Nikko Kaido Oyama Distillery will release its first release whisky. There are 4 kinds of whisky. The difference between each type and the details of the distillery are introduced.
Oyama Distillery was started as a new challenge by Nishibori Shuzo in Tochigi Prefecture. It won the “INNOVATOR AWARD OF THE YEAR” at the Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition (TWSC) 2025. The honor is given to the most innovative distillery.
１．TETSU Brand
The new brand “TETSU” will be released in mid-October 2025. 3 years old, it is the distillery’s first Japanese whisky.
Tetsu” is a unique Japanese whisky series that combines the spirit of a sake brewery with philosophical inquiry.
This is an attempt to get to the root of what is unique to Japan, what is culture, and what is whisky.
It is also an endless quest to reconstruct “Japaneseness” in the world.
The lineup includes a Japanese barrel-aged whisky made from the sacred wood of Nikko Toshogu Shrine, grain whisky made from sake rice unique to a Japanese sake brewery, and other gems that crystallize and sublimate unique technology and spirit.
The lineup is as follows.
１－１．Product Lineup
TETSU Oyama Edition “*Image is for reference only.
1. TETSU Oyama Edition 2025〈Single Malt〉The First
Price: ¥16,000 (excluding tax)
Volume: 700ml
The original sake, brewed with 100% sake yeast, is aged in multiple Western casks.
Casks used: Bourbon, Sherry, Champagne, Cognac, etc.
The potential of “short ripeness” nurtured in the severe temperature differences unique to Oyama is brought out with the logic and beauty of a Japanese sake brewery.
TETSU Nikko Edition “*Image is for reference only.
2. TETSU Nikko Edition 2025〈Blended〉The First
Price: ¥18,000 (excluding tax)
Volume: 700ml
A single blended blend of grain base sake made from sake rice (ginjo powder) and 100% malt base sake made from sake yeast.
After aging in bourbon barrels, the wine is finished in Japanese Nikko cedar barrels.
The sake is born in the cool spiritual region of Nikko and matured in Japanese oak barrels, and over time it acquires a spirituality.
Another sublime “Japaneseness” reflecting the Japanese spirituality.
＜Limited Edition｜Limited distribution product, Nikko Toshogu dedication specification＞
※Special edition officially dedicated at the “Nikko Toshogu Shrine Dedication Ceremony” on July 6, 2025.
3. Tetsu Nikko Toshogu Dedication <Single Malt> 2025, Japanese cedar cask edition
Price: ¥285,000 (excl. tax)
Volume: 700ml｜In a special cedar box｜Limited to 400 bottles
On the 400th anniversary of the planting of cedar trees in Nikko, this special bottle was matured in Japanese cedar casks in the Shinto shrine.
The malt sake, which has passed through five different types of Western casks, is enveloped in the fragrance of the sacred trees that lived in the sacred area and the silence of 400 years.
This is the pinnacle of the symbol of “Tetsu,” a sake with a soul.
4. Tetsu Nikko Toshogu Dedication <Single Blended> 2025 Japanese cedar barrels with sacred wood Edition
Price: ¥100,000 (excl. tax)
Volume: 700ml｜In a special sacred cedar box｜Limited to 600 bottles
The grain base sake made from sake rice (ginjoko) is blended with malt base sake aged in five different types of Western casks and then aged in 400-year-old Nikko Toshogu Shrine sacred cedar Japanese casks.
Rice and barley, Japanese and Western, cedar and oak – the symbol of a philosophical blended that sublimates all the dichotomies as “sublimation”.
A philosophical whisky where reason and spirituality intersect, connecting tradition and innovation, Japan and the world.
These four whiskys are the crystallization of philosophy, design, and aesthetics, a group of works that also sublimate Japanese spirituality.
The Dedication Whisky comes with a special wooden box made from a 400-year-old sacred tree (Nikko cedar), which Nikko Toshogu Shrine gave us special permission to cut out.
２．About Nikko Kaido Oyama Distillery
| location | 1452 Oaza-Awanomiya, Oyama City, Tochigi Prefecture |
| Access | Approx. 50 minutes from JR Tokyo Station to JR Oyama Station by Shinkansen bullet train |
| Commencement of operations | 2022 |
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Image source.：Nikko Kaido Oyama Distillery
The company has a long history and was founded in 1872 (Meiji 5).
The company’s policy is to “incorporate the brewing techniques of national and Japanese sake” in keeping with its roots, which are its greatest appeal as a sake brewer.
whisky production will begin in 2022 with the goal of producing “genuine Japanese whisky unique to Japan”.
The company received the “INNOVATOR AWARD OF THE YEAR” at the Tokyo whisky & Spirits Competition (TWSC) 2025.
The award was given high marks for the uniqueness of the design concept, innovation in the production process, and clear “philosophy” of sake brewing.
In the fermentation process of distilled spirits production, we use pure domestic “sake yeast” and also perform a special brewing process that incorporates the concept of sake brewing.
The pot still is also special because the use of sake yeast changes the sulfur and off-flavor.
This is an original distillation still modified by applying a copper plate to the inside of a Japanese stainless steel distillation still.
Because it is stainless steel, it can be used for both atmospheric distillation and decompression distillation, and both direct and indirect steam heating can be used together, so there are many options for distilling different types of sake.
Grains used for distilled spirits, such as grain base sake, are made from rice flour that is produced when sake rice is polished.
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.
