In order to spread the appeal of shochu, which is less familiar overseas than sake, an event was held in Beijing, China, to introduce shochu from Kyushu and awamori from Okinawa.
This event was held at a Japanese restaurant in Beijing on the 28th by seven prefectures in Kyushu and Okinawa, which have offices of local governments in China.
At the venue, more than 20 types of shochu and awamori, such as Kagoshima's potato shochu and Okinawa's awamori, were prepared, and visitors were able to compare and drink.
He also introduced a cocktail using shochu, which was devised by a Chinese sake brewer who trained in Kagoshima to match the taste of Chinese people.
The woman who participated said, "Shochu is a little sweet, but it is very delicious. I would like to continue drinking various Japanese shochu."
The export value of shochu and awamori from Japan to China will be only over 300 million yen in 2020, which is sluggish compared to about 5.8 billion yen for sake and 7.9 billion yen for whiskey.
Yoshinori Toyokawa, director of the Kagoshima Prefecture Shanghai Office, said, "Even though I can't go to Japan because of the new coronavirus, Chinese people have a great admiration for Japanese food and culture. First, I raised awareness of shochu and Awamori. After that, I would like to expand the market. "