World Whisky Gathers in Kyoto. The largest whisky tasting event in Kansai will be held again this year. Details of the event and ticket information.
1. How to purchase tickets
Advance tickets with the privilege of a glass with an original strap are already on sale.
The time is 4,500 yen for each part (10:00-13:30) and for the second part (14:30-18:00).
Tickets for both parts 1 and 2 are 8,000 yen
There are three patterns.
Admission tickets can be purchased through the following three links.
In addition, VIP tickets can be purchased for a limited number of 100 people for each section.
Those who purchase VIP tickets will be able to be seated in the VIP area and will also be able to sample special products.
VIP tickets are 30,000 yen each for part 1 and part 2
2. Outline of the event
| Venue |
9-1 Okazaki Seishoji-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8343, Japan |
| Access |
8 minutes on foot from Higashiyama Station on the Kyoto Municipal Subway Tozai Line  アクセス｜京都市勧業館「みやこめっせ」京都最大級のイベント会場・... 京都市勧業館「みやこめっせ」は、東山・岡崎エリアに位置する京都最大級のイベント会場・展示場です。大型の駐車場完備。「京都駅」から約27分。地下鉄東西線「東山駅」より徒歩約8分。市バスでもお越しいただけます。 www.miyakomesse.jp |
| Date and time | Sunday, August 4, 2024 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Price | Advance tickets 5,000 yen (tax included) |
| Organizer | Hokkaido WHISKY & SPIRITS FEST 2024 Executive Committee, Hokkaido Broadcasting Co. |
2-1. Exhibit Booths
Exhibit booths and venue plans are currently not available.
Updates can be found on the official website and Instagram.
LIKAMAN Whisky Messe in KYOTO | Liquor Mountain Corporation (likaman.co.jp)
Likaman Whisky Messe (@lm_whiskymesse) – Instagram photos and videos
2-2. Special Seminar
There will be paid seminars at Whisky Messe. Each session is 3,000 yen (tax included), and reservations are required separately from ticket purchase.
(1)Special Seminar by Mr. Motoki Takeshige, Kirin Brewery Company, Limited.
Fuji Gotemba Distillery 50 years of history and evolution, Japanese whisky Fuji Special SeminarVenue B1 “Craft Workshop Room” Kirin Fuji Gotemba Distillery makes whisky at the foot of Mount Fuji, making the most of its natural blessings. Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the distillery’s operation, and Motoki Takeshige, a blender who will lead the next generation, will explain the history and evolution of the distillery’s whisky production and its flagship brand, Fuji. This time, you will have the opportunity to taste the Single Grain Japanese Whisky Fuji 50th Anniversary Edition, released this summer to commemorate the distillery’s 50th anniversary, and the precious constituent whiskies that can only be tasted at the seminar, so please take this opportunity to join us.
Kirin Brewery Company, Limited
BlenderMotoki Takeshige
Joined Kirin Brewery Company in 2006, mainly engaged in technical development of shochu until 2009. In 2010, he moved to the Product Development Laboratory, where he focuses on the development of new RTD (canned chu-hi) products. He became fascinated with the world of whisky through his experience visiting distilleries when Jota Tanaka was working at a distillery in Kentucky, U.S.A. In 2018, he became the blender of Fuji Gotemba Distillery. He is in charge of blending “Fuji” and “Riku” and also provides information on how to drink more delicious whisky.
(2)Special Seminar by Mr. Junji Iseki, Nikka Whisky Company, Ltd.
The History of Nikka Whisky’s 90th Anniversary
The history of Nikka Whisky’s different types of original whisky, which have been created through a series of challenges since its establishment in 1934, including differences in distilleries, yeasts, casks, etc. will be explained through a tasting and a simple whisky blending experience. and a simple whisky blending experience.
Nikka Whisky Company, Limited
General Manager, Blender OfficeJunji Iseki
Mr. Iseki joined Asahi Breweries, Ltd. in 1996. He was assigned to the research laboratory, where he was involved in beer production technology and beer development. After that, he was transferred to Nikka Whisky Blender Office in 2001, where he worked as a whisky blender for 9 years. He then worked as a quality control manager and production manager at Nikka Hokkaido Factory, and in charge of production strategy, malt and barrel procurement at Nikka’s Head Office Raw Materials Department, where he became Blender Office Manager in 2023.
(3)Special Seminar by Mr. Takahiko Inagaki, Wakatsuru Shuzo Co.
