this stream.


As a company, it is our aim to improve our techniques and continue our research in order to achieve the following three goals.
Firstly, we strive to use only traditional Japanese brewing and distilling methods.
Secondly, we aim to be creative and original with our flavours and production.
Thirdly, we wish to gain the trust and support of our satisfied drinking customers.
We continue to research and develop in order to fulfill these three conditions.


Our crisp, tasty shochu is characterised by its ginjo koji (rice polished to 58%) and its fresh, fragrant aroma.

Environmental Initiatives

According to Japanese culture and tradition, mountains were once home to a myriad of gods and spirits.

As industrialization progressed during the modern era,
mountains became the object of increasingly fervent economic activity.
Once ownership of a mountain was established, the land was repeatedly over-cleared,
the topsoil, which was now bare of debris,
and the topsoil - now bare of nutrients - was no longer capable of reforestation.

Without supportive soil, vegetation, or trees,
landslides and collapses occurred everywhere,
and the mountains were exhausted as a result.
Buried within our local mountain, which had collapsed due to human activity,
lay the gentle, silent flow
of the Kusatsu River.

It was my great joy
to find this single, pure stream remaining
on a mountain which had been so utterly devastated, and yet it had refused to give up.

I felt as if I was being shown the underlying strength of the mountain.

Every time I entered a collapsed mountainous area,
I began to wonder if it would be possible to restore the mountain to its original state.
I would fondly recall the smell of the mountains,
and the sparkling clear rivers of my childhood.
As we removed the mudslide sediment and moved the large stones that had dammed the flow,
the mountain gradually came back to life.

Now, more than twenty years since we began our efforts, our strong desire to protect these mountain streams,
supported by the power of nature herself, continues to this day.

Torikai Distillery Kazunobu Torikai

History

9th Century (Heian Period)
Torikai family moved from Kyoto to Hitoyoshi. A large sword and a memorandum are still extant.
813 (Daido 8)
Furniture is extant.
1800 (Edo Period)
oth brewed sake and shochu (distilled sake) are produced in Hitoyoshi.
Brewed vinegar, miso, soy sauce, etc. Memorandum still exists.
1871 (3rd year of Meiji)
A new license for sake brewing was issued by the Meiji government.
1896 (28th year of Meiji)
Seiji Torikai takes over the shochu (distilled sake) business.
1959 (Showa 34)
Senichi Torikai took over the shochu (distilled sake) business.
1974 (Showa 49)
Kazunobu Torikai took over the brewing business.
1991 (Heisei 3)
Research and development was started on the theme of "Ginjo Aroma".
He met Mr. Seinosuke Ueda, a professor at Kumamoto Institute of Technology, and succeeded in his experiments.
The prototype of "Ginko Torikai" was born.
1994 (Heisei 6)
Ginko Torikai" was completed.
1996 (Heisei 8)
Md Competition Grand Medaille d'Or (special gold medal).
This year, Johnny Walker and Ginka Torikai were the only winners in the spirits category.
2000 (Heisei 12)
Acquired a forest in order to stop environmental destruction through development in the Kusatsu River basin..
2004 (Heisei 16)
Construction of a distillery in the upper reaches of the Kusatsu River started.
2005 (Heisei 17)
Completed construction of the Kusatsu Distillery in Shimonagano-machi.
2007 (Heisei 19)
Construction of the YOKITOGI koji (rice-malt) room started.
2012 (Heisei 24)
Completed the construction of the YOKITOGI koji (rice-malt) room.
2015 (Heisei 27)
Continue researching and improving to create the ideal “Ginka Torikai”.


Torikai Distillery Co., Ltd

Managing Director Kazunobu Torikai
Head office address 〒868-0034
2 Nanoka-machi, Hitoyoshi-shi, Kumamoto, Japan
TEL +81-96-622-3303
FAX +81-96-624-7947

 

 

Ginka Torikai

"Ginka Torikai" is the first shochu (distilled sake) to keep the gorgeous aroma and soft and long flavor of SAKE.

The highly polished rice (daiginjo), fine rice malt (ginjo-koji) and homemade yeast fermented at a low temperature to produce SAKE. The SAKE is single pot distilled.

Please enjoy the rich ginjo aroma.

1 bottle 720cc