Nikka Whisky Yoichi Distillery ニッカウヰスキー 北海道工場余市蒸溜所

Masataka Taketsuru, known as the father of Japanese whisky, founded the Nikka distillery in the 1930s. Today you can visit the original factory, in Yoichi, a town west of Sapporo, close to Otaru. After touring the grounds, you can sample the signature whisky for free.

You can access the distillery by train or car; both take the same length of time.

Take the JR Hakodate Line from Sapporo Station to Yoichi Station, via Otaru. The journey takes one hour and 15 minutes and is covered by the Japan Rail Pass. The distillery is a short walk from the station.

Masataka Taketsuru was born in Hiroshima Prefecture, into a family of sake brewers. He became interested in making whisky and traveled to Scotland to study production techniques there for several years. He returned to Japan with his Scottish wife to open his own distillery, choosing Hokkaido because the climate is similar to Scotland.

You can visit the vast grounds of the distillery, where the original stone buildings of the factory and Taketsuru's former home still stand. Some of the equipment on display, like the large copper pot still, are still used to this day. There are guided tours in Japanese or you can download an English audio guide for smartphone and tablet.

Nearing the end of the tour, you'll find a museum on the history of Nikka and Taketsuru's life. See old photos and items that once belonged to Taketsuru and his wife.

Stop in at the tasting room to sample some delicious whisky, and more. You can sample two kinds for free and sample rare malt whiskys for a small fee.

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