Amami Island is home to unique cuisine that invigorates your taste buds and leaves with you a positive lasting impression. Miru Amami’s very own restaurant, Amanari, pays tribute to the island as well as the Nari seed with its thoughtful name, as these have so far allowed the people to thrive in their everyday lives and further pave the way to a fruitful future. 

In this blog, learn more about Amanari as well as the unique flavors of Kokuto Shochu from the different breweries only available throughout the island. 

Amanari: Miru Amami’s Flagship Restaurant

Our flagship restaurant, Amanari, derives its name from Amami Oshima and the Nari seed of the native plant Sotetsu, widely known as Japanese Cycas revoluta. The island’s people have depended on the Nari seed as a source of nutrition for millennia.

On Amami Oshima island, the native plant “sotetsu” has long been used in various aspects of daily life. This includes food, clothing, and shelter. The leaves have been used to make up for the iron content in mud dyeing, the plants have been used to mark the boundaries of houses, and finally, it has been used as a food staple which has come to be symbolic for the starving people of Amami-Oshima. 

Despite the seed’s toxicity, the Amamians discovered how to extract its poisons and transform it into a food source. ⁠In honor of this culinary culture and as a story to be passed on, Amanari always offers a dish made with nari and seasonal vegetables as the first ingredient of each dinner course. We hope you enjoy the cold soup in summer and the warm potage in the coming season. 

Amanari dinner energizes the mind and body and takes you on a culinary journey. We sincerely hope for the continued prosperity of our guests through each and every meal.

Indulge in the Unique Flavors of Amami’s Kokuto Shochu

Experience authentic Amami Kokuto shochu at Yamada Brewery

Miru Amami have some of the best selections of Kokuto shochu in the island and produced only in Amami. This month, we would like to introduce the “Brown Sugar Shochu Tasting Set,” where you can taste and compare 4 types of shochu from each recommended brewery, among the brown sugar shochu that are typical of Amami Oshima and can only be tasted in Amami..

We highly recommend @takahiro.nagakumo Yamada Brewery who is specifically known for producing a special blend of shochu which brings out the best aroma and taste of its core ingredients – brown sugar and rice malt. Yamada makes a point to select only the best koji and they specially handcraft their shochu to create their unique brew which is what makes it so special. No machinery is involved in the creation of this special brew. 

Located at the foot of the Nagakumo mountain range in Ogachi, Tatsugo Town, Yamada Brewery has cultivated a one-acre field near the brewery that grows its own organic sugarcane and rice. When you visit Amami, make sure to stop by Yamada Brewery and enrich your taste buds with the full flavor and aroma of Nagakumo series. 

You can also try another shochu called Yamadagawa, where you will get the real taste of the ingredients nurtured in Tatsugo Town. The shochu is also completely handcrafted from scratch. 

Perfecting the Art of Jar Brewing at Tomita Brewery

Asahi Brewery: The Oldest Brewery on Amami Oshima

The third brewery that offers a brown sugar shochu tasting set is Asahi Brewery. 

It is said to be the oldest existing shochu brewery in Amami Oshima. 

Founded in 1916, Asahi Brewery is the oldest brewery on Amami islands and it is located on the easternmost tip of the island called, Kikai.  This island is located east of Amami Oshima and is an island formed by uplift, also known as the island of coral. The island’s water is naturally hard, and the abundant calcium and minerals in the water gives it a taste which differs from that of other breweries, due to the production process of its sugarcane, as well as its production of shochu. 

In the brewing process, the minerals activate the yeast bacteria and its unique taste can only be made on Kikai Island. But now, you can try Asahi Brewery at Amanari Shochu tasting set 

 After trying our Shochu tasting set of Asahi Brewery production lines,  we also recommend trying the new label “Shinki no Mezame” available at Amanari. It  was released in 2020 and you will get to taste a different kind of shochu that has been aged in barrels.

Upon your return to Miru Amami, we will be pleased to provide you with more shochu recommendations as well as  give you deeper insights about the rich history of Amami Oshima

Amami Oshima is a treasure trove of flavors that deserve to be tasted. Begin your culinary journey at Amanari where you can get a preview of its palatable experience that only improves the deeper you delve into the island. 

With Amami Kokuto shochu renowned throughout Japan, you can distinguish its unique flavors as you make your way through the number of breweries on the island. We highly recommend trying the Kokuto Shochu Tasting Set so you can get a taste of the different shochu’s from each brewery. 

Make your next visit to Amami an unforgettable one. Follow us on Instagram for more delectable recommendations.