by On the 22nd, Tsunematsu Shochu Brewery, a brewery of Kuma Shochu in Taragi Town, Kumamoto Prefecture, released Imo Shochu in collaboration with the anime “Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045” (Kodansha).
“Ghost in the Shell” is a work with the future theme where cyborg technology has developed. Aiming to be a product that will be a catalyst for the “future” of the shochu industry, which is suffering from sluggish sales due to the corona slump, it is also considering overseas expansion by taking advantage of the popularity of Japanese animation.
A joint project with Gem Industries (Osaka City), which handles the export of alcoholic beverages. A custom-made bottle of metallic blue, typical of “future shochu,” was adopted, and the character Tachikoma was designed on the label and cosmetic box. The anime is also very popular overseas and has already been ordered from Australia.
The shochu is based on “Tetsuya,” which was selected as the gold medal for the fifth consecutive year from 2015 at the Los Angeles International Spirits Competition. It has a slightly higher alcohol content of 28 degrees. President Yoshitaka Tsunematsu (51) says, “It features a fruity aroma unique to Ginjo yeast and a slight sweetness peculiar to potatoes. Please try it.” It costs 3299 yen for 720 ml. For the time being, it will be sold only by mail order. (Akihiko Sakamoto)
