Rooted in Kagoshima’s rich tradition and pristine waters, Hombo Shuzo crafts shōchū, wine and whisky with passion, embracing “local is global” as they honour heritage while reaching international standards.
Recently, one of your Koshu wines was highly rated in France, a country considered the home of wine. How significant is this recognition for you?
It is tremendously motivating for us. To have Japanese wine—specifically one made from the Koshu grape—evaluated and praised by professionals in France, the birthplace of wine culture, is deeply meaningful. When I visit Paris, I see how Japanese culture is spreading in many forms: Japanese restaurants are flourishing, cultural monuments are gaining recognition, and Japanese sake is enjoying increasing popularity. Within that context, I believe Japanese wine has a real opportunity to find its place.
We are grateful that a new category has been created to recognize Japanese wine internationally. What was particularly rewarding for us was that the chair of the judging panel made comments that perfectly aligned with how we ourselves hoped to express Koshu as a grape variety and as a Japanese wine. It confirmed that our vision is being understood abroad, and that is enormously encouraging for us as producers.
Hombo Shuzo Headquarters
You have received numerous awards across categories. How do these accolades contribute to brand recognition overseas and to expanding exports?
In the case of whisky, the benchmarks for quality and recognition are already very well established in Europe and North America. As a result, whisky represents around 95% of our exports today. In contrast, with shochu and especially Japanese wine, it is not as simple. Winning an award does not immediately translate into international sales.
For shochu in particular, which is a traditional spirit deeply rooted in the culture of Kagoshima and southern Kyushu, the challenge lies in how to market it effectively on the global stage. That is a major issue we are working to address. Japanese sake, by comparison, has made stronger inroads internationally. Today, in terms of export value, sake and whisky are at almost the same level, while shochu still accounts for only a very small share. Japanese wine is even more modest in scale.
The reality is that marketing shochu and wine abroad remains difficult, but it is important for us to keep producing them consistently with a long-term vision. Given the spread of Japanese cuisine around the world, there is no reason why Japanese wines, sake, and shochu should not also become a natural part of the dining experience in Japanese restaurants overseas. The real question is how to position them and how to market them. That cannot be done by a single company of our size alone—it will require an industry-wide effort.
Mars Komagatake Distillery
Over half of Japanese whisky exports now go to the United States, and prices there have surged—sometimes more than doubling for rare labels. How do you see Japanese whisky differentiating itself from Western whiskies?
That is a fascinating question. From my perspective, two factors are central to Japanese whisky’s uniqueness. The first is Japan’s natural environment. Ours is a long island nation stretching from north to south, surrounded by the sea, with mountain ranges reaching 2,000 to 3,000 meters and abundant forests. This geography gives Japan remarkable water-retaining capacity, meaning we can secure pure, soft water almost everywhere—an essential element in whisky-making. In addition, Japan’s four distinct seasons and dynamic climate shifts create unique conditions for long-term maturation in casks. This interaction with nature produces very distinctive results.
The second factor is the origin of Japanese whisky. Our craft began by learning directly from Scotland. In fact, the so-called “Taketsuru Notebook”—the notes compiled by Masataka Taketsuru during his training in Scotland—was entrusted to Professor Kiichiro Iwai, who later became a consultant to Hombo Shuzo and even designed our first pot still based on those notes. In short, the teacher of Japanese whisky was Scotch.
But over time, Japanese whisky evolved its own character. I believe this stems from the Japanese artisan spirit—our relentless pursuit of precision and refinement. Our engineers bring a uniquely Japanese dedication to detail in every step of production. Combined with Japan’s natural maturation environment, this craftsmanship has created the quality now recognized worldwide. In our company, I always tell our whisky makers: “Become engineers who can truly converse with nature.” That dialogue between people and environment is at the heart of Japanese whisky’s distinct identity.
Given the rising global demand for Japanese whisky, how do you as a relatively small company approach opportunities in markets such as the U.S.?
We cannot pursue large-scale initiatives, but we focus on depth and authenticity. I personally travel to the U.S. at least once a year. We conduct masterclasses for professional bartenders, bring along our whisky makers to explain our production philosophy, and organize seminars for enthusiasts.
These activities are designed to communicate not only the taste of our products but also the story and craftsmanship behind them. In today’s age of social media, such engagements spread quickly—photos, stories, and impressions are shared in real time, amplifying our message far beyond the event itself. Consistency is key, so we make sure to repeat these efforts regularly.
You also welcome visitors to your facilities in Japan. Could you tell us about these sites?
Yes, we operate five visitor-friendly production sites across Japan.
