Sakurao

Type: Distillery

In Sakurao’s mountain warehouse, the air is so damp that cask hoops rust “to the point of breaking”, according to the producer.[3] The warehouse occupies a disused railway tunnel in Togouchi. Its coastal counterpart stands at the distillery near the Seto Inland Sea: two sharply contrasting places to mature whisky made at one site.[1][2]

Sakurao Distillery makes malt whisky, grain whisky and gin in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture. Its two single malt names, Sakurao and Togouchi, put those coastal and mountain settings at the heart of the range.[1][2]

What Sakurao is known for

Togouchi is both a place and a whisky name, not a second distillery hidden inland. Both single malts are distilled at Sakurao; their names draw attention to where they mature.[2]

The coastal site faces the Seto Inland Sea, directly across from Miyajima, according to trade reporting. The other warehouse occupies a tunnel on a discontinued section of a JR railway line in Togouchi, at the foot of Mount Osorakan.[2][5][8]

The producer presents these contrasting settings as central to the two whiskies. There is another distinction to keep in view: Togouchi predates the company’s own single malts, and its history encompasses both imported spirit and whisky distilled at Sakurao.[2][6] For other Japanese distillery profiles, see Chichibu, Kanosuke and Shizuoka.

An established company, a newer distillery

Sakurao’s company history stretches back to 1918, long before the present whisky operation. The producer places its beginnings in Sakurao, Hatsukaichi; trade accounts name the original business as the limited partnership Chugoku Shurui Jozo, established on 8 October that year.[1][7]

For most of that history, the business was known as Chugoku Jozo. Its earlier products included sake, shochu, mirin and liqueurs.[6][7]

First whisky verdict: Disputed. Sip Japan says whisky production began in 1938 and stopped in 1989. Japan Whisky Press dates the start to 1990, describing the use of bought in Scottish malt and Canadian grain. The first year remains unresolved.[6][7]

Togouchi launch verdict: Disputed. Sip Japan gives 2003; Japan Whisky Press says Togouchi went on sale from 2008. The available accounts do not resolve the difference.[6][7]

The company marked its centenary in 2018 with the launch of Sakurao Gin, according to its own account. In March 2021 it became SAKURAO Brewery and Distillery. The same year brought the launches of Sakurao and Togouchi single malts.[1][7]

Production and company timeline

Founding verdict: Disputed. For the modern distillery, the producer records 2017, while Japan Whisky Press describes the dedicated pot-still and column-still operation as opening in 2018. The exact date of the first spirit run remains unestablished.[1][6]

How Sakurao makes its whisky

The producer says its pot still’s swan neck has been modified to retain more esters, the compounds central to its account of the malt spirit’s fruitier character.[4] That is the distillery’s explanation of its production choices, rather than an independent tasting assessment.

A hybrid still handles the second distillation. The producer links this stage to higher-strength, fruitier spirit and names Taihei Yamamoto as master distiller.[4]

Grain whisky takes a different route. Sakurao says it distils barley in a traditional still formerly used for shochu. For gin, trade reporting identifies a Holstein still.[4][7]

Making both malt and grain whisky gives Sakurao the components for more than single malts. A Togouchi blend and a Togouchi single malt are distinct products, even though they share a name. Trade reporting says the blends changed in 2024 to use only whisky distilled at Sakurao.[2][7] The mountain name and tunnel setting explain maturation, but do not by themselves identify everything that went into a bottle.[2][7]

Two places to mature the spirit

Sakurao’s coastal warehouse stands beside the sea at the distillery. Inland, the Togouchi warehouse occupies a disused railway tunnel in Akiota Town, reported to be 360 metres long.[2][6]

The tunnel was taken over for shochu storage before being used for whisky, according to Japan Whisky Press. Casks mature there; distillation takes place at Sakurao.[6]

The producer describes the tunnel as cool, damp and misty. Its Stillman’s Selection account gives a particularly vivid detail: cask hoops rust “to the point of breaking”.[3] The description captures the warehouse conditions, although it does not measure their contribution to flavour.

