Why is the Yamazaki Distillery called the 'birthplace of Japanese whisky'?

Ah, speaking of Yamazaki, that's an excellent question. Calling it the "birthplace of Japanese whisky" is truly no exaggeration. You can understand it this way: before Yamazaki, there was no proper, domestically produced whisky in Japan.

This story dates back a hundred years.

At that time, a remarkable man named Shinjiro Torii (the founder of today's Suntory) had made some money selling wine, but he harbored a bigger dream – "to make whisky in Japan that could rival Scotland's, truly belonging to the Japanese people."

A dream alone wasn't enough; he needed the technical expertise. So, he invited another master – Masataka Taketsuru. Mr. Taketsuru was even more impressive; he was a dedicated craftsman who personally traveled to Scotland, apprenticed at several distilleries, learned the complete art of whisky making, and even married a Scottish woman. He returned to Japan with a wealth of notes and experience.

One had wealth and a dream, the other had skill and experience; they hit it off immediately.

Next was choosing a location to build the distillery. They scoured Japan and finally selected Yamazaki, just outside Kyoto. Why here?

1. Excellent Water: Yamazaki's water was famously good; even the tea master Sen no Rikyū praised it. For making spirits, water is the soul; good water yields good spirits.
2. Suitable Climate: The climate here is humid, warm, and with significant temperature variations, somewhat similar to certain regions in Scotland. This is particularly suitable for whisky to slowly "grow" (mature) in oak casks.

Thus, in 1923, Japan's first malt whisky distillery – the Yamazaki Distillery – was born here. In 1929, they sold the first truly Japanese-made whisky, "Shirofuda" (White Label).

So, you see, Yamazaki was the first place to turn the idea of "making whisky in Japan" into a reality. It had the first visionary founder, the first master distiller who learned from Scotland, and the first carefully chosen prime location for a distillery.

Although Mr. Taketsuru later went to Hokkaido to establish the Yoichi Distillery (which marked the beginning of Nikka Whisky) due to differing philosophies, the starting point of that story, the place that hammered the first nail and lit the first still in Japan, was Yamazaki.

Therefore, all subsequent Japanese whiskies, no matter how famous they are today, must call Yamazaki their "senior" or "predecessor." The title "birthplace" is truly well-deserved.