Kirin Fuji Gotemba Distillery

Reservation Needed (See below for info)

Kirin Fuji Gotemba Distillery is set at the foot of Japan’s iconic and mystical Mount Fuji, located in Shizuoka Prefecture near the confluence where it meets the prefectures of Kanagawa and Yamanashi.

on the southeastern flank of Mount Fuji in Shizuoka Prefecture

Gotemba was selected as the site for the distillery because it was felt to have the climate most similar to Scotland: the city is much cooler and less humid (especially in summer) than other areas of Japan, with an average annual temperature of around 13°C

The staff are nice and very knowledgeable. 

Scottish pot stills

Inside the facility

The guide led the tour which lasted about half an hour and then gave us each 2-3 free samples to taste. The tour started off with the guide explaining the history of the distillery as well the equipment they use for the whisky-making process. They will take you around the area which is huge!

30 years aged whisky

Hallway full of information (this portion is about the Angel's share)

Don't worry, they will take the time to thoroughly explain all the essential whisky terms and key ingredients, so do not feel intimidated or overwhelmed by any of the technical details involved in the whisky tasting experience. This is coming from someone who experienced her first distillery tour of her life here. They explain the whisky-making process in detail and have many historical items on display, which was really cool to see. It was interactive and fun.

Free tasting samples

Whisky Tasting

Next after the whisky-making explanation and walking around the facility, they will take you to the tasting area. As seen above, they will let you taste different aged samples and help you understand the differences and flavor profile. Afterwards, you can try more tastings for a fee.

In the tasting area, there's a souvenir shop with cool whisky items. You can also buy whisky there.

Additional whisky tastings (fees apply)

Warning: It's a bit difficult to reach by public transport, but there is a shuttle from Gotemba Station that runs back and forth. Just tell the staff if you want to ride it, as they sponsor it.

You can also taxi it as well. We happen to be around the area so on our way there we used the regular bus and walked for like 5 min. On the way back we used the shuttle sponsored by the distillery.

I recommend this place if you happen to be staying around the area. We were in Yamanashi prefecture for Fuji-Q Highland Amusement Park anyways and had this already in the schedule. 

Note: You have to make a reservation ahead of time (link below) and pick your preferred language you want the tour done in. You can choose Japanese or English. Please make sure to figure out on the transportation since it is a bit hard to reach.

 

Kirin Fuji Gotemba Distillery

Location: 970 Shibanta, Gotemba, Shizuoka 412-0003, Japan

Opening Hours:

For the general public to access souvenir shop and paid tastings: 9am-4pm on Tuesday - Sundays; Closed on Mondays

For scheduled tours, please arrive 15-20 minutes before your scheduled tour starts

Website: Home Page (It will ask you to enter your year of birth)

Reservations: Book here