Missed out on Yamazaki distillery? 6 places to go instead from Kyoto or Osaka

If you’re interested in Japanese whisky and you’re visiting Kyoto or Osaka, the Yamazaki Distillery is the place to visit. Unfortunately, that’s a lot easier said than done these days. You need to make a reservation months in advance and even then, it’s through a lottery system, so you’re going to need a lot of luck. So if you’ve missed out on a Yamazaki booking and are willing to travel for your whisky fix, check out this list of Japanese whisky distilleries that offer tours. But if you’re looking for something closer to Osaka or Kyoto, here are some places you can enjoy whisky (or gin):

Distilleries

Unfortunately there aren’t many whisky or gin distilleries near Kyoto and Osaka, and even fewer that are open to the public. Here are some options (in alphabetical order), although if you want to do a distillery tour, you will have to do some travel.

Eigashima Distillery

Whisky / Sake
Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture
An interesting fact about Eigashima Distillery is that it was actually the first distillery in Japan to obtain a whisky distilling licence, although they weren’t the first to actually produce whisky in Japan (that honour falls to Yamazaki). Eigashima makes a range of single malts, mostly under the Akashi brand name. The distillery is located in Akashi City, about an hour west of Kobe by train. They offer distillery tours (Japanese only), and more information can be found on their website
Tours available: Yes (Japanese only)

House of Kinobi

Gin
Kyoto
Okay, so I’m cheating a bit here. This is not a distillery. It’s a shop and bar run by a distillery. The Kyoto Distillery is known for its Kinobi brand of gin, which has become very popular nationwide. The distillery itself is located outside of Kyoto City (and not open to the public), but their shop and bar, House of Kinobi, is conveniently located downtown if you want to try their products or attend a tasting seminar.
Tours available: No, but they do offer tasting seminars

Nagahama Distillery

Whisky / Craft beer
Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture
If you like both whisky and craft beer, Nagahama Distillery might be worth checking out. They’ve been making craft beer since 1996, and branched out into whisky in 2016. They have two main whisky brands: Nagahama, which is their own single malt; and Amahagan (“Nagahama” backwards!) which is a blend of imported whisky.
The brewery/distillery is located in the town of Nagahama, about an hour-and-a-half from Kyoto by train. Distillery tours are available (Japanese only) and bookings can be made on their website. There is also a restaurant onsite with a pretty good all-you-can-drink craft beer option.
Tours available: Yes (Japanese only)
* Regarding tour reservations, their website states “for safety management purposes during the experience, we may regrettably have to decline applications from individuals for whom sufficient communication in Japanese is difficult”.

Rokkosan Distillery

Whisky
Kobe
Rokkosan Distillery is interesting for its location – on top of Mt Rokko, the mountain that overlooks Kobe. Distillation started at Rokkosan in 2021, and to my knowledge, they have yet to release a single malt (as of December 2025). They do offer several pure malt (= blended malt) whiskies, which are made up of whisky imported from Scotland. They offer distillery tours in Japanese, but not year-round so please check their website for details, and be aware that any whisky you try there is likely to be imported whisky rather than whisky distilled on-site.
Tours available: Yes (Japanese only, and not year-round)

SicX Kyoto Distillery

Gin
Kyoto
SicX Kyoto Distillery is located near Shichijo Station on the Keihan Line – just a few stops from Gion-Shijo Station, or a 15 minute walk from Kyoto Station. They have a cafe/bar where you can sample their gin with a range of food.
Tours available: No

Yumarrest (Motoki 蒸研)

Gin
Kyoto
A tiny gin distillery about 15 minutes’ walk north of Nijo Station. They don’t offer distillery tours, but they have a shop where you can buy their products, and there’s a (paid) tasting counter as well. They also sell a lot of T-shirts and other merchandise featuring their two mascot characters. Worth a visit if you happen to be staying somewhere north of Nijo Station. It can be a little difficult to find though, so here it is on Google Maps
Tours available: No

Or why not join a whisky tasting?

And now for some shameless self-promotion! Apologies! If you want to try a range of great Japanese whiskies, join me for a guided whisky tasting:

Kyoto Whisky Tasting

I run small-group Japanese whisky tastings in the Nishijin area of Kyoto (starting in March 2026). Each tasting session features a curated selection of 5 Japanese whiskies, and as we compare and contrast them, you’ll be able to learn about each distillery, and also learn more about Japanese whisky in general. See here for more details.

* Please note that I usually don’t serve Yamazaki (or other Suntory whiskies) in the tastings. The reason is simply that you can easily find and enjoy Yamazaki by yourself in any bar in Japan. My goal is to introduce you to great Japanese whiskies that you might not encounter otherwise.