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Whisky

Award-winning spirits

Whisky production is a relatively new craft in Japan, but the country’s distillers have wasted no time in making their mark on the industry. Today heralded as world-class, Japanese whiskies have won countless accolades and praise—not bad for a country with only a handful of distilleries.

Be More Japan Whisky

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D Left to right: Suntory’s blenders sample up to 250 whiskies a day; whisky highballs are a refreshing mix of whisky and fizzy water.

scottish origins

In 1854, armed American ships opened up Japan after more than two centuries of self-imposed isolation. The Americans brought gifts with them, including casks of whisky. However, it wasn’t until 1920, when chemist Masataka Taketsuru returned from studying whisky-making in Scotland, that the brown spirit’s distilling secrets arrived in Japan. In 1923, Taketsuru helped set up the Yamazaki Distillery before later establishing his own, the Yoichi Distillery. The companies behind each one—Suntory and Nikka, respectively—still dominate the Japanese whisky industry today.

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D The Yoichi Distillery was founded in 1934.

a local twist

Japan’s distillers typically adhere to Scotch methods, but the country’s distinct seasons have a significant impact on the maturation process—the cold winters slow the aging of the spirit, while the humid summers speed it up. A variety of casks are used in the aging process, but the country’s indigenous lumber, most famously mizunara (Japanese oak), ages unique whisky that’s subtle, yet strong. Unlike their Scottish counterparts, Suntory and Nikka distil a mind-boggling array of whiskies in-house, giving them great control over their products and enabling them to experiment with different whisky-making techniques.

Japan’s Favorite Whisky Drink

Japanese whiskies can be drunk either straight or on the rocks, but the most popular way to enjoy them in Japan is as a whisky highball. Three parts carbonated water and one part whisky (cheap blends work well), highballs helped to power the spirit’s national ascent in the decades after World War II. Adding soda knocked down the high alcohol percentage, creating a refreshing beverage the country loved. After whisky fell out of favor in the early 1980s, being overshadowed by clear spirits like shochu (sweet potato, barley, or rice liquor), it was highballs that brought Japanese whisky roaring back in the 2000s. The highball won’t overpower your food, making it ideal for pairing—soul foods, like takoyaki (octopus balls) and okonomiyaki (savory pancakes) are particularly good companions, as is yakiniku (grilled meat).

Be More Japan Whisky

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D WHISKY BOTTLE: Commemorative bottles celebrate events like the Year of the Pig.

Be More Japan Whisky

take a tour

Learn about whisky-making and taste the wares at these top distilleries.

1 Yoichi Distillery (Yoichi, Hokkaido Prefecture) Perhaps the most beautiful distillery in Japan, Yoichi is the only whisky distillery in the world to have coal-fired pot stills.

2 Kirin Fuji Gotemba Distillery (Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture) Kirin’s whisky distillery sits at the foot of Mount Fuji, which provides the water for its whisky.

3 Yamazaki Distillery (Shimamoto-cho, Osaka Prefecture) Founded in 1923, the Yamazaki Distillery is the oldest in Japan.

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