Suntory whiskey

Osaka is a city thriving in "manufacturing." Many surprising things were born in Osaka. For example, the familiar instant ramen and retort curry. These were born in Osaka. The same goes for television and radio. Even recently, a wide variety of things are being made every day in a wide range of fields, from robots to biotechnology. Made in Osaka introduces Osaka from the perspective of "manufacturing." This time, the theme is "Suntory," the beverage manufacturer that quenches your thirst every day.

Suntory was founded in 1899 in Utsubo Nakadori 2-chome, Nishi-ku, Osaka by Shinjiro Torii, who had a dream of creating Western liquor. Since then, the company has maintained its headquarters in Osaka and produces a wide variety of products, including alcoholic beverages such as wine, whiskey, and beer, as well as tea, juice, health drinks, and health foods. The company is also known for its proactive involvement in cultural and social activities, and has made significant contributions to fields such as music and art. In this article, we will explore the manufacturing spirit of Osaka while touching on the origins of Suntory: whiskey making.

Suntory Yamazaki Distillery is the birthplace of Japanese whiskey. Factory tours are also available. The nearest station, JR Yamazaki Station, is a 20-minute train ride from Osaka Station toward Kyoto. From there, it's a 10-minute walk south along the tracks to reach the Suntory Yamazaki Distillery. The giant distillation vessel sculpture, visible from the train, and the sturdy brick buildings welcome you, so you won't get lost. Even on weekday mornings, families, couples, and university students line up at the reception desk. First, sign up for the tour of the manufacturing process, which includes a detailed guided tour. Advance reservations are recommended. The Yamazaki Whisky Museum exhibition room and shop are open to the public.

The tour of the manufacturing process begins with the first room. This is where the "brewing" process takes place. In a huge brewing kettle about 3m in diameter, crushed malt is mixed with warm water at 63°C and gently stirred. After leaving this for a certain amount of time, the starch in the malt turns into sugar (saccharification), and malt juice is produced. This warm water is, of course, water from the rich natural environment of Yamazaki. At Suntory, this delicious water nurtured by the natural beauty of Yamazaki determines the "flavor" of their whiskey, so they call it "mother water."

Next we head to the fermentation room. Here we see a row of large wooden barrel fermentation tanks, and when we look inside we see a thick layer of white foam on the surface. This is where the yeast breaks down sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide, and the room is so warm and stuffy because of the heat produced during fermentation. Occasionally, bubbles pop out. After about three days, the yeast loses its vitality, and then lactic acid bacteria from the wooden barrels start to work, adding depth to the aroma and flavor. Come to think of it, it also has a slightly sour smell. Once fermentation is complete, the "whisky base" with an alcohol content of about 7% is ready.

Next, across the corridor, you'll enter the distillation process. At this point, you'll be asked, "If you have a low tolerance for alcohol or feel unwell, please let us know." There's certainly a strong smell of alcohol. Those who get drunk from pickled vegetables or even a small amount of alcohol should be careful. However, small children are walking around energetically, so most people should be fine! Next, lined up here are 12 distillation kettles of six types. They're shaped like giant ghost tubas. Apparently, they distill the "whisky base" into raw liquor by heating copper distillation kettles called pot stills with an open flame from below, like a Goemon bath. The temperature inside the room is quite high. During distillation, you can see the clear liquid flowing. This is the freshly made whiskey, or new pot. This colorless, transparent new whiskey is then placed in barrels and slowly aged for years until it attains its amber color.

The raw liquor then goes to the "storage." Rows of barrels line the dimly lit warehouse. It's a cool, quiet room, a far cry from the heat and aroma of the past. The whiskey is fast asleep. Yamazaki alone has 400,000 barrels, each marked with the year it was made. The first whiskey made here was in 1924. You can still see those barrels here. It's quite moving to find one from the year you were born. In the "Owner's Cask" section, barrels reserved for purchase are also stored. If you're interested in purchasing an entire barrel, prices range from 500,000 to 30,000 yen per barrel. By the glass? By the bottle? Or by the cask?

Finally, there's the much-anticipated tasting corner. You can try whiskey with water or soda, with snacks included. The whiskeys available are Yamazaki 12 Year Old and Hakushu 12 Year Old. Of course, be careful not to drink too much. Juice and oolong tea are available for drivers and children.

