Tankyu Distillery is a publicly built, privately operated Hokkaido whisky distillery in Higashikawa. We draw on the pristine waters of Daisetsuzan and embrace a patient 168-hour (7-day) fermentation rhythm. Marrying time-honored techniques with cutting-edge innovation, we strive to honor nature and infuse a unique story into every drop of our Japanese craft whisky.
SINGLE-MALT WHISKY & CRAFT GIN DISTILLERY
Hokkaido craft whisky
distilled with the pristine waters
of Higashikawa
Higashikawa, Hokkaido — the only town in Hokkaido without a municipal water supply. We harness the underground streams of the Daisetsu Mountains and local ingredients to pursue flavours born only from this land.
Discover Our StoryTankyu Distillery at a glance
Tankyu Distillery (丹丘蒸留所) is a publicly-built, privately-operated craft gin and single-malt whisky distillery in Higashikawa, Hokkaido — the only Hokkaido town without a municipal water supply. Production draws Daisetsuzan groundwater (~94 mg/L hardness), fermented over 168 hours, and distilled on a 65,000 L/year annual capacity line. Founded 2024 under a rare public-private partnership with the Higashikawa municipal government.
Our core gin lineup — Yuki no Mado Dry Gin, Perfume Trees Gin, and Pale Ink Coffee Liqueur — ships from Japan, Hong Kong, and the UK. Our inaugural single-malt whisky is currently aging in bourbon, sherry, mizunara, and octave casks. Visitors can book 60-minute tours in Japanese, English, or Mandarin, and individual collectors can reserve a private cask from ¥448,000.
Products
- Yuki no Mado Dry Gin — ¥4,950 · 14 Hokkaido botanicals
- Perfume Trees Gin — SIP Awards Gold 2024, Gin Masters 2023 Master
- Pale Ink Coffee Liqueur — sugar-free, single-origin coffee
- Single-malt Hokkaido whisky — aging; first release ~2028
Visit
- Tour price: ¥2,000 per person
- Duration: 60 minutes, booking required
- Languages: Japanese, English, Mandarin (every Thursday 16:00 from April 2026)
- Access: 15 min by car from Asahikawa Airport (AKJ)
Water & terroir
Higashikawa is the only town in Hokkaido without a municipal water supply. Every household — and our distillery — draws straight from Daisetsuzan groundwater. Soft water (~94 mg/L) with a neutral mineral profile gives a clean fermentation and a gentler spirit cut.
Private casks
Private cask ownership from ¥448,000: 55L octave, 200L bourbon, 220L sherry hogshead, 220L mizunara hogshead. Transparent maturation reports, free bottling at your chosen release date, distillery access for owners.
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100%
Use of Natural Underground Water
66.3°C
Extreme Annual Temperature Difference
65,000
Annual Whisky Capacity (LPA)
168
Fermentation Time (7 Days)
Ready to embark on your own cask journey?
Become a Private Cask owner at Tankyu Distillery and secure your personal Hokkaido whisky.
Learn about the Private Cask ProgramFrom Snow to Spirit
Snow Falls
Deep in winter, pure snow blankets the peaks of the Daisetsuzan mountains. This pristine white layer is where the journey begins.
Water Is Refined
Over decades, snowmelt filters through layers of volcanic rock, shedding impurities and gathering minerals to become crystalline spring water.
Distilled & Matured
That pure water becomes our mash. Distilled through our iStill hybrid stills, the spirit rests in oak casks, transforming through Hokkaido's four seasons into whisky.
— The craftsmen of Tankyu DistillerySnow falls on Daisetsuzan. Meltwater seeps through ancient rock. We capture that clarity — then let oak, time, and silence do the rest. Today's snow is tomorrow's whisky.
Spirits born from Hokkaido's terroir
Craft gin distilled with Daisetsuzan spring water and local botanicals, and single malt whisky shaped by Hokkaido's dramatic four seasons. Every bottle tells the story of this land.
Explore Our Spirits →Publicly built, privately operated — crafting spirits hand in hand with Higashikawa.
Under Higashikawa's pioneering public-private partnership model, the town and our team joined forces to build a distillery rooted in local resources. Together, we are writing a new chapter for the community and its craft.
Our Story →
Step inside the distillery.
Want to visit us at the foot of Mt. Daisetsu? See how we craft our spirits behind the scenes, breathe in the aromas of our cask warehouse, and finish with a tasting of our gin and new-make spirit.
Distillery Tour →