Michihito

“To elevate shochu to the level of an art form.”

The Story

Rokuchoshi Shuzo is a distillery located in the village of Nishiki, found at the center of southern Kumamoto Prefecture’s Kuma basin. The region’s traditional methods of using its rich rice, combined with the clear groundwater from the Kuma River, has allowed for a 500 year history in Shochu making, with 26 breweries scattered around the region.

After working for a publishing house in Tokyo, Michito Ikebe joined the company at the age of 28 in order to take over the family business. An avid lover of literature, he collects old Yi Dynasty ceramics, and enjoys painting and listening to classical music. This love of art extends itself to his making alcohol. Shochu is a blend of flavors, but there is a complete story from the first note to the aftertaste. It is a process of trial and error to work out what elements to add and when to add them so as to flesh out the final product. It is a very creative process.

Michito’s final product is completed with bottles and labels appropriate to the quality of the the liquor. His dream is to bring the recognition of aged sake and shochu up to the same level of notoriety as scotch and cognac.

The Craft

Rokuchoshi Shuzo’s methods of koji making, fermentation techniques, distillation methods, and manner of storage follow traditional ways, yet have been improved upon. Originally, shochu did not have the custom of blending several types of base liquors, yet such blending has been introduced in the never-ending search for new flavors. Making alcohol is a very creative job, and creating new flavors through blending is undeniably a way of expressing oneself.

Michito is constantly experimenting with these blends, not only to explore new flavors, but also to ensure that his own senses have not dulled. There was a even one occasion when he woke up in the middle of the night and tried a blend that had suddenly occurred to him. He found it worked very well.

Among the Kuma shochu distilleries, Rokuchoshi Shuzo is known for its special focus on traditional atmospheric distillation and for its efforts to improve their storage techniques. They have installed air conditioning equipment in the storage rooms since it is important to avoid temperature changes as much as possible throughout the year during the cask storage process. In addition, they have installed a thermal insulation system in the storage room in order to protect it from the summer heat. By strictly controlling the temperature and humidity 24 hours a day, they have succeeded in creating conditions very similar to the Scottish Highlands.

Selected works

Rather than being simply an intoxicating drink, liquor is heritage and an art. With this in mind, Rokuchoshi Shuzo creates fully completed works inside each bottle and label. The label of their flagship product, Tokugin Rokuchoshi, was designed by Keisuke Serizawa, a pioneer of stencil resist dyeing who was recognized as one of Japan’s “Living National Treasures.” The calligraphy of Morikazu Kumagai is printed on the label of the old vintage shochu, Shingetsu. The brewer is committed to informing as many people as possible of the wonderful world of cask-matured shochu, and to prove that Kuma shochu is comparable to the world’s premium liquor brands.