🎬 The Story Behind｜Shizuoka Distillery – Where Dreams Ignite in the Mountains
Some distilleries are born of legacy. Others, of location.
But Shizuoka Distillery was born of something rarer—a vision lit not by tradition, but by fire.
Tucked into the misty mountains of Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture, this unlikely whisky sanctuary wasn’t built by a family of brewers, nor backed by centuries of distilling heritage. Instead, it rose from the dreams of a man who once bottled sunlight—an energy entrepreneur turned whisky craftsman.
What followed was no ordinary story of production and aging. It’s a tale of salvaged history, of flames licking beneath copper stills, of mountain water whispering through wooden washbacks. It’s the story of how one dream—chased with humility, courage, and clarity—sparked a distillery unlike any other in Japan.
Let us take you there.
Prologue: A Dream Forged from Energy and Passion
It began not in a barley field, but in a field of solar panels. Taiko Nakamura, founder of Gaiaflow Co., had spent years in renewable energy before a fateful encounter changed everything. During a trip to Scotland’s Islay, he encountered Kilchoman—a small, hand-crafted distillery working with farm-grown barley and local identity. He realized, “I could do that.” So, he leapt from energy to whiskey—a dream ignited by purpose and heritage.
Scene 1: From Skepticism to Serendipity
In 2016, with no prior experience in alcohol production, Nakamura faced doubt from all sides. But he persisted. Visiting over 170 craft distilleries across the world, receiving mentorship from Chichibu’s Ichiro Akuto, and returning to his home region of Shizuoka, a spark was born in the Tamakawachi River valley. Here, amid mountains and cooled by the alpine breeze, locals shared Nakamura’s dream. The land said yes.
Scene 2: Resurrection of Legend
Shizuoka Distillery’s beating heart lies in its stills. One—Pot Still K—was salvaged from the legendary, now-closed Karuizawa Distillery. Another—Pot Still W—burns with direct wood fire, a rarity in today’s world where steam reigns. It’s an expression of identity and grit. Each flame under the still is a tribute to craft, history, and the whisper of oak.
Scene 3: Elements in Harmony
Water here is mountain-born—cool, pristine, filtered by rock and cedar. Barley is sourced locally. Firewood from Shizuoka forests fuels the fire. Wooden washbacks echo traditional methods. Every element of production honors ji-whisky—local Japanese craft distilled with unwavering intention. “Whisky-making remains a craft that requires the five senses…a stage on which humans can continue to work with pride,” Nakamura explains.
Final Scene: Prologue K—The First Act Unveiled
October 2016: fermentation bubbles. December: casks filled. August 2016: buildings stood complete. And finally, in late 2020, the first expression—Prologue K—was released. Distilled in the restored Karuizawa still, carrying the essence of mountain water, local barley, and crisp alpine air, it is a film in a bottle—drawing its audience into the world Nakamura dreamed into being.
🥂 What You Taste in a Glass of Shizuoka
A sip is a journey through mountain mists, the scent of cedar, the fire’s warmth, and the purity of local grain. It’s embodying a dream born in voltage and distilled in flame—a whisky that speaks of place, heritage, and the courage to follow one’s calling.
This is Shizuoka Distillery—where filmic storytelling meets craft in a mountain valley.