‘Tokyo Shimazake,’ Shochu’s Funky New GI

It’s been 18 years since the WTO last recognized a regional shochu or awamori style as historically and culturally important enough to be protected from imitation worldwide. Japan’s fifth and most recent koji spirit Geographical Indication (GI), Tokyo Shimazake, celebrates the generations of shochu makers residing on Tokyo’s far-flung Izu Shoto island chain.

What is a GI?

According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, “A geographical indication (GI) is a sign used on products with a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.” In essence, the region where the product is made is so central to the product itself that it cannot be made anywhere else and bear the protected name.

The GI prevents others from using the name or sign if they are not in the specified region. That’s why sparkling wine can only be called champagne if it’s made in that region of France, and you can’t label a whisky as scotch unless it’s made in Scotland.

As explained on the above-linked WIPO website, GIs are a basket term encompassing appellation of origin (AO), protected designation of origin (PDO), and many other similar regional terms.

So what exactly is Tokyo Shimazake?

Japan’s most recent GI is an old style of shochu currently produced on several islands stretching southeast from Tokyo Bay. I list them here in order of proximity to Tokyo:

In addition to the geographical restriction to where Tokyo Shimazake can be made, there are two ingredient limitations. First, Tokyo Shimazake must be made with barley koji. This is true even if the main ingredient is sweet potatoes, a style typically made with rice koji in the rest of the country. Second, water sourced from the islands can be used during production. The water available on the islands tends to be very soft.

The new GI status does not affect any other rules governing fermentation, permitted ingredients, distillation, and aging of Honkaku Shochu. However, three main sub-styles are recognized in the production of Tokyo Shimazake: a) barley koji barley shochu, b) barley koji sweet potato shochu, c) a blend of a and b.

What makes Tokyo Shimazake special?

Many things! First and foremost is the history behind the style. Shochu has been produced on the Izu Islands since the mid-1800s, starting in Hachijojima.

The island was used as a place of exile for people who had run afoul of the authorities, and that’s precisely what befell Shoemon Tanso, a maritime trader from Kagoshima who was caught trading illicitly during the waning years of the Edo Period.

He ended up bringing shochu-making knowledge with him from Satsuma (now known as Kagoshima), and the ability to finally make alcohol on the island led to distillation across the archipelago. Tanso is revered for bringing sweet potato shochu production to the islands.

A second important distinction is that sweet potato shochu made in the Tokyo Shimazake style is distilled with barley koji rather than rice koji. This leads to a distinct flavor profile not found elsewhere in Japan.

How many distilleries currently make Tokyo Shimazake?

Eight shochu distilleries are spread across five of the eight designated islands that produce Tokyo Shimazake. There’s one distillery each on Oshima, Nijima, Miyakejima, and Aogashima, and four distilleries on Hachijojima.

There is one more distillery making Tokyo Shimazake than the number making the smallest GI in Japan, Iki Shochu. However, when comparing the production volume of the two GIs, Tokyo Shimazake is by far the smallest Japan koji spirits GI based on the amount of product shipped annually.

What are Japan’s other koji spirits GI?

Japan’s shochu and awamori industry has long enjoyed international protection for four key regional styles.

• Iki Shochu – Barley shochu made on Iki Island in Nagasaki Prefecture. The recipe must be one part rice koji to two parts barley.
• Kuma Shochu – Rice shochu made in the Hitoyoshi/Kuma Region of Southern Kumamoto Prefecture. Water from the springs surrounding the prefecture’s Kuma River must be used to make the shochu.
• Satsuma Shochu – Sweet potato shochu made in Kagoshima Prefecture from locally harvested spuds.
• Ryukyu Awamori – Single pot-distilled rice spirit made in Okinawa Prefecture. Only rice can be used, and all rice used during fermentation must be inoculated with black koji.

All four of the above GI are in Kyushu/Okinawa and are geographically listed from north to south. Adding Tokyo Shimazake to the list earlier this week greatly extended the zone of internationally protected shochu styles northward.

Kanpai!