三郎丸蒸留所 — Restaurant in Tonami

This was one of my favorite stops in Japan. A little off the beaten track but very easy and inexpensive to access by train. I did not have a reservation, however the timing was right and they offered the guided tour. There is also a self guided tour that does not require a reservation. Make sure you say "Hi" to the distillery cat on your way in. The guided tour included a cute video in English on the history of the distillery and production of whiskey, hosted in the historic kōji room. Also very cool to see the use of fully cast alloy stills. There are miniature replicas so you can compare the weight with the typical copper. Everyone working at the distillery was helpful, kind and seemed genuinely happy to be part of creating and sharing these spirits. After touring the facility there were several samples of whiskey and sake to try back at the main shop. It was a relaxing atmosphere with no sales pressure. They did have travel size bottles (~300ml) so of course I purchased some to take home. Bring your passport with you as there is a tax free option. Also stopped for a very delicious lunch at the on site restaurant, keep in mind that lunch finishes at 2pm and then they are closed for couple of hours before dinner. Afterwards it is a short walk across the parking lot back to the train station. There is a train schedule at the distillery, if you let them know they will be sure to get you back...

Had a lovely time as part of a tour. They did a English tour and it ended up just being us 2. The tour cost 4000 yen each and that included 4 whiskey tastings, a souvenir glass and 2 whiskeys to take home as well as the actual tour itself. It was an interesting view of the...

A really fun experience I opted for the self guided tour Very interesting seeing the whisky being made The staff are super friendly The best thing is the paid whisky tasting experience next door Absolutely fantastic Worth...