Hombo Shuzo Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Kagoshima City; President: Kazuto Hombo) is releasing Sakurajima Nengou Shochu 2026.
Made from Koganesengan sweet potatoes grown in Minami-Satsuma, Kagoshima Prefecture, this authentic imo shochu uses only potatoes harvested in 2026, which are mashed, distilled, and bottled within the same year. The single-vintage approach lets drinkers enjoy the harvest and seasonal character unique to that year.
Using freshly harvested, high-quality sweet potatoes gives the shochu a fresh, light aroma and a youthful, vigorous sweetness typical of a new-crop brew. Each sip conjures a vivid image of the "season" cultivated by that year's soil.
Because the vintage is central to the concept, the shochu can be enjoyed two ways: fresh right after release for its just-made flavor, or aged over time so its character mellows and develops — with each year's bottling offering a distinct profile to compare.
Crafted from sweet potatoes nurtured by that year's soil, Sakurajima Nengou Shochu 2026 is scheduled for release in early October 2026, in limited quantities.
Sakurajima Nengou Shochu 2026
- Ingredients: Sweet potato, rice koji
- Alcohol content: 25%
- Volume / reference retail price (tax included): 1,800ml / ¥2,296, 900ml / ¥1,231
- Release date: Early October 2026 (limited quantity)
An Annually Changing Art Label
Each bottle in the Sakurajima Nengou Shochu line carries a label featuring the winning work of the Sakurajima Art Label Award, chosen every year from a large pool of entries at the MBC Sakurajima Art Exhibition. From bold oil paintings to serene watercolors, each artist's take on "Sakurajima, in that moment" becomes the face of that year's bottle.
The 2026 label features a work by Takujiro Ishihara, who won the Sakurajima Art Label Award at the 27th Sakurajima Art Exhibition, held in February 2026. The label design changes every year, giving the series another dimension to enjoy.
About Chiran Distillery
Chiran Distillery sits at the southern tip of the Satsuma Peninsula, one of Japan's leading sweet potato growing regions. As the core distillery behind Hombo Shuzo's authentic shochu, it is surrounded by sweet potato fields and receives freshly harvested potatoes as soon as they come in each harvest season. Using fresh, high-quality sweet potatoes, it continues to craft shochu with a character shaped by the Minami-Satsuma terrain, including Hombo Shuzo's flagship shochu, Kurokoji Jitate Sakurajima.
The legal drinking age in Japan is 20. Drunk driving is prohibited by law. Drinking during pregnancy or while breastfeeding may adversely affect fetal and infant development, so please be mindful. Please enjoy alcohol responsibly and in moderation.
