The Spirit Of Japan

The Spirit of Japan is the story of the Wakamatsu family, who have been making the traditional Japanese distilled spirit, shochu, at their Yamatozakura Distillery in Kagoshima Prefecture since the 1850s. We follow 5th generation toji (master brewer/distiller) Tekkan Wakamatsu (41) as he takes the traditions passed down by his father Kazunari Wakamatsu (77) and strives to adapt to a changing world. The film follows Tekkan, while he balances the rigors of making handmade shochu, running the family business, and maintaining a healthy family life.