If you love whisky and would like to tour around a Japanese whisky factory, jump onto a train and head to Sendai city‘s outskirts and visit Nikka Whisky Sendai Factory (ニッカウヰスキー 宮城峡蒸溜所). The distillery holds factory tours throughout the day to show visitors how their delicious whisky is made. And the best thing is that this free tour comes with a free whisky-tasting session at the end!
If you are from Scotland, you might find the taste of the whisky here is quite similar to the whisky in your country. This is because the factory’s founder, Taketsuru Masataka (竹鶴政孝), traveled all the way to Scotland, the birthplace of Whiskey, to learn how to brew whisky properly. In fact, even the weather and water condition around the factory are similar to Scotland!
It is said that Masataka traveled around Japan and finally settled down in Sendai because of the deliciousness of the product after he diluted his bottle of Nikka Black with Nikka River’s water.
Nikka Whisky Sendai Factory’s Distillery Tour
During the tour, you will learn about not only the whiskey manufacturing process but also the history of Nikka Whiskey when your tour guide shows you around the factory area, the red brick storage, and the guest hall. Although the majority of the factory is Western-styled, if you look closely, you will discover a few Japanese elements as well!
As a hint, look up when you are around the pot stills for something commonly found in Shinto shrines (^_-)-☆.
While many notations in the visitor center in the small museum are in Japanese only, you can reserve a spot to attend their guided tour. While the tour is conducted in Japanese, audio guide sets are available in English.
If you have time, you can stroll around to admire the surrounding nature or take photos with the factory after the tour. The distillery is surrounded by the Nikkawa River (新川川) and forest.
- For more information about Nikka Whisky Sendai Factory, you can refer to their website HERE.
- The FAQ section at the end of the webpage answers almost all questions you may have. To book the Distillery Tour, refer to HERE.
Tip: If you can’t have alcohol, they will offer you a free tea or apple juice.
Nikka Whisky Sendai Factory’s Business Hours and Access Information
- Nikka Whisky Sendai Factory is open from 9 am to 4:30 pm.
- From Sendai Station, take a train to JR Sakunami Station (作並駅). From there, you can either:
- Walk for 30 minutes
- Take Sendai City Bus
- Take the free shuttle bus if you visit the factory on weekends and public holidays
- You can find the free shuttle bus timetable in the access information section HERE.
- If you plan to take Sendai City Bus, get off at Nikka-bashi (ニッカ橋).
- You can also take the bus bound for Sakunami Onsen (作並温泉) from Sendai Station.
Tips:
☛ The bus and train timetable is displayed near the reception for your return trip.
☛ It is recommended to utilize the free shuttle bus or Sendai City Bus for the return trip instead of hiking back up to JR Sakunami Station (作並駅).
Discover Other Attractions in Sakunami Onsen
After having some high-quality Japanese whisky, how about further enjoying what the Sakunami area offers by indulging in hot springs? Besides the famous Akiu Onsen, Sakunami Onsen is another great option to consider in Sendai. Although the hot spring town has less exciting things to see and do, the weakly alkaline onsen is gentle on the skin and is nicknamed the Beauty-Making Onsen!
For more information about what to do there, refer to our article on Sakunami Onsen!
