The Invention of ZEMON: Breaking the “3-Year Wait” with Local Pride
During the reconstruction of Saburomaru Distillery, President Inagaki faced a wall that threatened the very foundation of his business: the heart of whisky making, the “Pot Still.”
Due to the global whisky boom, major manufacturers were backed up with orders.
Even if ordered from abroad, a new still wouldn’t arrive for two to three years. “If I wait three years, when will the product finally be ready after maturation?” In his desperation, he arrived at an unconventional answer: “If I can’t buy one, I’ll build one myself using local technology.”
The “Inventor” Mindset: From CAD to Scientific Proof What is truly astonishing is that President Inagaki, despite his background in the humanities, mastered CAD (design software) to draw the blueprints himself .
He learned this skill from a construction foreman who took him under his wing during the distillery’s renovation.
He didn’t just rely on intuition. To prove that bronze (a copper alloy) was equal or superior to pure copper, he conducted rigorous experiments with local research institutes .
He even performed “gritty” experiments, hand-hammering copper plates to modify old stainless-steel stills just to scientifically confirm the relationship between copper surface area and spirit quality .
This dedication eventually led to him becoming the first in the industry to receive the “Technical Award” from the Spirits and Liqueurs Research Institute of Japan .
ZEMON: A “HITSUZEN” Union of Bells and Whisky Partnering with Oigo Seisakusho—the world’s only manufacturer capable of casting 50-ton temple bells with 800 years of history—the world’s first cast pod still, “ZEMON,” was born .
The meeting between the ancient technology of Takaoka copperware and the future of Japanese whisky was a true HITSUZEN.
This inevitable encounter created three miracles:
1. Mellow Flavor: The tin in the bronze creates a remarkably smooth spirit.
2. Lifetime Durability: Cast with 2.5 times the thickness of traditional stills, Inagaki-san proudly says, “It will last longer than I will.”
3. Eco-Friendly: ZEMON consumes 50% less energy and produces 50% less CO2, earning Japan’s first patent in the whisky industry .
Preserving the Soul of the Land The development was a struggle, with sand molds collapsing and craftsmen pushed to their limits.
Yet, ZEMON eventually fit perfectly into the historic wooden building, accurate to the millimeter—as if it had been there for 100 years .
President Inagaki chose to preserve the old, “worn-out” building rather than build a cheaper, modern one because he felt a responsibility to protect the memories and pride of his ancestors .
As a “Japanese Whisky Expert” who once could barely drink alcohol, I was deeply moved by his fierce determination to roar the technology of Toyama to the world .
At Bar Little Happiness in Hiroshima, let us toast to the invention that changed history..
↓Deep Dive into the Story: For those who wish to explore the full, detailed history and my personal reflections on this distillery, please visit our original column here (Japanese): (You can use the language switcher at the top of our site to translate the page into your preferred language.)↓
出逢いは必然。Rum&Whiskyの世界へようこそ。 (An encounter is inevitable. Welcome to the world of Rum & Whisky.)
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