Awamori is Okinawa's traditional distilled spirit, made from long-grain rice and a black koji mold native to the Ryukyu Islands. It has been made in Okinawa for roughly 600 years. Aged awamori, called kusu, is matured in clay pots, sometimes for decades, and the oldest bottles are treasured like family heirlooms.
Every culture has a drink that carries its history. In Okinawa it's awamori: clear, strong, and older than almost anything else on the islands. It came out of the trade routes of the old Ryukyu Kingdom, it was served at the royal court in Shuri, and it still turns up at Okinawan celebrations, family gatherings, and evenings of island folk music.
A note before we start: awamori is a strong alcoholic spirit. This post is about its culture and history. Awamori is not skincare or a health practice, and nothing here suggests drinking it for your skin, your health, or longevity.
Awamori is sometimes called Okinawan sake, but it's a very different drink. Sake is brewed. Awamori is distilled, and four details give it its character.
Traditionally made from long-grain Thai (indica) rice rather than the short-grain rice used for sake, a link to Okinawa's old trade with Southeast Asia.
Fermented with Aspergillus luchuensis, a black koji mold associated with the Ryukyu Islands. It suits Okinawa's warm, humid climate.
All of the rice is turned into koji before fermenting, then distilled once, which keeps much of the rice's aroma.
Aged awamori rests in clay pots called kame, where it mellows slowly over years.
Awamori that has been aged for at least three years is called kusu, meaning "old spirit." Families and distilleries have long kept kusu in clay pots, setting a pot aside for a child's birth or a milestone and opening it decades later.
The most famous tradition is shitsugi. When a little kusu is taken from the oldest pot, it's topped up from the next-oldest, which is topped up from a younger one, and so on down the line. The oldest pot is never emptied, so its spirit can stay "alive" for generations.
The oldest pot is never emptied. It's topped up, so it can be passed down.
That continuity carries real weight in Okinawa. Many of the islands' oldest kusu pots were lost during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945, which is part of why surviving old awamori is so treasured today.
Mixed with water, often over ice. The most common way awamori is served at Okinawan izakaya and at home.
A small clay flask with a little clay ball inside. It rattles when the flask is empty, so the host knows it's time to refill.
Awamori is part of weddings, family gatherings, and festival nights, often alongside sanshin music and Okinawan folk songs.
Awamori has deep roots around Shuri, the old royal capital, now part of Naha. Several Okinawan distilleries welcome visitors, and many izakaya around Naha serve a range of awamori and kusu by the glass. Tour hours change, so check with each distillery before you go.
Naha puts you near Shuri, the monorail, and the Makishi market, and has the widest choice of places to stay, including apartments with kitchens for longer trips.
See Stays in Naha →Stay links go to Booking.com through our affiliate partner Stay22. Javier Discovers earns a commission on qualifying bookings at no extra cost to you.
For more on daily life on the islands and where to base a longer stay, read What It's Actually Like to Live in Okinawa.
Awamori is Okinawa's traditional distilled spirit, made from long-grain rice and black koji mold. It has been made in Okinawa for about 600 years.
Sake is brewed from short-grain rice with white koji. Awamori is distilled from long-grain rice with black koji, and it's usually much stronger than sake.
Kusu is awamori aged for at least three years, traditionally in clay pots. Some families and distilleries keep kusu for decades, topping up the oldest pot so it's never emptied.
Usually mixed with water (mizuwari), often over ice, and served with food at gatherings, izakaya, and celebrations.
No. Awamori is a strong alcoholic drink, not skincare or a health practice. If you choose to drink it, do so as an adult, in moderation, and never before driving.
| About Javier | Javier is the storytelling voice of Javier Discovers, a persona rather than a real traveler. This post is built from research into Okinawa and its traditions. Images on this site are AI-generated illustrations. |
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| Affiliate Disclosure | This page contains an affiliate link to Booking.com through Stay22. If you book through it, Javier Discovers may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. |
| Alcohol Note | This post is about culture and history. It does not recommend drinking alcohol for any health or beauty reason. If you drink, be of legal drinking age, drink in moderation, and never drink and drive. Don't drink if you're pregnant or taking medication that interacts with alcohol. |