Birthplace of Japanese Whisky, Suntory Yamazaki Distillery in Yamazaki, Outside of Osaka Prefecture

In 1899, Shinjiro Torii founded Torii Shoten which would later become Suntory. He dreamed of a whisky-loving Japan. After the First World War, Torii met Masataka Taketsuru. Taketsuru had just returned to Japan with his Scottish wife Jessie Roberta Cowan from the University of Glasgow and elsewhere, where he studied chemistry and scotch production. In 1923, Torii and Taketsuru founded Japan's first malt whisky distillery in Yamazaki. Six years later, they released Suntory White Label, Japan's first genuine whisky.

The town of Yamazaki was once referenced in an ancient poem for its crystal-clear mineral waters that enchanted legendary tea master Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591). In 1923, Shinjiro Torii opened Japan's first distillery in Yamazaki. Three rivers converge near Yamazaki creating nearly year-round thick mists. The shifting temperatures combined with the high humidity create the perfect environment for whisky maturation. Yamazaki is one of three distilleries managed by Suntory in Japan, the others being Chita and Hakushu. Commercial production of whisky in Japan began in 1924, a few years after Masataka Taketsuru returned from Scotland, where he had learned distilling techniques. Shinjiro Torii of Kotobukiya (new corporate name from Torii Shoten), which later became Suntory, hired Masataka to build Japan's first whisky distillery to produce whisky for the Japanese people. It was the Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2013 that took home the title of World's Best Whisky in 2015 and turned heads worldwide. This silky smooth, fragrant whisky is less peaty than most and resembles a Lowland scotch. Japanese whisky thrived as a mostly domestic phenomenon, however, in 2003 Yamazaki 12 Years Old won gold at the ISC (International Spirits Challenge). The momentum continued, with Suntory produced Yamazaki whisky earning the title of World Whisky of the Year in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2015. With that, a new internationally renowned whisky culture was born.

Today, you can enjoy the Distillery Tour and prestige tasting as well as viewing the Whisky Museum there.