Eigashima Shuzo dates all the way back to 1679. It was founded in the Akashi area of the Hyogo prefecture by Urabe Heikichi and has remained a family run business ever since. 

During the late 1800’s, as sake grew in popularity, then owner Urabe San convinced local brewers to join forces. In 1888, they formed the Eigashima Brewing Company Ltd. with Urabe San as the chairman.

While the Sake and Shochu business continued to grow, the Urabe family started to explore a new opportunity in the early 1900s. Driven by a love for the excellent Scotch whiskies, they had the foresight to begin exploring whisky production and became the first Japanese company to obtain a license to produce whisky in 1919.

After a lot of hard work and dedication, Eigashima began releasing their first whisky expressions domestically in the 1960s.

Over the next two decades, they gradually grew the business until, in the early 1980s, they decided to pursue whisky production more seriously. In 1984, they built what is now the renowned White Oak Distillery.