Sweet potato shochu, in particular, rose to popularity in Japan in the past decade, triggering a shortage of sweet potatoes in that country. The most coveted sweet potato shochus come from Satsuma, a district in Kagoshima considered the historic home of shochu, dating to the 16th century.An expression of sweet-potato shochu called Satsuma Shiranami is bold and pungent with a touch of sweet, and fiery around the edges.