The History of Japanese Whisky

The rise of a distilling powerhouse

Reading time: 10 minutes
Author: Master of Malt

1879

Shinjiro Torii born

The founder of Suntory Shinjiro Torii was born in Osaka on 20 February 1879.

1894

Masataka Taketsuru born

Masataka Taketsuru was born in Hiroshima. He would go on to introduce Scotch whisky distillation techniques to Japan and founded Nikka.

1899

Torii Shoten founded

Shinjiro Torii founded a wine shop in Osaka called Torii Shoten, a precursor company to Suntory.

1918

Masataka Taketsuru sailed for Scotland

Masataka Taketsuru travelled to Scotland to learn about the art of whisky distillation with stints at Longmorn and Hazelburn distilleries.

1920

Masataka Taketsusu returned to Japan

Masataka Taketsuru and Jessie ‘Rita’ Roberta Cowan

Masataka Taketsuru married Jessie ‘Rita’ Roberta Cowan. The same year the couple returned to Japan.

1923

Yamazaki founded

Taketsuru Masataka joined Suntory and the firm builds Yamazaki in Osaka, Japan’s first whisky distillery, using the knowledge that he has acquired in Scotland.

1929

First Suntory whisky released

Suntory released its first whisky, Shirofuda, or ‘white label’.

1934

Yoichi Distillery founded

Masataka established his company Nikka with a distillery in Hokkaido called Yoichi.

1937

Iconic Square bottle appeared

Suntory released Kakubin, which means ‘square bottle’

1940

First nikka whisky

Nikka released its first whisky. A historic moment in Japanese distilling history.

1950

Suntory released premium whisky

Suntory Old Whisky released, Japan’s first premium whisky.

1955

Karuizawa distillery founded

Karuizawa distillery founded by Daikoku Budoshu in Nagano. It's whisky would go on to become legendary.

1963

COffey still arrived

Nikka imported the first Coffey continuous still into Japan. It eventually finds a home at Miyagikyo distillery.

1967

Bond-san enjoyed suntory

Sean Connery drank Suntory whisky in the Bond film 'You Only Live Twice'.

1969

Nikka built another distillery

Nikka built a second distillery Miyagikyo at Sendai.

1973

World's largest whisky distillery opened

Hakushu distillery opened by Suntory in the Central region of Honshu.

Fuji Gotemba Distillery opened by Kirin Brewery Company in conjunction with Chivas Brothers and Seagram. Today at 1.7 million square feet with a capacity 12 million litres of whiskey a year, it’s the largest whisky distillery in the world.

1984

first ever single malt from yamazaki

Suntory released the first Yamazaki single malt.

1985

Nikka's famous blend hits the shelves

Nikka ‘From the Barrel’ blended whisky launched.

Mars Shinshu distillery at Miyata in Nagano opened.

1989

Yoichi single malt released

Nikka released the first Yoichi single malt.

Suntory released Hibiki blended whisky.

Japanese stock market crash.

1990

Economic crisis hits japan

Japan’s asset price bubble bursts ushering in years of economic stagnation which hits the whisky industry hard.

1992

Shinshu distillery moth-balled

Mars Shinshu distillery in Nagano closed due to the lack of demand for Japanese whisky.

1994

First ever Hakushu single malt

Suntory released Hakushu single malt.

2000

Karuizawa closes

Karuizawa distillery closes, the still were sold off in 2011 and in 2016 it was demolished. A sad day for Japanese whisky.

2001

Yoichi is 'best of the best'

Yoichi 10 year old single cask won ‘Best of the Best’ title in a Whisky Magazine tasting – the first non-Scottish whisky to receive this honour.

2003

Lost in Translation

'Lost in Translation' released starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johannson which popularised the phrase ‘For relaxing times, make it Suntory time.”

The Yamazaki 12 Year Old became the first Japanese whisky to be given a Gold Medal at the International Spirits Challenge.

2011

Mars shinshu is back

Mars Shinshu distillery reopened as demand for Japanese whisky begins to grow again.

2015

Jim Murray hails Yamazaki

Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013 wins World Whisky of the Year in Jim Murray’s 'Whisky Bible'.

2017

Hatozaki founded

Hatozaki distillery founded by the family firm behind Akashi-Tai sake.

2020

a record-breaking YAmazaki

Bonhams auction house in Hong Kong sold a bottle of Yamazaki 55 Year Old, the oldest ever Japanese whisky released, for $795,000. A world record for whisky from Japan.

Ian Chang formerly of Kavalan in Taiwan announced the return of whisky distilling to Karuizawa in Japan.

2021

More transparent regulations announced

New tighter regulations from The Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association means that some blends including Nikka from the Barrel will no longer be classed as ‘Japanese whisky.’ This confirms the rumours that much that was being sold as Japanese whisky was actually imported from Scotland or Canada.

Japanese whisky giant Fuji Gotemba began exporting.