Fuji Gotemba distillery is located in the town of Gotemba, which lies at the foot of Japan’s iconic Mount Fuji. The distillery covers a massive 1.7 million square feet (520,000 square metres) and has an impressive capacity of 12-million litres per year.
It produces both single malt and grain whiskies, mostly using barley and grain imported from Scotland and Ireland. However, in recent years they’ve also used barley grown domestically in Japan. There are separate still rooms for the single malt and grain whisky production and Fuji Gotemba is one of the few distilleries in Japan to have its own bottling plant and cooperage.
The distillery was built to craft a style of whisky that would suit Japanese palates: smooth, approachable, and elegant. The Gotemba location, at 620 meters above sea level, provides ideal conditions for slow maturation, and the snowmelt from Mt. Fuji filters naturally through volcanic rock, creating mineral-rich water that forms the base of Kirin’s whiskies.
The distillery combines Scottish, American, and Canadian distillation techniques—a rare fusion that allows it to produce a wide range of whisky styles from grain to malt under one roof. Its state-of-the-art column stills, pot stills, and continuous stills are operated with meticulous attention to detail.
Whisky is matured in Kentucky white oak barrels, carefully charred to extract vanillin, lactones, and other natural compounds that contribute to Kirin’s signature flavors: gentle sweetness, floral notes, and a smooth, clean finish. All aging is done in a dedicated 10-story warehouse designed to minimize external influence and ensure consistency.
From their pure mountain water to their blending expertise, Fuji Gotemba represents a unique intersection of tradition, innovation, and terroir—making the ity one of Japan’s most distinctive whisky producers.
