Kumahei Umeshu
熊平 梅酒
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.
The plums come from a region where orchards, farmers, processors, and forestry have evolved together over 400 years, forming a community-driven agricultural system that defines how ume is grown, selected, and preserved.
Origin
Producer
Amount
Alcohol
Plum
Best served
Minabe, Wakayama
Inoue Umeboshi Foods
720ml
16.0%
Kishu Nanko Ume
Rock, With Soda, Warm
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.
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.
Creator of Kumahei
Kumahei no Ume
Inoue Umeboshi Foods Co., Ltd.
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.
Orders are processed and shipped by our fulfilment partner, LIL GRN Brewery. You will be redirected to their website to complete your order.
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At SAKEbito, we offer the finest Sake from small, family-run breweries hidden in Japan's rural villages that have been continuing the tradition for hundreds of years.
Each bottle is handcrafted using locally sourced rice, pristine spring water, and centuries-old techniques passed down through generations.
Our exclusive drops are released only when these rare cultural treasures become available, ensuring truly limited production and an authentic taste of regional heritage.
With every bottle, you receive not just premium sake but the story of its brewer, the history of its village, and the spirit of a community dedicated to preservation.