Sake TabiA guide to visiting Japan's sake breweries, distilleries, wineries and more
WHISKY

Whisky: places to visit

Most distilleries offer small tours by reservation. Check booking details and the number of places available as you plan your visit.

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Whisky casks stacked in a warehouse

Warehouse No. 1 at the Yoichi distillery

Photo: さかおり / CC BY-SA 4.0 ・ Photo source ・ Resized and cropped
A photo introducing this type of drink, taken at the place named in the caption. It does not represent a specific place to visit.
A worker adding coal to the fire under a pot still
Whisky
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Nikka Whisky Yoichi Distillery

Yoichi, Hokkaido

A distillery in Yoichi, Hokkaido. The free guided tour (with tasting) is by reservation and in Japanese only.

Booking: Reservation required
The grounds of the Miyagikyo Distillery
Whisky
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Nikka Whisky Miyagikyo Distillery

Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi

A distillery in a gorge west of Sendai. The free guided tour is by reservation and includes tasting; a paid tasting bar is also open.

Booking: Reservation required
The production building of Saburomaru Distillery
Whisky
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Saburomaru Distillery (Wakatsuru Shuzo)

Tonami, Toyama

Saburomaru Distillery in Tonami, Toyama offers a guided distillery tour with tasting, booked online.

Booking: Reservation required
The entrance of the Hakushu Distillery among trees
Whisky
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Suntory Hakushu Distillery

Hokuto, Yamanashi

Suntory’s distillery in Hokuto, Yamanashi. Seeing production is on lottery-based paid tours (in Japanese); the free Whisky Museum and Central House has exhibits and a paid tasting lounge but no production tour.

Booking: Reservation required
The distillery building with its pointed roof
Whisky
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Mars Komagatake Distillery (Hombo Shuzo)

Miyada, Nagano

A distillery in Miyada, Nagano. The visit is free (tasting is paid). You can enter without a reservation, but bookings take priority when busy.

Booking: Reservation recommended
Exterior of the Kirin Fuji Gotemba Distillery
Whisky
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Kirin Fuji Gotemba Distillery

Gotemba, Shizuoka

A whisky distillery at the foot of Mt. Fuji. A standard tour of about 80 minutes (JPY 500) is joined by premium malt and grain tours.

Booking: Reservation required
Exterior of Shizuoka Distillery
Whisky
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Shizuoka Distillery

Aoi-ku, Shizuoka, Shizuoka

A craft whisky distillery in Shizuoka known for wood-fired stills. About 60 minutes of touring, then up to 60 minutes in the tasting room (tasting is paid).

Booking: Reservation required
Exterior of Nagahama Distillery
Whisky
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Nagahama Distillery (Nagahama Roman Beer)

Nagahama, Shiga

A distillery run by Nagahama Roman Beer. It offers a reservation-based tour of about 30 minutes that includes a tasting.

Booking: Reservation required
The Yamazaki Distillery building
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Suntory Yamazaki Distillery

Shimamoto, Osaka

Suntory Yamazaki Distillery in Shimamoto, Osaka. Seeing production is on lottery-based paid tours (in Japanese); the free Yamazaki Whisky Museum is a self-guided area with exhibits, a shop and a paid tasting lounge. A reservation is required to enter either way.

Booking: Reservation required
Eigashima Sake Brewery in Akashi
Whisky
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Eigashima Shuzo (sake brewery and whisky distillery tour)

Akashi, Hyogo

A reservation-only tour of about 1.5 hours covering the sake brewery, whisky distillery, storage and a museum.

Booking: Reservation required
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Gakkogawa Distillery

Yuza, Yamagata

A reservation-only tour of the pot stills, fermenters and warehouse, followed by tasting in the guest room.

Booking: Reservation required
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Sasanokawa Shuzo Asaka Distillery

Koriyama, Fukushima

Asaka Distillery offers a free tour every Wednesday and a paid premium tour each month, allocated by lottery.

Booking: Reservation required
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Tenkyo Distillery

Bandai, Fukushima

A reservation-only tour of the whisky production process, finishing with tasting at the visitor center.

Booking: Reservation required
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Yasato Distillery (Kiuchi Brewery, Hinomaru Whisky)

Ishioka, Ibaraki

Kiuchi Brewery's whisky distillery at the foot of Mt. Tsukuba. The guided tour covers the production process and ends with a tasting of three whiskies.

Booking: Reservation required
Whisky
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Meiri Shurui - Takazo Distillery Tasting Tour

Mito, Ibaraki

A tasting tour at the whisky distillery of Mito’s Meiri Shurui: learn about fermentation, distillation and maturation, visit the yeast laboratory and maturation warehouse, and taste six selected spirits. The company’s visitor facility Besshunkan also offers a plum-wine-making experience.

Booking: Reservation recommended
Whisky
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Niigata Kameda Distillery

Niigata, Niigata

A distillery in Niigata City. The tour of about 60 minutes covers the production process and ends with a tasting of four whiskies.

Booking: Reservation required
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Kanosuke Distillery

Hioki, Kagoshima

Several tours take guests past the mash tun, washbacks and pot stills, ending with a tasting at a bar overlooking the East China Sea.

Booking: Reservation required
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Mars Tsunuki Distillery (Hombo Shuzo)

Minamisatsuma, Kagoshima

Visitors can freely walk the viewing route past the fermenters, pot stills and the stone-warehouse cask store at no charge. Paid tasting is offered at the Hojo cafe bar.

Booking: No reservation needed