A visit to Okinawa is not truly complete until you sample awamori, the island’s famous local liquor and there’s no better place to do so than at Chuko Distillery. Awamori is produced from long grain indica rice, but unlike sake it’s not brewed, but rather distilled, similar to the more commonly found Japanese liquor shochu. However separating itself from mainland Japan’s shochu, awamori is produced with different ingredients and via different method which gives the liquor its own unique aroma and a distinctive taste. In its aged form awamori is known as kusu. When aged for more than three years after its initial distillation the richer the aroma and taste become, similar to a fine wine. Out of all the distilled liquors in Japan, it is only awamori that has this culture of maturation.
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What makes Chuko Distillery a local icon is the fact that it’s still Okinawa’s only distiller that produces its own specially crafted, homemade, earthenware awamori jars used for storing the aged liquor. These aged Awamori jars were crafted after over a decade’s worth of painstaking research and training. Even the distillery’s owners got involved in their production, working on the potter’s wheel, to craft a vessel that would create the ideal incubator for the nurturing of aged liquor utilizing the unique jars.
![Chuko Awamori Distillery]()
Chuko Awamori Distillery
![Chuko Awamori Distillery]()
Chuko Awamori Distillery
When you visit Chuko Distillery, you can witness up close the old traditional method of awamori production. As part of the tour, the main steps of the production process have been restaged to give visitors an overview of the unique techniques. Unlike large-scaled modern factories, only 60 bottles are produced at a single time due to the high demand for hands on involvement. One of the highlights at Chuko is the walk through the wooden cellar. This is the second biggest wooden building in Okinawa after Shurijo Castle, and thanks to the hundreds of pots aging here, it is filled with a please scent of kusu and wood.
![Chuko Awamori Distillery]()
Chuko Awamori Distillery
Given that the liquor production process is based around the earthenware awamori jars, it only makes sense that the distillery is also home to a kiln where the jars are created. All the pots and clay vessels seen at Chuko Distillery are created from the kiln method. Every single item is handmade, and the rising fire pattern on each pot is as unique as a thumbprint. Chuko distillers actively advocate for the ideology of ‘kashu kaho’. Dating back to the time of Ryukyu Kingdom, its meaning comes from the idea that homemade liquor is a family treasure, and should be treated as such.
![Chuko Awamori Distillery]()
Chuko Awamori Distillery
Open from 9am until 6pm, entry into the distillery is free and regular tours run for an hour, and yes they do feature free liquor tasting. During the tasting the tour guide will throw in some bits of information to help you gain further knowledge about awamori and make a better buying decision in case you’re taking a bottle home with you. Please note that the majority of distillery tours are conducted in Japanese, however English guidance is available from Monday to Friday as long as you make a reservation in advance. If you’re going via car parking is available, and the drive is approximately 15 minutes from the Okinawa Expressway. If you’re using public transportation the distillery is an easy one-minute walk from Ganaha bus stop.
![Chuko Awamori Distillery]()
Chuko Awamori Distillery
- Kusu no Mori ChukoGura
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- Okinawa Pref. Tomigusukushi Iraha 556-2
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- 0988518813
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- 9:00-17:00
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