Q: There are a lot of people visiting today as well.
A: Approximately 130,000 visitors visit the Yamazaki Distillery every year. We were recently awarded the Visitor Centre of the Year award by a British whisky magazine. This was in recognition of the high praise we have given to our exhibits, explanations of the production process, and various events we hold to raise awareness of whisky, as well as our facilities and staff. We were delighted to hear that our daily efforts have been recognized.

Q: Perhaps this is something unique to the Yamazaki area.
A: At Yamazaki Distillery, you can of course observe whisky production, but I think the best thing about it is that you can experience the bounty of the surrounding nature. The distillery is known for its excellent water, and there was a pond near the storehouse. Every June, forest tree frogs lay their eggs in that pond. These frogs are designated as a natural monument and can only live in clean water. They are a testament to the quality of Yamazaki's natural environment. The whisky we make depends on this environment and water. That's why we take care of this environment by having our staff clean up the surrounding area on their days off, picking up trash and tending the trees on Mt. Tennozan.

The exhibition begins with a photograph of the young Shinjiro Torii, the company's first president. He founded his business in Osaka in 1899, determined to focus on Western liquor. He later created the first domestically produced whiskey, promising to create a Western liquor suited to Japan. Shinjiro's first product was a grape wine, known as "Akadama Port Wine." It was the Meiji era, a time when sophisticated Western culture flooded the country. Wine, champagne, whiskey, brandy, and other Western liquors were still rare. Yet, with slogans like "delicious" and "nutritious," he launched Japan's first poster featuring a nude female photograph and innovative newspaper advertisements, boosting sales year after year. His poster, featuring a plump, innocent woman holding a ruby-colored wine glass, won first place at the 1922 World Poster Exhibition in Germany. The print, which was reprinted dozens of times to capture the red of the wine, remains beautiful even today. Be sure to see it in person. At the time, the depiction of women's delicate skin was very innovative and caused quite a stir.

With his wine business on track, Shinjiro realised his passionate dream of making whiskey in 1923 (Taisho 12). After searching all over the country for water suitable for making whiskey, he chose Yamazaki as the ideal place for making whiskey and began construction of a factory. The following year, in 1924, the Yamazaki Distillery was completed and the first domestically produced whiskey began to be produced. Whiskey is aged in barrels for many years.

At the time, the people around Yamazaki only saw bales of wheat and empty barrels being brought in, and no one had ever seen any finished products coming out, so they began to rumor that "a monster called 'Usuke' lives there, and eats barley like crazy every day." Finally, in 1929, Japan's first domestically produced whiskey was released. It was called "Shirofuda" (white label) because of its white label. It was advertised in newspapers with the tagline "Wake up, people! The era of blind faith in imported goods is over," announcing the birth of a new domestic whiskey to the world.

In 1937, Suntory Whisky Kakubin was born. This is the square bottle with a tortoiseshell pattern that is still on sale today. This was the birth of a whiskey with a great taste that convinced Shinjiro, "This is it!" However, the Pacific War began soon after. While it became difficult to procure raw materials, Yamazaki somehow managed to continue making whiskey. When air raids became more frequent, they dug holes in the mountainsides and ground around the distillery and buried barrels filled with whiskey to protect it. Photographs of the distillery from that time remain.

The post-war whiskey boom. Many advertisements that symbolize this boom are on display in the museum. Slogans like "Delicious, cheap, whiskey is Torys," "I want to act like a human being," and "Drink Torys and go to Hawaii." This was the era of Uncle Torys, a timid, small-minded, single, middle-aged businessman. Just looking at the posters from the past gives you an idea of what the era was like.

Next to the exhibition room is the Whisky Library. The walls are completely covered with whiskey. This displays the raw liquor produced at Yamazaki Distillery. Looking at it like this, you can see that each one is different, from almost colorless to a deep amber color. There is also a shop on the second floor, which sells whiskey exclusive to the distillery, as well as whiskey cakes and cookies, and bacon and cheese that go perfectly with whiskey. The glasses and chasers are also stylish. There is also furniture made from the wood of whiskey barrels on display and for sale. It is a unique and wonderful design.

At the circular counter at the entrance to the Whisky Museum, you can enjoy a variety of whiskeys in your preferred style. This is not free, but there is a fee, but it is reasonably priced and popular.