What other travelers are saying about Suntory Hakushu Distillery
The tour is great, the grounds are unique and beautiful. I just wish the souvenir shop and tasting lounge would be better since the Hakushu Distillery is so much more expensive and hard to get to than the Yamazaki Distillery.
The tour and tastings at the lounge are almost identical except that you can try the composite whiskies at the respective distilleries(Yamazaki composition whiskies at the Yamazaki Distillery and the Hakushu Composition Whiskies at the Hakushu Distillery)
The gift shop options are generally better than what you may find locally, but definitely check because the first time we came (last year) it was cheaper in our local area, but this time it was cheaper at the distillery itself. We are from the US and we ended up buying the Distillery Exclusive and the non-age statement Hakushu, having found the distillery exclusive in full bottles at the LAX airpor tin the duty free store.
They sell the non-age statement and the 12 yr Hakushu but it would be great for all the trouble you went through to get there if they'd offer some of the exclusive Hakushu Collections such as the Fall Spanish Oak Release we managed to stumble upon at the Haneda Airport duty free location. Suntory should really prioritize unique experiences at the distillery and since they have not been doing that, I am seriously considering not visiting the Hakushu after 3 years of continuous visits
Brilliant!
Really cannot recommend enough.
Is a bit far out, we went on our way back from Osaka to Tokyo. Use Kobuchizawa station as there is a free shuttle and check the Si Tory website for timings etc.
The free shuttle was great and there was luggage storage at the station to hold our bags.
The paid tour was really interesting, I’ve done lots of distilleries in Scotland, but this wasn’t much different different. The nature and the topography of the area are fascinating. Make sure you check suntory website and use their routes and shuttle timings as google maps had the journey at double the time.
The paid tour allows you to buy 12YO whereas normally you can only buy the standard bottle and the distillery reserve and gives you a great tasting with 5 whiskies (15ml) and snacks - well well worth it.
Restaurant was actually brilliant, pizza was incredible all with local ingredients. Factor in 30/40 mins pre/post tour for this.
Tasting was good, there is the one included in the tour (15ml of; lightly peated, heavily peated, Spanish oak, normal Hakushu and Hakushu highball) and snacks (smoked pasta, nuts and chocolate).
Paid tasting was same as Yamazaki distillery, and good value compared to rest of Japan.
Yamazaki 12YO purchase exclusive to those on the tour and was roughly £83 GBP per 700ml bottle
Loved the visit! The surroundings are stunning! A bit sad to see that prices have more than doubled since my last visit of a Suntory distillery in 2019 for flagship whiskies. As a result I didn't taste the Hakushu 25 which was one of the main reasons I came here in the first place (25€ equivalent for 15ml in 2019 vs 135€ equivalent for 30ml in 2015)
meseum is free but you need to make a reservation i went for free entrance to museum the place is beautiful and very relaxing as you walk to the forest. I got a chance to buy hakushu bottle and you can drink different whisky for tasting.
This is a really fun whisky distillery tour! The walkthrough of the manufacturing process is interesting—not the most detailed I’ve ever seen, but definitely good enough. If you don’t speak Japanese, they provide headsets with recordings in multiple languages, so you won’t miss anything.
The best part of the tour is definitely the whisky tasting. They go way deeper into flavour profiles than most other distillery or château tours I’ve done, which makes it super informative.
A big highlight is the paid whisky tasting at the bar—you can try rare and aged whiskies for a reasonable price, like a 25-year Yamazaki & 30-year Hibiki for ¥5,000. And if you’re thinking of buying a bottle, here’s a tip: if you’ve booked the tour, don’t buy from the gift shop right away. You might get access to some special options during the tasting session!
Overall, definitely worth a visit!
Suntory Hakushu Distillery tours must be booked in advance online through the official Suntory website. Tours are available in Japanese with English audio guides, and reservations fill up quickly especially during peak seasons. The distillery offers whisky tasting tours and production facility visits at their Yamanashi location.
Suntory Hakushu Distillery is typically open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM, closed on Mondays and during New Year holidays. Tour prices range from 1,000 to 3,000 yen depending on the tour type and whisky tastings included. Free self-guided tours of the visitor center are available without reservation.
To reach Suntory Hakushu Distillery from Tokyo, take the JR Chuo Line to Kobuchizawa Station (約2 hours), then transfer to the JR Koumi Line to Hakushu Station (15 minutes). From Hakushu Station, the distillery is a 10-minute walk. Free shuttle buses are available from the station during tour times.
The Suntory Hakushu Distillery gift shop offers exclusive single malt whisky bottles only available at the distillery, including limited editions and distillery-only releases. You can also purchase Hakushu whisky glasses, branded merchandise, and Japanese whisky accessories. Some rare bottles may have purchase limits per person.
Yes, Suntory Hakushu Distillery welcomes international visitors with English audio guides available for most tours. While tours are conducted primarily in Japanese, English pamphlets and audio commentary explain the whisky-making process, history, and tasting notes. Staff at the gift shop typically speak basic English to assist with purchases.
