2.Distilleries in Tohoku (English original) | Japanese Whisky Dictionary
2. Tohoku region (northernmost six prefectures of Honshu)
Miyagi Prefecture
2-1. Nikka Whisky Miyagikyo Distillery
It has been about 30 years since Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of Nikka Whisky and the father of Japanese whiskey, opened the first distillery in Yoichi, Hokkaido. Masataka Taketsuru, who believed that “Whisky becomes richer and richer by blending multiple whiskies produced at different distilleries,” began to search for a new distillery site.
The site, located near the border with Yamagata Prefecture, is a lush green valley blessed with two clear streams ,the Hirose River and theShinkawa River. When Taketsuru first visited the area, he drank a bottle of Black Nikka he had in the clear waters of the Shinkawa River and confirmed the taste. It is said that he decided to build the distillery on the spot.
Image source: Miyagikyo Distillery | NIKKA WHISKY
Image source: Miyagikyo Distillery | NIKKA WHISKY
| Location | Sendai, Miyagi 989-3433 1 Nikka, Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi |
| How to get there |
<Train |
| Start of operation | 1969 |
| Official HP | Nikka Whisky Miyagikyo Distillery |
| Visiting the distillery | Open to the public / Guided tours of the distillery are available by reservation only. *Tours of the distillery, which had been temporarily suspended, will resume on July 17, 2020 (Friday) with some restrictions. |
| Merchandise | Single Malt Miyagikyo |
Representative whisky of Miyagikyo distillery
Detailed distillery information
If you would like to know more about the distillery, please click here.
Yamagata Prefecture
2-2. Kinryu Yuza Distillery
The highest quality Japanese whiskey that the world longs for, from right here in Yamagata.
Ltd., which operates the Yuza Distillery, was founded in 1950 as a joint venture by nine Japanese sake breweries in Yamagata Prefecture. The company produces neutral spirits called brewing alcohol and Kou-type shochu made with a continuous distillation machine.
Kinryu is Yamagata’s only manufacturer specializing in shochu, but when it considered the declining consumption of shochu and sake, and the population problems in Yamagata Prefecture, it took on the whiskey business as a new venture for the future.
In February 2022, “YUZA First edition 2022” was released. Limited edition of 8,500 bottles.
YUZA First edition 2022″ was created with the strong belief that “YUZA will mature to its full potential” and “YUZA will focus on offering only products that meet the definition of Japanese whiskey”. The time of dawn has finally arrived.
We then release new products once or twice a year.
| Location | 999-8302 20 Kakujita, Yoshide, Yuza-machi, Akumi-gun, Yamagata |
| Access |
From JR Niigata Station to JR Yuza Station by train (approx. 2hr 25min) |
| Start of operation | 2018 |
| Official HP | Kinryu Yuza Distillery Co. |
| Tours | No public tours are scheduled for the time being. |
| Products | YUZA First Edition 2022, YUZA Second Edition 2022, YUZA 2023, and |
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Typical whiskies from the Yuza distillery
Detailed distillery information
If you would like to know more about the distillery, please click here.
2-3. TATENOKAWA SHUZO GAKKOGAWA Distillery
Tadenokawa Shuzo Corporation, famous for its sake “Tadenokawa”, has established a whisky business subsidiary (Gekkogawa Distillery Corporation) and will operate Gekkogawa Distillery.
The distillery plans to produce a high quality single malt of classical authenticity with “Shonai-produced whiskey” utilizing the abundant water from the Gekkogawa River system and the delicate technology cultivated in sake brewing.
As for equipment, a stainless steel thermal tank with temperature control is used for the fermentation tank. The pot still is made by Miyake Seisakusho. The first distillation still is characterized by a very narrow distiller.
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Distillation is scheduled to begin in September 2023, with single malt production targeted for around 2027.
The daily brewing volume is 400 kg of malt, and the company aims to produce 60,000 liters per year with 250 brewing cycles.
The planned distillery construction site is in Yusa-machi, Akumi-gun, Yamagata Prefecture. Yusa Distillery” of Kinryu Co. already exists in Yusa Town, and it seems that they intend to work together to make Yusa Town a whiskey town.
| Location | Yuza-machi, Akumi-gun, Yamagata Prefecture |
| Access |
About 30 minutes walk from Yuza Station Station |
| Start of operation | September 2023 |
| Official HP | Gekkogawa Distillery HP |
| Visiting the distillery | Tour of Gekkogawa Distillery |
| Products | Blended Whiskey to be released in 2024, Single Malt in 2027 |
2-4.Dewa Co. Dewa Distillery
The distillery is surrounded by a majestic mountain range that belongs to a national park in Yamagata Prefecture, and is surrounded by pristine forests in abundant nature. The magnificent nature circulates water and brings blessings to the surrounding area.
Not much information is available on the distillery as if it is not yet completed, and the building appears to be a reuse of a building that was previously used for another purpose.
As of October 2025, the website has not been updated and is unknown.
| Location | 40-1, Oaza-Oguni-Osaka-cho, Oguni-cho, Nishi-Oshiki-gun, Yamagata Prefecture |
| Access |
Ookuni-Osakamachi 40 |
| Start of operation | Start of operation |
| Official HP | Dewa Distillery Official HP |
| Tour of the distillery | Tour of the distillery |
| Products | Products |
Fukushima Prefecture
2-5. Sasanokawa Sake Brewery, Asaka Distillery
Sasanokawa Brewery, which operates the Asaka Distillery, was founded in Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture in 1765 and has been a long-established brewery for about 250 years. It obtained a license to produce whiskey in 1946, soon after the end of World War II, and was producing whiskey until around 1980.
