Yachiyoden Distillery
Sarugajo Valley, Tarumizu, Kagoshima Prefecture
Situated in the foothills of a verdant valley overlooking the rice fields below, Yachiyoden reopened in 2004 after being mothballed for 28 years. Their revival put them on the map immediately by hiring legendary master brewer-distiller, Masami Yoke to run the ship and train the future generation. The Yachiyoden team began growing their own sweet potatoes in 2009 and today produce 100% of the sweet potatoes needed for their annual production on 42 acres of farmland. Mr. Yoke retired in 2016, but he left the distillery in the capable hands of Daijiro Yagi.
Available from this distillery
Toji Profile: Mr. Daijiro Yagi
In cooperation with his older brother Kentaro Yagi, who is now the company president, the Yagi brothers have reinvented Yachiyoden into an innovative distillery focused on using local agricultural ingredients for everything they make. They take this so seriously that they have acquired 42 acres of local farmland to grow their own sweet potatoes.