Mastering Peat
Time 15:00-16:00Venue B1 “Craft Workshop Room” Saburomaru Distillery, the oldest whisky distillery in Hokuriku, has been brewing only peated malt since it was licensed to produce whisky in 1952, focusing on smoky whisky. 2019 will see the world’s first cast iron pot still, “ZEMON” was developed. With “The Ultimate Peat” as its motto, the distillery continues to evolve while cherishing its traditions. In this seminar, we will discuss Saburomaru Distillery’s challenge in TheUltimatePeat and their efforts.
Wakatsuru Shuzo Co.
Representative Director and CEOTakahiko Inagaki
Born in 1987. Born in Tonami City, Toyama Prefecture. President and CEO of Wakatsuru Shuzo K.K., Manager and Master Blender of Saburomaru Distillery. After working for an IT company in Tokyo, he returned to his family and took over the whisky business started by his great-grandfather, Kotaro Inagaki, in 1952. 2017 he renovated the Saburomaru Distillery with crowdfunding and renamed it a distillery that can be visited. 2019 he will invent the world’s first cast pot still using the traditional crafts of the Takaoka copperware technique. In 2019, we will invent ZEMON, the world’s first cast iron pot still using traditional craftsmanship. We are pursuing the creation of whisky that is unique to Tomiyama.
(4) 17:00-18:00 Mr. Taichi Sasaki, Suntory Limited
Suntory Whisky: Toward the Next 100 Years
～Story of the DistilleryLecture time 17:00-18:00Venue B1 “Craft Workshop Room” Suntory celebrates the 100th anniversary of whisky production in 2023 and has begun to head into the next 100 years. Both the Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries have undergone major renovations. We will report on the details of the renovations, and invite you to taste “Story of the Distillery,” a limited edition product released this year, along with its constituent whiskies.
Suntory Whisky Limited
Whisky Department
Senior SpecialistTaichi Sasaki
Joined Suntory in 1994 as a player for the Sunbirds volleyball team and contributed to the team’s five consecutive V-League championships. He also participated in many international matches as an All-Japan player. After retiring from active service, he became one of the first students of Suntory’s in-house certification “Whisky Ambassador” in 2007, and in 2011 he became the first person to pass the “Master of Whisky” exam (currently 17 people in Japan) certified by the Institute of Whisky Culture. Currently, as a Whiskey Ambassador, he travels around the country daily to convey the appeal of whisky.
2-4. Original bottle
Lastly: Recommended Books on Japanese Whisky
If you want to learn more about Japanese whisky, which is a global trend, we highly recommend these books.
(1).Whisky Galore Vol.29 December 2021 issue
In the December 2021 issue of Whisky Galore, published by the Whisky Culture Research Institute, we report on 11 Japanese craft distilleries, including some that are open to the public for the first time, under the title of “Japanese Whisky Craft Frontline,” the first of three consecutive issues. Why did the popularity of Japanese whisky and the craft boom occur? We will examine with interviews. Chichibu Distillery / Chichibu No.2 Distillery / Mars Shinshu Distillery / Mars Tsunuki Distillery / Kanosuke Distillery / Hioki Distillery / Ontake Distillery / Osuzuyama Distillery / Kaikyo Distillery / Hanyu Distillery / Konosu Distillery
(2). Japanese Whisky as an Education for Business
This is a book written by Mamoru Tsuchiya, a world-famous whisky critic and representative of the Whisky Culture Research Institute, titled “Japanese Whisky as a Culture that Works for Business” .
The book covers the basics of whisky, the introduction of whisky to Japan, the birth of Japanese whisky, advertising strategies and the rise of Japanese whisky, and the current rise of craft distilleries. This is a book that summarizes Japanese whisky in a very easy to understand way.
(3). Whisky and I (Masataka Taketsuru)
Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of Nikka Whisky, devoted his life to brewing whisky in Japan. This is a revised and reprinted version of the autobiography of a man who simply loved whisky and talked about himself. The book vividly depicts the days when he went to Scotland alone to study as a young man and overcame many hardships to complete Japanese whisky, as well as his companion, Rita.
(4). A Letter of Challenge from a New Generation Distillery
Launching in 2019. With the world experiencing an unprecedented whisky boom, what were the managers of craft distilleries thinking and what were their thoughts as they took on the challenge of making whisky? This book tells the stories of 13 craft distillery owners, including Ichiro Hido of Venture Whisky, famous for his Ichirose Malt, who inspired the birth of craft distilleries in Japan.
(5). Whiskey Rising
This is the Japanese version of Whisky Risng, published in the US in 2016, with much updated content. Not only does it describe the history of Japanese whisky in detail, but it also includes data on all the distilleries in Japan, including the craft distilleries that have been founded in recent years. The book also includes descriptions of the legendary bottles that have been released, as well as information on bars where Japanese whisky can be found.