Following the resurgence of the whiskey boom since the 2010s, the company decided to establish a full-scale malt whiskey distillery in 2015 and purchased a still from Miyake Seisakusho that could be delivered within a year. The following year, in 2016, we decided to resume distilling original sake at the Asaka Distillery, which was equipped with a sake cellar.
The oldest craft whiskey in Tohoku, the Asaka Distillery will release its first single malt ” Asaka The First ” in December 2019 after restarting operations.
In 2022, the distillery will install wooden fermenters, and in 2025, it will release its first wooden fermented product.
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| 1-178 Sasagawa, Koriyama-shi, Fukushima 963-0108 1-178 Sasagawa, Koriyama-shi, Fukushima |
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| Access by train |
＜By train |
| Commencement of operations | 2016 |
| Official HP | Sasanokawa Brewery Asaka Distillery Official Twitter |
| Visiting the distillery | By appointment only |
| Products | Single Malt Asaka Series |
Representative whiskies of Asaka Distillery
Distillery Details
If you would like to know more about the distillery, please click here.
2-6. tenkyo Co. Tenkyo Distillery
Bandai” is a famous mountain. Bandai, an active volcano, is a cradle of harsh yet magnificent nature, rich in seasonal changes. Tenkyo Distillery was completed at the foot of the volcano.
The distillery is located near the Bandai Nishiyamaroku Spring Group, which springs from the majestic nature at the foot of Mt. Bandai, and uses Ryugasawa spring water, selected as one of the 100 best waters in Japan, as its brewing water.
The distillery covers a total area of 2,800 square meters, and is equipped with two types of fermentation tanks (wooden and stainless steel) and a distiller that heats and cools the distillate in four different ways.
A limited quantity of blended whiskey, aged in Aizu from the original Scottish spirit (new make), was released.
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A limited quantity of blended whisky matured in Aizu from the original Scottish brew was put on sale.
| 6841-11, Nakasonehira, Sarashina, Bandai-cho, Yama-gun, Fukushima | |
| Access |
Location |
| Start of operation | As of February 2024 |
| Official HP | Tenkagami Distillery |
| Tour | Tour of Tianjing Distillery |
| Products |
2-7. CTI Ascend Co. Tamano Ascend Distillery
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The concept of this distillery is “Whiskey grown from the soil. Distillation takes place at the local abandoned school, the former Tamano Elementary School.
The distillery is a unique and sustainable distillery that came from a different industry, the construction industry, and grows its own corn and rye, the main raw materials, and uses them as ingredients.
The distillery won the New Distillery of the Year award at the Tokyo Whiskey & Spirits Competition 2025.
Construction Technology Institute, Inc. has been training in whiskey production techniques and experimentally cultivating corn on decontaminated farmland since 2020 in order to contribute to the recovery of the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.
This project involves the cultivation of corn seedlings on decontaminated farmland in Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, using sewage sludge as fertilizer, and the production and sale of whiskey made from this corn. The whiskey production is planned to be carried out in an abandoned school building in Soma City.
By using sewage sludge as fertilizer and whisky pomace as livestock feed and fertilizer, we aim to build a sustainable business based on resource recycling. We also aim to contribute to the reconstruction and revitalization of the region through the implementation of projects utilizing unused land and abandoned school facilities.Reference: HP of the Construction Technology Institute Co.
| Location |
976-0154, Japan |
| Access |
Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture |
| Start of operation | Currently under preparation |
| Official HP | Official website |
| Tour | Tour |
| Merchandise | Products |
Akita Prefecture
2-8. DreamLink Co. Akita Distillery
There has been no further report since then, and it is possible that the construction schedule has been scrapped.
Restaurant chain DreamLink has announced plans to build a distillery of Akita whiskey in the suburbs of Akita City, with construction scheduled to begin in April 2022 and be completed by the end of the same year, with products to be shipped in 2025, but as of 2024, the status of the project is unknown.
The planned construction site is 38,500 square meters, including private land around the former Iwami Elementary School site, about 30 minutes by car from Akita Station and Akita Airport. How much of this will be used has not yet been determined, and the size of the site and building has not been decided at this time.
The construction cost of the distillery is expected to be around 400 to 500 million yen. Part of the funds will be raised through crowdfunding. The goal is to produce 21,000 liters of whiskey per year. After that, they intend to invest several hundred million yen more in business expenses to build tourist facilities including restaurants and lodging facilities.
The project is supervised by Kenichi Sato, the owner-bartender of BAR Le Veil in Akita City.
Whiskey distillery, DreamLink, in the suburbs of Akita City.
Iwate Prefecture
2-9.Nanbu Bijin Co. NANBUBIJIN DISTILLERY
The brewery, famous for its sake Nanbu Bijin, started production. This is the first craft whiskey distillery in Iwate Prefecture.
Obtained a spirits production license in 2021, and a whiskey production license in 2023.
Nanbu Bijin Craft Gin won a gold medal at the Tokyo Whiskey & Spirits Competition 2022. As for whiskey production, it has already started in 2023 and will make a big announcement in 2024.
Iwate’s first whiskey distillation and barrel storage facilities are installed on the same site as the brewery where Nanbu Bijin sake is brewed.
The first distillation unit will be the first copper copper pot still from Yokoyama Engineering of Japan.
The theme of the whiskey is to express the world view of sake in the whiskey and to have the same “beautiful and clean” taste as the same sake.
The distiller also insists on using only Japanese ingredients for storage in the cellar.
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| Location |
Head Office Warehouse] 028-6101 Basenkyo warehouse] 67-30 Uenodaira, Shimotome, Ninohe, Iwate 028-6102 |
| Access |
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| Start of operation | 2023 |
| Official HP | https://www.nanbubijin.co.jp/tsumikasane/whisky/ |
| Tour | Tour |
| Merchandise | Products |