At the four sites excluding Yakushima, we host annual festivals with limited-edition whiskies and wines, seminars, and events in collaboration with local restaurants—such as wine-and-food pairings enjoyed against the backdrop of Mount Fuji. Throughout the year, we continue smaller events and tastings to keep engaging visitors.
Original Pot Stills used at the Mars Shinshu Distillery
Yakushima’s subtropical climate must create very different conditions from Scotland or Ireland. How does that affect whisky maturation?
This is very close to my heart. I have a personal connection to Yakushima—I used to visit frequently as a student to conduct insect-collecting expeditions. The island’s lush, humid, subtropical environment left a strong impression on me. When we launched the Tsunuki distillery in 2016, I realized we also had land on Yakushima. I thought: if we took new-make spirit from Tsunuki and Komagatake and aged it on the island, something unique might emerge. It began as a simple idea, but eight years later the results are remarkable.
We defined the concept as “Tropical & Salty.” The sea breezes, mountain winds, heavy rainfall, and warm climate all influence maturation. Today, we release this under the “MARS The Y.A.” blended malt series. The fourth edition, released this year, shows clear expression of that tropical and saline character. European tasters, in particular, respond enthusiastically, finding it exotic and distinctive.
You have also pursued collaborations, such as with Chichibu Distillery and Tokyu Hotels. Do you see opportunities for more partnerships, including with overseas companies?
We approach collaborations carefully. For us, it is essential that both partners share a similar philosophy of whisky-making. In Japan, we have worked with Venture Whisky (Ichiro’s Malt) and Akkeshi Distillery in Hokkaido. In those projects, we exchange new-make spirit, age it in our own cellars, and then release blended malts where each side contributes around 49% of the partner’s spirit. Both products are launched simultaneously, reflecting the shared vision.We also do brand collaborations of a different type, such as creating exclusive whiskies for Tokyu Hotels or for the Peninsula Hotels in Tokyo and soon Hong Kong. These are tailored projects to express our identity within their hospitality environment.
Currently, we are also working with an American bourbon producer. Although details are not public yet, the plan is to blend their rye whisky with our "IWAI" World Blended Whisky Series, creating something unique for the U.S. market. Beyond the commercial aspect, we value the technical exchange—learning from each other’s methods and broadening our horizons.
Mars Komagatake Distillery
Looking at international expansion, beyond the U.S., where else are you focusing?
We already have broad distribution: Europe through a dedicated importer covering the EU, Hong Kong for much of Asia, and separate long-standing partners in Taiwan. The years 2021 and 2022 were particularly strong, but 2023 and beyond have been more challenging due to global factors such as the war in Ukraine, inflation, and broader economic uncertainty. Going forward, the key is not necessarily to expand further, but to rebuild and strengthen our foundations in each market.I continue to travel regularly—to the U.S., to Paris and London, and to Hong Kong—to work directly with our partners on how best to navigate these conditions.
If you had to recommend just one product from your portfolio, what would it be?
Our flagship products are the Komagatake and Tsunuki Single Malts, as well as the MARS The Y.A. series. These are central to our identity. However, the market realities differ. In the U.S., for example, the cocktail culture is strong, and our IWAI series has been widely adopted by bartenders as a cocktail base. That market has largely recovered to pre-COVID levels. By contrast, single malts, being higher-priced, face tougher conditions both in the U.S. and especially in Europe.
That said, we are about to make an important shift: Komagatake, which until now was released only as limited editions, will become a continuous year-round product starting this September. Thanks to the increased stock of aged spirit at the distillery, we can now make this transition. It represents a crucial step for us in establishing stability and recognition for our single malts worldwide. Tsunuki will follow a similar path—moving from editions to a stable core product, supplemented by special releases.
Mars Tsunuki Distillery
Finally, if we return to interview you in four or five years, what would you like to have achieved by then?
By then, I may no longer be president, but I will still be contributing to the company. My hope is that our whisky business will have been fully restructured and stabilized internationally, with a loyal global following for our single malts. Equally important is shochu. Despite its deep cultural heritage—it is one of Japan’s most traditional spirits, made with koji—it has lagged behind sake internationally. Domestically, shochu has become commoditized, and the market is challenging. Unless we succeed in presenting it abroad in a way that resonates—through product development, storytelling, and marketing—it will not achieve its potential.
A recent encouraging sign is that our handmade, jar-fermented barley shochu from Yakushima received recognition at the ISC. While Kagoshima is best known for sweet potato (imo) shochu, barley is also cultivated locally, and of course widely in Kyushu. Western consumers, whose culture is rooted in barley and wheat, may find this more relatable. That could be a key to unlocking shochu’s future abroad. If, five years from now, our shochu has established itself as a respected and valued category internationally, I will be very happy.
For more information, visit their website at: https://www.hombo.co.jp/
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