Nikaido to Mark 160th Anniversary With New Documentary Featuring Global Soccer Star Maya Yoshida

Film to be titled "Tradition, Craft, and Connection: A Nikaido Shochu and Maya Yoshida story"

LOS ANGELES - Nikaido Shuzou Co., LTD., maker of the original 100% barley shochu, announces today that as part of its celebration of the family company's 160-year history, it will produce a three-episode, documentary-style film featuring Japanese global soccer great Maya Yoshida.

The film is being created specifically for U.S. audiences as Nikaido continues to expand its presence in the American market. It will be released on a dedicated website in February 2026.

Said Nikaido Shuzou Co., Ltd 8th generation president Yuichi Nikaido, "Shochu is something our family has continued making for generations. What matters to us is not preserving it as it was but understanding what it means today. As the world changes, we keep asking how this work should move forward."

This film reflects that way of thinking — not as an explanation, but as an observation. It is part of an ongoing process, not a conclusion."

Centered on the theme "Discover Shochu, Discover Nikaido," the film follows Yoshida as he reflects on heritage, perseverance, and what it means to continue creating — perspectives shaped both by his career in global soccer and his current life in the United States.

Said Yoshida, "I'm honored to be part of Nikaido Shuzou's 160th anniversary project. To take part in the overseas journey of Nikaido, one of Japan's leading shochu brands, here in the United States means a great deal to me. This shoot was created with an emphasis on honesty and authenticity and I hope you enjoy watching it."

About Nikaido Shuzou Co., LTD.

The Nikaido family has been brewing and distilling in Oita prefecture, Kyushu, Japan, for eight generations. Founded in Hiji-Machi in 1866 as a nihon-shu brewery, it has remained in the ownership of the Nikaido Shuzou family ever since.

In 1949, NIKAIDO began to switch production from nihon-shu to shochu, drawing on the family's generations of experience working with koji, the essential component in the making of nihon-shu and shochu.

Since the 16th century, shochu has been made using rice koji. But in the early 1970s, Mr. Akira Nikaido, the 6th generation president of the Nikaido Shuzou, began to develop a novel method of making a 100% barley koji, with the aim of creating a shochu with a cleaner, more broadly palatable flavor profile. He predicted that this would make shochu more accessible to the drinking public, and lead to a growth in popularity of the spirit. When combined with vacuum distillation, the resulting liquid was a new, easier-drinking style that preserved delicate floral aromas and subtle vanilla, toasted coconut, and stone-fruit flavor notes.

In 1974, the first 100% mugi (barley) shochu was released to an enthusiastic public. What was once a region-specific spirit soon became the national drink of Japan, and mugi shochu became the style for which Oita prefecture was known. Now 99.6% of Oita shochu is barley based.

In March 2024, Nikaido Oita Mugi Shochu and NIKAIDO Kitchom Oita Mugi Shochu were made available in the US market for the first time.

By walking through the distillery, observing its history, and meeting the artisans behind the craft of shochu, Yoshida encounters the quiet intensity that defines Nikaido: the blend of restraint and passion that lives behind traditional shochu-making.

Yoshida has spent his career navigating different cultures while constantly learning and evolving. As a centerback, Yoshida was first called up to Japan's senior national team in 2009 and has gone on to become a core member of the squad appearing in three FIFA World Cups, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, and Qatar 2022. He has also served as a captain for multiple clubs in Europe and the U.S., including Southampton of England's Premier League, Sampdoria, of Italy's Serie A, and, currently, LA Galaxy of Major League Soccer in the United States. His outlook resonates with Nikaido's own position today — a distillery that honors a 160-year history while engaging with the questions and opportunities of a new era.