YAMAZAKI is Japan’s first and oldest distillery, established in 1923 by Suntory’s founder Shinjiro Torii. Inspired by traditional Scottish whisky, Torii envisioned a Japanese approach by choosing a terrain and climate completely different to those of Scotland to create a unique kind of whisky. Yamazaki is thus the birthplace of Japanese whisky.

Nestled proudly on the periphery of Kyoto, this region was formerly referred to as “Minaseno”, where one of the purest waters of Japan originates. Thus YAMAZAKI is the cradle of SENNO RIKYU, the Master of “The Way of Tea”. This unique misty region where the three rivers, Katsura, Uji and Kizu meet – where water and mountains offer abundance and diversity in nature and temperature – create damp conditions ideal for ageing whisky in its precious casks.