Satsuma's Circulation Concerto--Quiet Contract between Shochu Dregs and Pigs in 2007

Satsuma's Circulation Concerto--Quiet Contract between Shochu Dregs and Pigs in 2007
In 2007, Japan was promoting the creation of a "recycling-oriented society" as part of its national strategy. In particular, there was a growing interest in "intra-regional resource recycling" to maximize the use of local resources in rural areas. One symbolic example of this was seen in the collaboration between the Oguchi Sake Brewery Cooperative Association and a pig farmer in Kagoshima Prefecture.
Kagoshima is the home of imo-jochu (sweet potato shochu). However, behind the scenes of shochu production, there is always a large amount of byproduct called "shochu dregs. In the past, this waste liquid was disposed of as industrial waste, which was a headache in terms of both cost and environmental impact.
However, Oguchi Shuzo has established a system whereby all of the shochu dregs are supplied to nearby pig producers. And they do not just give it away. The sake brewer would "adjust" the amount of shochu produced based on the availability of the pig farmers' tanks, thus establishing a soft, mutually considerate partnership.
For the pig farmers, adding shochu dregs to their feed has the dual benefit of saving money on feed and improving the quality of the meat. In particular, it was well-received for the flavor it added to the fatty meat of the pigs, and the narrative of "pigs raised on shochu" was also a differentiating factor in the market.
The relationship between the two companies is more about trust and a spirit of mutual benefit than a written contract. The relationship is established without the need for verbal communication: "Our tanks are full today, so can you hold off a little longer? A "circular economy" rooted in the local climate, rhythms, and human sensibilities was certainly alive and well here.
On the other hand, this was also a time when the government had not yet caught up with the institutional design of the system, and although the revision of the Food Recycling Law in 2007 drew attention to the recycling of by-products such as shochu distillate, there were still issues to be resolved in the development of a nationwide system. That is why the "economic consensus" quietly generated by local communities outside the system was a ray of hope in the field of environmental policy.
This case was not just a simple "reuse of waste," but a form of sustainability rooted in local culture - a silent understanding between people and between people and industry and industry.