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Hokkaido Nikka Yoichi Distillery Tour: Free Tours, Limited Bottles and Late-Night Sapporo Culture
Creatrip Team
a month ago
Travelers to Hokkaido flock to the Nikka Yoichi distillery, the historic site where founder Masataka Taketsuru modeled production after Scotland. The distillery offers free 70-minute guided tours (reserve online 4 weeks ahead) and paid tasting seminars and VIP tours. Yoichi still uses traditional coal-fired distillation and peated malt; unique blending with five cask types creates its smoky single malts. Even if tours are full, visitors can explore the Nikka museum, a tasting bar, Rita’s Kitchen restaurant (recipes from Taketsuru’s foreign wife), and Northland shop selling distillery-limited bottles—tourists sometimes buy up to four small 500 ml bottles thanks to recent duty rule changes. Yoichi also boasts wineries, fruit farms, scenic coastal drives, and local herring (a recommended snack). From Sapporo, Yoichi is about an hour via Otaru; plan train times carefully. In Sapporo’s nightlife district Susukino, The Nikka Bar serves many Nikka whiskies and skyline views, while Slowboat (a jazz live club) offers nightly performances and highballs. Don’t miss the local late-night “shime parfait” (dessert to finish the night) culture at spots like Sato or Parfaitteria Pal, where parfait shops stay open past midnight.
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