Kumahei no Ume
Inoue Umeboshi Foods Co., Ltd
井上梅干食品
Founded in 1942 in Minabe Town, Wakayama
— the heart of Japan’s premium plum —
Inoue Umeboshi Foods is a family-run producer specialising in premium plum products branded as Kumahei, made from Kishu Nanko plums, the most esteemed plum variety in Japan.
The company cultivates plums in its own orchards and continues to rely heavily on handwork, passing down an agricultural system that has shaped the region’s plum cultivation for over 400 years.
Kishu Nanko Plum
Kishu Nanko plum is the indigenous plum variety of Minabe, where its cultivation was established in the late Edo period (1603–1868).
It is valued for its thin skin, small stone, and abundant, tender flesh, and is regarded as one of the finest plum varieties in Japan.
Strict grading standards and carefully controlled cultivation conditions ensure a level of quality that is difficult to replicate elsewhere.
Inoue Foods works exclusively with Kishu Nankō ume, continuing the local cultivation practices that have shaped the region’s plum production over generations.
Estate orchards and a historic agricultural system
Inoue Umeboshi Foods cultivates Kishu Nanko plum in its own estate orchards, allowing direct control over cultivation standards, soil management, and harvest timing.
Plums are harvested by hand to prevent damage and to ensure only fruit meeting the company’s criteria is selected.
These orchards operate within the Minabe–Tanabe Ume System, a regional agricultural framework that has sustained plum cultivation for over 400 years and is recognised internationally as a GIAHS.
The system links orchards, surrounding forests, and charcoal-producing woodlands in a mutually supportive cycle, maintaining soil fertility, preventing erosion, and enabling high-quality plum cultivation to continue over generations.
Farmers, forestry cooperatives, and charcoal makers work in a tightly interconnected local economy, each reinforcing the other’s quality standards and sustainability.
This unique terroir and community system produce fruit with depth of flavour and aroma that represents Minabe - impossible to be replicated elsewhere.
Minabe’s location in southern Wakayama provides an ideal environment for plum cultivation.
A warm climate influenced by the Kuroshio Current, mineral-rich and well-drained neutral soils, and calcium-bearing Urakei-ishi stone support healthy tree growth.
Beyond their dedication to their crafts, the company actively supports regional agriculture and sustainability through close collaboration with ageing local farmers, direct retail operations, tourism-focused orchard experiences, and international export expansion.
Ready to taste it?
Kumahei Umeshu
Kumahei is a premium umeshu made exclusively with handpicked homegrown Kishu Nanko plums.
Only three ingredients — plums, sugar, and brewing alcohol — are matured for 9 months without dilution with water or additives.
It delivers a rich ripe plum aroma with gentle sweetness, refreshing acidity, and a smooth, clean finish that highlights the pure character of Japan’s most prized plum variety.
Minabe, Wakayama | 720ml | ABV: 16.0% | Best served: Rock, with soda
How it’s made
Kumahei uses estate-grown Kishu Nanko plums, which are harvested by hand while still firm and unripe, then carefully ripened in a cool, controlled environment until they reach peak maturity—when their aroma and flavour are at their peak.
Once perfectly ripened, the plums are gently washed and matured in tanks with sugar and brewing alcohol. It is aged for a minimum of nine months, which is longer than the standard Umeshu, allowing the plum umami to slowly and fully infuse into the alcohol.
Through this patient, additive-free approach, Kumahei captures the deep extract and lush fragrance of premium Nankō plums.
Authenticity Certification
GI Wakayama Umeshu
Kumahei is certified as GI Wakayama Umeshu, the very first liquor product in Japan to receive this status.
This certificate guarantees it is made in Wakayama using genuine local plums and adheres to strict standards for purity, aroma, production method, and regional craft quality.
This mark assures customers of authentic origin and the highest level of Japanese umeshu production.
