Yoichi

Nikka Whisky's first distillery, in Yoichi, Hokkaido. Masataka Taketsuru, who had learned whisky making in Scotland, believed the cold, damp north was ideal for whisky and founded it in 1934; the company's predecessor, Dai Nippon Kaju, was established the same year.

It still heats its pot stills with direct coal fires, a traditional method that produces powerful, weighty, smoky spirit.

Several buildings on the site, including the main gate, still house and former office, were designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan in 2022.