About Us

Here you’ll find what our customers have said and a message from our founder.

You’ll also read some detailed testimonials.

Contact now through Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/japanwhiskytours/

What Our Customers Say:

“Just starting re-entry after getting back to the US last night and wanted to drop you a quick note of thanks.  We recounted our whole 11 day trip many times and our time with you was consistently a highlight.  I think that night in Matsumoto was the best experience we had – so magical and absolutely not something we could have done without a guide – but even if we could, your company made it much more enjoyable! ” – GQ from Alaska

“Thank you so much for these fabulous 4 days. I can’t choose which of the distilleries, Kiyosato, Milwaukee’s Club tasting, or the Tokyo Whisky Festival was the best. Such an unforgettable week. I can’t wait to fly back to Japan and visit more distilleries with your help. The friendliest tour I’ve done.” – JL from New Caledonia

“It was a life changing experience!”  – MC from Singapore

“A superbly well organized tour from a true Japanese whisky insider.  I will definitely go again.” – CB from USA

“Incredibly knowledgeable of the cultures, the ‘do’s and don’ts’, the excellent dining, accommodations, and the fun things to do in each of the many cities we visited.”  – PW from USA

“The group experienced an intense immersion into Japan’s whisky and gastronomic cultures.” – SB from USA

“Thanks again for a great time; that was fun! I am fascinated by the whisky world and am worried this may become an expensive hobby!” – DR from Canada

Message from the Founder and Managing Director:

I will personally guide you on your Japan Whisky Experience. As a fluent Japanese speaker (and reader), I have built relationships with managers at distilleries, as well as bar owners, throughout the country. Whether it is Tokyo or Kyoto, Sendai or Sapporo, Fukuoka or Osaka, there’s a friendly welcome from legendary bar managers for all our guests. Without question, you will come to know that inimitable Japanese hospitality.

Before the tour begins, every client from all four corners receives my personal number and can call me anytime. You will have a tremendous experience from reserving your place, to sipping on that rare whisky you’ve been dreaming of, through to the return flight home.

Japan Whisky Tours offers group tours of Japan’s finest whisky locations — distilleries, bars and restaurants. Enjoy visits to small craft distilleries, including Ichiro’s Malt and Mars, and the heavy hitters, Suntory and Nikka, where you can sample the likes of Hibiki 30, Yamazaki Sherry Cask, single cask Yoichi and many more.

 

And there’s plenty going on in the evenings too… Imagine the excitement you’ll get when, after walking through narrow alleys with indecipherable signs all around, you’re led into an incredible whisky bar. Imagine scotch bottles from the 1970s and 80s, bourbons from the 1990s, and Japanese whiskies from an era when a bottle of Karuizawa or Hanyu was less than $100.

Yamazaki and Hakushu Sherry Cask

Port Ellen

Original Michter’s

Single cask Hanyu

Think of the pleasure as you sip on a Yamazaki or Hanyu, served by bartenders whose primary goal is impeccable service.

And after you return home, you’ll be telling all your friends about your Japan Whisky Experience…

Recommendations from our customers: 

I’m fortunate to have traveled around the world a good bit and I can easily say Japan Whisky Tours treated me to one of the best trips I’ve ever taken in my life!  Our tour guide was indispensable!  Japan is amazing in so many ways in its own right, but for an uninitiated, non-Japanese speaker such as myself, he made the entire tour logistically and educationally easy, pleasant, and fun!  The tour is obviously whisky-oriented, but I still learned far more about fine Japanese whisky than I thought was possible.  We took both private and public tours of distilleries, enjoyed a festive whisky tasting conference, and visited some of the most famous whisky bars in Japan.  He was incredibly knowledgeable of the cultures, the “do’s and don’ts” (that vary from place to place), the excellent dining, accommodations, and the fun things to do in each of the many cities we visited.  I was patting myself on the back for picking the perfect tour!  I look forward to taking Japan Whisky Tours again soon.

November’s Japan Whisky Experience met all of my expectations, and then some.  I had never been to Japan before, but I’m a big fan of whiskey in general and Japanese whisky in particular.  When the opportunity arose to join this tour, I was interested.  After speaking with the tour organizer, I was hooked.  He had lived in Japan, speaks Japanese, and described all the awesome whisky sites we would see, as well as opportunities to see more traditional tourist spots. He was instrumental coordinating airfare/hotels/transportation in advance, securing some amazing deals.  Once in Japan, we hit the ground running at a Tokyo whiskey festival where we not only tasted current offerings from distilleries all over the world but sampled many rare whiskies as well, some bottled in the 90s!  We spent the next week visiting: 3 distilleries, including a private tour of Chichibu; hidden Japanese bars with crazy selections of bourbon, scotch, and Japanese whisky, including Yamazaki 50; and, even though it’s getting tough to find reasonable deals in liquor stores there, we scored some hard-to-find items.  Overall, a well-organized tour from a true Japanese whisky insider.  I would definitely go again.

Japan Whisky Tours was truly an exceptional experience.  Starting from the day of arrival, we finished off the night at an exclusive whisky bar in the Ginza District of Tokyo where the group sampled only the finest whisky Japan has to offer.  The Whisky Tour only excelled after that, with each day giving the group a range of once-in-a-lifetime whisky experiences.  On the first full day, Our tour guide led the group to the annual Japan Whisky Festival where we sampled a world wide offering of whiskies and bourbons.  Of interest were the full range of Yamazakis, the exclusive only available in Japan Chichibus and Nikka Whiskies and a 1993 Pappy Van Winkle 23-year.  Each subsequent day just got better as our tour guide expertly led the group with his local knowledge, navigating us through Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Chichibu and Sendai with each stop allowing the group to experience an intense immersion into Japan’s whisky and gastronomic cultures.  Each stop featured exclusive whisky bars, distillery visits and, with the help of the tour guide’s intimate knowledge of the Japanese language and culture, conversation with like-minded distillers, world renowned bar owners and whisky aficionados.  Uniquely enhanced by our tour guide’s passion for Japan and its whiskies, Japan Whisky Tours offers the whisky lover a must do tour.  I am planning on taking future tours offered by Japan Whisky Tours.