• Must-see
• Pictures
• Information

• Access
• Fees
• Advise

• CategoryTourism・Themepark
• Phone number0988-50-1257
• AreaSouth
• Parking50 parking spaces available
• Hours9:00-18:00

Ku-su no Chuko Gura is located 10 minutes from Naha airport by car. This brewery brews Okinawa’s famous sake Awamori. The way they make Awamori is very traditional and the aging process is very unique. If you want to join the fieldtrip, make sure to make a reservation in advance either with a call or through their homepage. If you have a reservation you can experience making your own Awamori.

Must-see sights

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  Sake factory fieldtrip

  The tour begins with a video of how the Chuzo factory was built and the history behind it for about 10minutes. After, the staff will explain the process used to make the traditional Awamori , and you can see the storage house for Awamori and Ryukyu gusuku yaki(the kiln firling). You will learn how many people make Awamori and why the storage has to be made from wood and so on.

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  Your own Original Awamori

  At Chuko-Sake making factory, you can make your own Original Awamori and store it at the factory as well. A present to a for someone on their 20th birthday, and a wedding memorial present. You can add Awamori regularly. Before, it was hard to check inside the pot, but now it's not difficult. Why do you need to check the inside? ok, I will tell you about it later!

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  Tasting Awamori

  After the field trip, you can taste the Awamori. Within 3 years since it was made sake over 3years, 7 years, 12 years there are various kinds of Sake. Also, you can taste the Umeshu(Sake with plum). Sweet Sake made from only rice and sweet sake with Shikuwasa(Hirami lemon). You can also taste snacks made from Awamori as well.

History of Awamori

Awamori has over 500 years of history. When Okinawa was still called Ryukyu kingdom, Awamori was invited around 1470. Awamori was a tribute to Mainland Japan. The main ingredient is Indica rice from Thailand. Using black malt and fermentation broth of rice malt with yeast and water, Distill liquor from rice fermentation broth by a single-distiller machine. Compare to the Japanese rice, Indica rice has more mellowness and smell.

The more the Awamori ages, the more mellow it gets. The Awamori aged more than 3 years is called Koshu which means the old Sake in Japanese and Ku-su in Okinawan dialect. Sake within 3 years is called Shinshu which means new sake and taste a little bit spicy when you drink it. The Awamori more than 3 years old tastes mellow and has a mild flavor. Okinawan people call Awamori Shima sake or Shima (Shima means island) and is loved by the Okinawan people.

The founder of Chuko Sake Brewing, Oshiro Chuko had great passion in making Awamori. At that time, he imported pigs. Pigs sold better than Awamori.
The brewing process, there was an old way called “Shi-jiru dip”. The process was used around 1955 but it was obliterated little by little. Chuko Sake Brewing studied for many years. Finally, they succeeded in remaking the sake! The sake they made based on their study, is called "Mukashi zukuri suiko". It is pretty different from the popular sake Awamori, but has more of a sweet taste. It is hard to describe in word so please give it a try!
The process for Suiko is a very old style, but it is awarded the Awamori prize. Moreover, in 2008, they found the fruit yeast from Mango. By adding this fruit yeast to Awamori, the speed of aging process and the taste will be more fruity and rich.

Here at the Chuko brewery, you can not only learn the history of Awamori, but you can also observe their way of making Awamori. It is located 3 miles away from Naha airport. If you have never tasted Awamori, or even if you don't really like Awamori, it's totally OK. You will enjoy the field trip and the staff will show you the good Awamori that is easy to drink for the beginners.

Pictures

Chuko Sake Brewing Information

Name	Chuko Sake Brewing
Tel/Fax:	TEL：0988-50-1257 FAX：0988-50-1204
Address:	Postcode:901-0235 132 Aza Nakachi Tomishiro-city Okinawa Souvenir Tourism Food Hotel
Access	Car: By Okinawa expressway From Tomishiro / Nakachi IC, 262feet Bus：By Route Bus Take a bus No.89 Itoman line from Akamine monorail station It takes 3 minutes from Ganaha bus stop
Hours	9:00-18:00 Field tour 9:00-17:00 The last entry of field tour is 17:00 Tasting Sake and Shop closes at 18:00
Closed	1st of January

Entrance fee

Entrance fee	Fieldtrip is free

How to pay

Budget	0-
Budget	Making own Awamori experience Adult 7,000yen Kids 3,500
Credit card	VISA, JCB, AMEX
Currency	JPY
Reservation	Available For reservaton on the day must need a phone call in advance For Group visitor(more than 10 people), visitor with wheelchair, Visitor that needs help through the tour, Please make a reservation through the Homepage. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Making own awamori experience You can not make same day reservations, you'll need to for a call reservation. Morning starting at 10:00 finishes at 12:00 (the fixed number of 3 people) Afternoon starting at 13:00 finishes at 15:00 (the fixed number of 3 people)

Facilities

Parking	There are 50 parking spaces available

Information

Time	Fieldtrip : About 1h
Smorking	Non-smorking
e.t.c

A little advise from Churashima travel

A brief comment	At Chuko Sake Brewing, you can enjoy tasting Sake and Snacks made with sake. There is storage where you can age your own sake you got and make your original sake.
Important notice	No Underage drinking. It's recommended to have a reservation for a field tour.
What to bring