Trade reporting lists ex-bourbon, new American oak, sherry and mizunara among the cask types used. These belong to the distillery’s reported wood programme; individual bottlings need not use every type.[7]

Story box: From coast to mountain tunnel

• Founding story: The company dates its origins to Sakurao, Hatsukaichi, in 1918. Source: producer’s history.
• Turning point: The producer records the launch of Sakurao and Togouchi single malts in 2021. Source: producer’s history.
• Documented record: Its two maturation sites are the coastal distillery warehouse and the Togouchi railway tunnel. Source: distillery account.
• Claim: The producer describes tunnel conditions damp enough for cask hoops to rust “to the point of breaking”. Source: Stillman’s Selection.
• Verdict: Documented.
• Evidence and gap: The producer publishes this account of its tunnel warehouse; no independent corrosion measurements are supplied.
• Earliest known source: The producer’s undated Stillman’s Selection page is the earliest source identified in the supplied record.
• Last checked: 7 November 2026.

Reading the Sakurao and Togouchi range

Start with the distinction between single malt and blend. Trade reporting lists Sakurao Single Malt and Togouchi Single Malt at 43% ABV, with Togouchi Single Malt identified with tunnel maturation. The producer also lists Single Malt Japanese Whisky Togouchi Misty within Stillman’s Selection.[3][7]

Togouchi is also the name of a blended range. Trade sources list Togouchi Premium at 40% ABV, alongside sake, beer, peated and rum-cask finishes within the broader blended Japanese whisky range.[7][8]

For older bottles, the history matters. Earlier Togouchi blends used imported Scottish malt and Canadian grain whisky; trade reporting dates the switch to entirely Sakurao-distilled whisky to 2024. A description of the current blend therefore should not be applied automatically to an older bottle with the same brand name.[6][7]

The producer says its whisky matures for at least three years. Separately, the Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association’s voluntary Japanese whisky labelling standard requires at least three years in Japan in wooden casks no larger than 700 litres. This is an industry standard, not Japanese law, and it does not describe every historical Togouchi release.[2][9]

Three common misunderstandings

“Togouchi has always been distilled in Japan.” Earlier blends contained imported Scottish malt and Canadian grain whisky. The single malt launches in 2021 and the reported blend reformulation in 2024 were separate developments. Accounts of different generations of Togouchi can therefore describe quite different whisky.[1][6][7]

“Sakurao and Togouchi are separate distilleries.” Sakurao distils both single malts. The Togouchi railway tunnel is a maturation warehouse, not another production address.[2]

“Sakurao is a new company.” The modern distillery is recent, but the parent business dates to 1918. The company’s founding and the establishment of its present distilling operation belong to two distinct chapters of its history.[1]

Visiting Sakurao

The producer’s tour covers malt whisky, grain whisky and gin production. Trade reporting places the visitor centre on the ground floor of the main building.[7]

Before travelling, consult the official distillery website for booking arrangements, accessibility information and age conditions. Do not assume that a production tour includes tunnel access: the supplied tour description does not establish that.[2]

Where to go next

• Chichibu: Ichiro's Malt: Continue through the site’s Japanese distillery profiles.
• Kanosuke: Read another distillery entry alongside Sakurao.
• Shizuoka: Extend your reading within Japanese Distilleries and Brands.

Sources

1. SAKURAO Brewery and Distillery. SAKURAO Brewery and Distillery (home). Undated web page, checked November 2026. https://www.sakuraobd.co.jp/en/
2. SAKURAO Brewery and Distillery. Distillery Tour. Undated web page, checked November 2026. https://www.sakuraobd.co.jp/en/distillery/
3. SAKURAO Brewery and Distillery. Stillman's Selection. Undated web page, checked November 2026. https://www.sakuraobd.co.jp/en/stillman/?id=sec-01
4. Togouchi, producer brand site. Sakurao Distillery. Undated web page, checked November 2026. https://togouchi.com/en/sakurao-distillery/
5. Togouchi, producer brand site. Togouchi. Undated web page, checked November 2026. https://togouchi.com/en/
6. Japan Whisky Press. Togouchi: the tunnel-aged whisky from Hiroshima. Undated trade article, checked November 2026. https://japanwhiskypress.com/togouchi-distillery-guide/
7. Sip Japan. Sakurao Distillery: Hiroshima's Craft Whisky on the Rise. Undated trade article, checked November 2026. https://sipjapan.com/blog/sakurao-distillery-guide
8. Japanese Distillery Guide. Sakurao Distillery Guide. Undated trade guide, checked November 2026. https://japanese-distillery.com/distilleries/sakurao
9. Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association. Standards for Labeling Japanese Whisky. Version supplied in the fact sheet, hosted by Nikka; checked November 2026. https://www.nikka.com/eng/img/topics/pdf/Standards_for_Labeling_Japanese_whisky.pdf

This desk-researched article uses the supplied verified fact sheet, distinguishing producer accounts, trade reporting and the industry association’s standard.

Last checked: November 2026