Yamazaki Distillery — founded in 1923 by Shinjiro Torii of Suntory, with Masataka Taketsuru as its first master distiller — is the birthplace of Japanese whisky. Located at the confluence of three rivers south of Kyoto, in an area historically prized for its soft, pure water, it is one of the most visited whisky destinations in Japan and one of the most historically significant distilleries in Asia.
Why Yamazaki Was Built Here
The site was chosen deliberately. The valley at the meeting of the Katsura, Uji, and Kizu rivers creates a microclimate of high humidity and significant seasonal temperature variation — ideal for maturation. The area has been renowned for its water quality for centuries: the tea master Sen no Rikyu praised the water here in the 16th century, and Yamazaki water is among the most prized in Japan for brewing and spirits production. Taketsuru, freshly returned from studying in Scotland, recognised immediately that this site could produce a whisky with genuine character.
What Makes Yamazaki Distinct
Yamazaki uses an unusually wide variety of cask types — including Japanese Mizunara oak, which imparts a distinctive incense-like, sandalwood quality found nowhere else in the whisky world. The combination of Mizunara maturation, the warm and humid Japanese climate (which accelerates maturation relative to Scotland), and Suntory’s philosophy of blending multiple distillate styles internally produces a whisky with a layered complexity that differs structurally from Scotch.
Mika’s Perspective
Yamazaki is where Japanese whisky began, and in many ways it remains the benchmark against which everything else is measured. I stock multiple Yamazaki expressions at Bar Little Happiness — from the accessible 12 Year Old to rarer older expressions and special releases. For visitors to Hiroshima who want to understand why Japanese whisky became a global phenomenon, Yamazaki is the essential starting point.
Read the original Japanese column: https://little-happiness.jp/columns/the-yamazaki-distillery-experience/
Bar Little Happiness | Hiroshima, Japan
Rum & Whisky specialists | 1,000+ bottles | English menu available
Open Mon–Sat 7PM–12:30AM, Sun 7PM–midnight
No cover charge. Walk-ins welcome.
english.little-happiness.jp