OGASAWARA RUM - TOKYO PRÉFECTURE

Ogasawara archipelago is located in the Pacific, about 1000 km south of Tokyo prefecture to which it legally belongs. It is composed of about thirty islands enjoying a semi-tropical climate, and beautiful environment which was recognized as "remarkable area" by UNESCO. Around 1830 fishermen from other regions in the Pacific began to stop and practice bartering with inhabitants of the island. They discover rum and gradually understand that they take advantage of the climate to start sugarcane production. This is now the mainstay of the island, with the production of fruit. Ogasawara Rum was born in the late 19th century from the distillation of molasses-based product. At the time people called this "awazake", and now this is the oldest rum in Japan.