For our umeshu we don’t use green ume, only fully ripened ume that have tree-ripened and fallen naturally. We visit the farms every day during the harvest season to collect the fruit for production that day.

After harvesting, we wash the ume at our farm. Then we sort them for size and quality. Because fully ripe ume are spoil easily, we soak them on the same day they are harvested.

The ume are soaked in a mixture of alcohol and sugar that has been prepared in advance in a unique ratio. The aromatic and flavorful components of the ume are slowly extracted during our innovative process of adding alcohol and sugar over time.

Our aging tanks are located outdoors in order to take advantage of natural temperature differences to promote maturation. At the right timing, we remove the ume from the liquid. Through human effort and the power of nature, we create a mellow, full-bodied umeshu.

After a year of aging, the umeshu is transferred to a blending tank. Sugar, fruit juice, and other ingredients are then added to give each product its own distinctive flavor.

With lab equipment we test attributes like alcohol content, sugar content, and acidity. And by tasting we ensure that the richness of the ume has been extracted well.

After blending and maturation are complete, we bottle products of various size. Bottling showcases the color of the products that is a hallmark of our quality.

Each umeshu product filled by machine is inspected one by one in a series of strict inspections. Thus we ensure that our products are not only delicious, but also safe.

Products that pass the inspection are labeled with a label that expresses the individuality of each product. Umeshu is usually bottled in glass, so we pack it securely to prevent damage and ship it to the customer.