In 1923, Suntory's founder Shinjiro Torii began constructing Japan's first whisky distillery in Yamazaki in the outskirts of Kyoto. Known since ancient times as Minaseno and famed for its excellent water, this district became the birthplace of Japanese whisky.
In 1973, Suntory built another distillery in Hakushu at the foot of Mt. Kaikomagatake in the Southern Japan Alps. It developed an unparalleled variety of malt whiskies and highly refined techniques in these two utopias of whisky, and brought to market such products as YAMAZAKI single malt whisky, HAKUSHU and HIBIKI, Suntory's flagship blended whisky.
