Explore The History Of Whisky At The Suntory Museum In Yamanashi

It might come as a surprise to many people, but whisky has been produced in Japan for a long time, and its quality is now recognized all over the world. This time, we will explore the history of Japanese whisky via the exhibits at the Suntory Whisky Museum (Suntory Hakushu Distillery). Get an in-depth look at the museum interior through Google Street View.

A Distillery in the Forest

The Suntory Whisky Museum is based inside Suntory’s Hakushu Distillery in Hokuto, Yamanashi.

You can probably understand by looking at the map, but the Hakushu Distillery is located deep in the forest. Accordingly, Suntory operates a free shuttle bus from JR Kobuchizawa Station, the closest station. Use this bus and you'll get to the Suntory Whisky Museum in about 15 minutes.

Everything Started from Sweet Wine

Enter from the front and you will arrive at the tour path. The first things you will see are photos of Shinjiro Torii, founder of Suntory’s predecessor Kotobukiya, and an exhibit about Kotobuki’s hit product Akadama port wine. A sweet wine oriented toward Japanese palates, Akadama port wine was a proprietary creation of Kotobukiya. The success of this Akadama port wine became a boost to the full-scale production of whisky, which is why it is displayed here.

When he started making whisky, Mr. Torii considered several different sites on which to build his distillery, and after researching various points, he decided to build it on land in Yamazaki, in the eastern part of Osaka. Masataka Taketsuru, who would come to be known as “the father of Japanese whisky,” was invited to run the distillery as its first chief. The Yamazaki distillery is still very active today. The exhibit shows sketches of the distillery from that time period, as well as photos of the construction.

The First Domestic Whisky, Shirofuda

Go through the exhibits and you will see one whisky bottle inside a show case. This is the first bottle of Suntory Shirofuda whisky ever shipped from the Yamazaki distillery, produced in 1929.

However, the market evaluated Shirofuda whisky harshly. It smelled too strongly of the peat used to produce the whisky, and received unfavorable reviews from the Japanese, who thought it was difficult to stomach.

Getting Results with Kakubin

Mr. Torii took heart and developed his self-confidence, and channeled the results into the Suntory Kakubin product, which went on sale in 1937. The completed Kakubin suited the Japanese palate, and became a smash hit. 1940 was also when Suntory Old was born (it went on sale a decade later, in 1950). Suntory Old went on sale right at the start of Japan’s rapid economic growth, so it sold very well, just like the Kakubin. Both whiskies are longstanding Suntory products, and continue to be sold on the market today. You could say that these are the cornerstones of Japanese whisky.

In the 1950s, Western alcohol became trendy in Japan, so Suntory launched the reasonably-priced Torys whisky to go along with the trend. Torys bars appeared all over Japan, where patrons could casually enjoy a glass; the popularity of whisky in Japan is unshakeable to this day.

Japanese Whisky Spreading Its Wings Worldwide

In 1984, Suntory launched the single-malt Yamazaki, which would make the company name known all over the world. Yamazaki has received top marks in worldwide whisky competitions, and contributed to the improvement of Japanese whisky’s reputation. Later on, Hibiki blended whisky in 1989 and single-malt Hakushu whisky in 1994 would both develop into internationally famous beverages.

Do You Want to Sample Japanese Whisky?

Naturally, as you explore the museum and learn about the history of Japanese whisky, you will want to drink it for yourself. The Suntory Whisky Museum also has paid tours where you can sample the whisky flavors for yourself. By all means, apply on the homepage if you’re interested in coming to the Suntory Museum.

Information

Suntory Whisky Museum
Address: Yamanashi, Hokuto, Hakushu-cho, Torihara 2913-1
Hours: 09:30 - 16:30
Closed: New Year’s (*may close temporarily at other times)
Credit Cards: VISA, MasterCard, JCB, AMEX
Pamphlets in Other Languages: English
Nearest Station: JR Kobuchizawa Station
Access: 15 minutes from Kobuchizawa Station by free shuttle bus
Admission: Free (paid tour plan available)
Phone: 0551-35-2211
Homepage: Suntory Whisky Museum