Kanosuke Distillery
Kanosuke Distillery (Hioki, Kagoshima) is a place to visit for whisky. Booking: Reservation required. Guidance in English: Available. Fee: Standard tour: JPY 2,000 adult / JPY 500 child incl. tax (with sofa seating, one child of elementary school age or younger is free per adult); warehouse tour JPY 5,000; blending experience JPY 15,000 (adults)..
Several tours take guests past the mash tun, washbacks and pot stills, ending with a tasting at a bar overlooking the East China Sea.
How to visit
- Location
- Hioki, Kagoshima
- Address
- 鹿児島県日置市日吉町神之川845-3
- Booking
- Reservation required
- Guidance in English
- Available
- Fee
- Standard tour: JPY 2,000 adult / JPY 500 child incl. tax (with sofa seating, one child of elementary school age or younger is free per adult); warehouse tour JPY 5,000; blending experience JPY 15,000 (adults).
- By season
- Japanese-language tour start times differ between summer (Jun to Oct) and winter (Nov to May)
Good to know
- The standard tour is 60 minutes with 3 tastings; the warehouse tour is 100 minutes and the blending experience 120 minutes.
- Bookings open 1 month ahead (standard), 2 months (warehouse) and 3 months (blending). The hand-fill experience is listed as walk-in from 1 Aug.
- English tours: standard on Thursdays 10:30, warehouse on Fridays 10:30, blending on the first Sunday of each month at 10:30.
- Soft drinks are provided for drivers and non-drinkers; tasting by drivers is declined.
- The shop normally opens Tuesday-Sunday 10:00-16:30 and closes Mondays. In November 2026 it opens on Monday the 2nd, 9th and 23rd, and closes on the 4th, 10th and 24th.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to book a visit to Kanosuke Distillery?
Yes, a reservation is required.
Is guidance in English available at Kanosuke Distillery?
Yes, guidance in English is available.
How much does a visit to Kanosuke Distillery cost?
Fee: Standard tour: JPY 2,000 adult / JPY 500 child incl. tax (with sofa seating, one child of elementary school age or younger is free per adult); warehouse tour JPY 5,000; blending experience JPY 15,000 (adults)..
When should I visit Kanosuke Distillery?
Japanese-language tour start times differ between summer (Jun to Oct) and winter (Nov to May)
Can I take part in a tasting if I'm driving?
The legal drinking age in Japan is 20. If you are driving you cannot taste. Use public transport or a taxi, or let someone who is not drinking drive.
Information sources
Information checked against official sources, such as the facility's website.
Checked 2026-10-27
Sources
Spotted a mistake?
Opening days, fees and booking methods change. If you notice a difference, please tell us and we will check and fix it promptly.
