Japanese Scottland? Yoichi in Hokkaido Vol.1 Malt Whisky Made in Japan

Yoichi is in the east part of Hokkaido, and it’s a tasteful town that has clean Yoichi River from Mt. Yoichi, that has 1,488 meters high.

In 1930s, a man felt Scotland from Yoichi.
His name is Masataka TAKETSURU, who learnt how to brew the pure malt whisky in University of Glasgow in Scotland and created the malt whisky in Japan for the first time.

In 1920, Masataka came back to Japan with Ms. Lita, who was his wife, and started to brew the whisky in Osaka.

However, he sticked into the peat malt whisky, and its taste wasn’t accepted in Japan. And then, he moved into Hokkaido. Masataka saw Scotland in Hokkaido from the cool climate and clean water from Yoichi River.

Then, he founded NIKKA WHISKY, and Yoichi has been the production area of the pure malt whisky.

Ms. Lita learnt Japanese foods to live in Japan, and her Japanese pickles are awesome among them.
She often wears Japanese clothes, and lived in the tatami floored room as a Japanese lady.

There are some loci of Ms. Lita in Yoichi.
There are Lita Road, that is a road from her house to the brewery to bring Masataka’s lunch box, and Lita Bridge, that is Yoichi Bridge seeing Yoichi to remember her hometown.

Also, there is Lita Kindergarten that is named because Lita’s legacy donated to there when it established.

There are stone paves by Scotland bricks and stone built buildings on Lita Road, so that it’s able to feel Scotland.
It’s good to enjoy Scotland in Japan.

The story about Masataka TAKETSURU became a drama in Japan that is “Massan” in NHK General TV.
If you are interested, please watch it.

Yoichi brewery of Masataka’s whisky and NIKKA WHISKY is able to visit all the time.
You can get details of brewer in 1930s, the story about Ms. Lita and Masataka, and the history of Japanese whisky.

site:https://www.nikka.com/eng/founder/index.html

The journey to Yoichi to visit Lita and Masataka will be memorable.
Next time, we’ll introduce grommet in Yoichi!

*Yamazaki in Osaka, a brewer has chosen by Masataka, became a big brewery of SUNTRY WHISKY.
Yamazaki Single Malt Whisky has been known well in the world.

【Source of photos】https://www.travel.co.jp/guide/article/19275/

Tags:tatami Hokkaido Yoichi MaltWhisky MasatakaTAKETSURU NIKKAWHISKY Massan LitaRoad