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Awamori | Okinawan Distilleries & Kusu Culture

Curving limestone walls of Katsuren Castle ruins under a blue sky
Photo: kanegen / CC BY 2.0

12AWAMORI — OKINAWA

Awamori is Okinawa's distilled spirit: rice is made entirely into koji with black koji mould, fermented as an all-koji mash, then distilled in a pot still.

Long-aged awamori is called kusu, and it has been handed down with shitsugi — the practice of topping up older jars from younger ones. Labeling kusu follows an industry standard.

  • CLIMATE
  • BLACK KOJI
  • RICE
  • DISTILLATION
  • MATURATION
  • KAME
  • KUSU
  • HISTORY
Cave-like cellar where awamori matures at Taragawa distillery
Photo: Object In Space / CC BY-SA 4.0

古酒（クース）

Since 1 August 2015, only awamori whose entire contents have been stored for three years or more may be labeled kusu. An age statement must reflect the youngest awamori in the blend.

Source: Okinawa Prefecture Distillers Association ↗
Story: Kusu, time in clay
Green cliffs and reef flats along the Okinawa coast seen from Gushichan Gusuku
Photo: Kugel~commonswiki / CC BY-SA 4.0
A

Producers

  1. 01Zuisen Distillery瑞泉酒造EST. 1887
  2. 02Chuko Awamori Distillery忠孝酒造EST. 1949
  3. 03Seifuku Shuzo請福酒造EST. 1949
  4. 04Kumejima's Kumesen久米島の久米仙EST. 1949
B

Drinks

ABV, polishing ratio, vintage, age and similar details appear only when confirmed by an official source.

  1. Zuisen—
  2. Chuko—
  3. Jikabi Seifuku—
  4. Kumejima's Kumesen—
G

Gallery

Product names, labels and logos shown are trademarks of their respective owners. Photographs are used under their creators' licences.
C

Stories

SOURCES

  1. 1泡盛ってどんなお酒沖縄県酒造組合 Okinawa Prefecture Distillers Association · Industry body · accessed 2026-09-26
  2. 2古酒の定義沖縄県酒造組合 Okinawa Prefecture Distillers Association · Industry body · accessed 2026-09-26
  3. 3日本の酒・本格焼酎と泡盛日本酒造組合中央会 Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association · Industry body · accessed 2026-09-26

PHOTO CREDITS

All image credits →
  1. 1Okinawa coast — Kugel~commonswiki · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  2. 2Awamori cellar — Object In Space · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  3. 3Gusuku stone walls — kanegen · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  4. 4Sugar cane fields — Eujensc (Wikivoyage shared) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
  5. 5Shochu maturing in a mine tunnel — メルビル · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  6. 6Awamori isshobin bottles — pcs34560 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
  7. 7Awamori cellar in Nisshū-dō cave — Muramasa · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  8. 8Awamori tasting flight — yajico from Tokyo · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  9. 9Karakara spirit pourer, 18th century (Musée Cernuschi) — Manufacture Kawahara · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
  10. 10Awamori served from a karakara — rch850 · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  11. 11Awamori set with karakara and Ryukyu glasses — Blue Lotus from Okinawa · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  12. 12Kikunotsuyu awamori with a glass — ayustety · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  13. 13Kumejima no Kumesen awamori bottle — Bapak Alex · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
  14. 14Kumejima no Kumesen distillery — veroyama · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  15. 15Omoto awamori (Takamine Distillery) — ayustety from Tokyo, Japan · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  16. 16Pre-war awamori production — Unknown (pre-war photographer) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
  17. 17Sakimoto Awamori Distillery — Yuet Man Lee · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  18. 18Seifuku Distillery — Ray_go · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  19. 19Zuisen awamori — ayustety from Ginza, Tokyo · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  20. 20Zuisen Distillery — BehBeh · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  21. 21Zuisen Distillery showroom — BehBeh · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons