Quiet curiosity, changing the world.

 

I am Sota Oshima, the representative of naturadistill Kawauchi Distillery, where we distill gin in Kawauchi Village, Fukushima Prefecture.
I navigate between manufacturing and community development, engaging with fragrances and plants.

November 2025 marked one year since the distillery was established.

Through continuous trial and error, our team has gradually grown, and finally, the time has come when we feel ready to articulate "who we are" and "what we want to value."
This philosophy was born from that moment.

"Changing the world with quiet curiosity."
Changing the world with quiet curiosity.

Japanese nature is truly fascinating.
There are many plants and scents unique to this land, globally.

When I smell plants or gin distilled from them,
there are moments when I can't help but grin.

I feel that the origin of manufacturing lies not in correctness, efficiency, or profit-and-loss calculations, such as "we must solve this problem" or "can we make a living from this," but rather in something more personal, closer to an impulse.

It's that quiet curiosity that we've held deep in our hearts since childhood,
that small curiosity we don't tell anyone about.

"Why does this smell like this?"
"What would happen if I combined these two?"

Products born from such pure curiosity surely have the power to move people's hearts. This might be true not only for manufacturing but also for community development.

Kawauchi Village in Fukushima Prefecture, where our base is located, experienced a complete evacuation due to the nuclear accident in 2011. Against this backdrop, various initiatives to solve social issues have been undertaken and continue to this day.

However, our approach is slightly different.

We thoroughly pursue what we genuinely find interesting.
While enjoying ourselves, we find ourselves naturally engaging others.

At first glance, it might seem like we're just doing whatever we please.
However, I also believe that there are things that can only be achieved through this kind of extended effort.

There's a world to be seen after continuing.
What truly captivates us is what we can continue.

Along the way, social issues gradually dissolve.
This is the way of working we choose.

"Quiet Curiosity"

It is like a flame that continues to burn deep in the heart.

Not a blazing red flame, but a blue flame, barely visible.
Because it is quiet, it burns longer. Quiet, yet its temperature is high.

Sometimes, it might be a curiosity akin to an otaku's passion,
something one hesitates to speak about in public.

However, that quiet curiosity spreads slowly but surely.

After all, adults who work with sparkling eyes and passionate dedication are cool.

I believe such adults naturally appear attractive to other adults and children alike. I myself am one of those who was captivated by such adults and drawn to this region.
Through our business, we want to continue increasing the number of such adults.

And we want to create a distillery, a community, and a world where such people gather and connect.

Starting from quiet curiosity,
each concept, each world, slowly changes.

I believe this can be sustained only through economic activities like business.

Surely, today too, somewhere in the village, somewhere in the world,
we harbor quiet curiosities and gently spread them.

The distillery will embark on even more exciting initiatives from now on.

If you feel even a little excited,
please, join us.

"Together with quiet curiosity."

2025.12.25
Sota Oshima