Mitake（三岳） is a sweet potato shochu made on Yakushima, the mountainous island south of Kyushu. Mitake Shuzo presents it as a clear, flavorful spirit made with water filtered through the island’s forest environment. The story is rooted in a place rather than an elaborate luxury presentation: mountains, water and a bottle intended to accompany a meal.
Mitake at a glance
- Producer: Mitake Shuzo（三岳酒造）
- Home: Yakushima, Kagoshima Prefecture
- Type: Honkaku sweet potato shochu
- Standard strength: 25% ABV
- Standard sizes: 900 ml and 1,800 ml
- Ingredients: Japanese-grown sweet potatoes; rice koji made with Thai and Japanese rice
Why is it called Mitake?
The producer associates the name with three of Yakushima’s mountains: Miyanouradake, Nagatadake and Kuromidake. Its account connects the name to the island’s tradition of visiting those sacred peaks. The mountain story gives the two characters 三岳 a concrete setting.
Mitake Shuzo began operating under that name in 1958 after acquiring and relocating an existing distillery. Its stated ambition is a spirit that sits comfortably beside food, rather than one that overwhelms the meal with its first sip.
How to recognize the bottle
Look for the large vertical characters 三岳 on the yellow-toned label. The maker explains that the design includes the island’s cedar trees and mountains, with bold banana leaves contributing a southern-island impression. Those are design elements; they are not a list of added flavorings.
What does it taste like?
The official product page describes a clean impression with depth and spreading savory character. These are producer notes, not our own first-hand tasting. Rather than expecting every island-made spirit to taste the same, use them as a starting point for a glass of the standard 25% expression.
Try the same modest pour with water and over ice. Notice how the balance changes, then compare it with Kuro Kirishima or DAIYAME. All use sweet potato, but brand identity, aroma and the way you serve them need not be identical.
Standard Mitake, genshu and island editions
The official range also lists Genshu Mitake at 39% ABV in 720 ml. It is a different strength from the familiar 25% bottle. The island-only Mitake expression is separately described as using Joy White sweet potatoes, whereas the ordinary version mainly uses Kogane Sengan.
Read the full product name when buying: “from Yakushima” does not mean every Mitake bottle is an island-exclusive edition.
Serving and buying
The product page includes neat, hot water, ice, cold water and soda among the serving options. Choose a simple preparation first, keeping dilution gradual. When comparing sellers, match the strength and volume before comparing the price.
No price table is included because the producer’s product page does not give a current suggested price. Ask a retailer about the exact bottle and stock rather than treating an old online listing as a fixed reference.
Sources
- Mitake Shuzo — product specifications and serving options
- Mitake Shuzo — mountains, company background and label design
Checked November 6, 2026. Featured illustration is AI-generated imagined Yakushima-inspired scenery, not a distillery photograph.
