FEATURE: Kampai with a local twist, Japan gets crafty with gin
By Shohei Machiyama, KYODO NEWS - 8 hours ago - 09:47 | Feature, All, Japan
Yudai Matsuzaki's idea to produce craft gin in a nation where "shochu" spirits and whiskey rule the day came from a simple yet unique place: a desire to make use of a forest where he played as a child.
It didn't hurt that Matsuzaki, owner of a distillery near Tokyo, also loves gin.
Matsuzaki, 37, is one of a growing number of small-scale distillers in Japan using homegrown ingredients, some of which incorporate local specialties, to produce craft gins, fueling a domestic gin boom.
According to the Japan Spirits and Liqueurs Makers Association, domestic shipments of the spirit were under 1.2 million liters per year until 2019. They then began to increase gradually, topping 5.5 million liters in 2024.
Gin is a distilled spirit made from grains such as barley. Once flavored with juniper berries, producers can add other ingredients, enjoying more flexibility to experiment compared with other liquors.
An aroma of citrus wafted in the air in mid-March at Matsuzaki's distillery in Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo.
Matsuzaki had held on to a dream of making use of a desolate forest in Kawagoe where he used to play. Around 2010, he planted a conifer there to obtain juniper berries. Requiring cool conditions and low humidity, the tree struggled to grow at first. But Matsuzaki ensured it had shade from surrounding trees, and it eventually bore fruit over several years.
While many Japanese distilleries use imported botanicals for their gin, Matsuzaki insists on making his own.
"I want to express the taste of my hometown, where I was born and raised," said the head of Matsuzaki Co. The company's Togedama brand has seen brisk sales since its release in 2020.
The fact that distillation equipment for whiskey and shochu can be converted to produce gin, which does not typically require aging, has been a boon to the industry. Another merit is that gin can be quickly monetized from production to sales, the association says.
The boom is prompting small and midsize shochu and whiskey makers to make use of their existing facilities.
Since 2017, Masahiro Shuzo Co. in Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture, has offered a gin produced by redistilling an Okinawan spirit called Awamori, and adding local ingredients such as "goya" bitter gourd.
In Iwate Prefecture, sake brewer Nanbu Bijin Co. in Ninohe, which is one of the leading lacquer producers in Japan, distills its product with burnt lacquer wood to infuse a smoky flavor.
Meanwhile, Goto Tsubaki Distillery in Nagasaki Prefecture's Goto Islands provides a gin flavored with the aroma of local camellia flowers.
E-commerce sites and bars dedicated to gin are also on the rise. Craft Gin Bar Copain in Tokyo's Toshima Ward has crafted some 900 types of gin.
"People are coming in droves to seek out the gin they like," said owner Tetsuo Hagawa, 55. "We are making efforts to make it a familiar alcoholic beverage and not just a passing fad."
Major manufacturers are eager to join a market that shows no signs of slowing. Suntory Holdings Ltd. and Asahi Breweries Ltd. have released sugar-free canned gin products in 2020 and 2024, respectively.
The demand for both remains strong as they pair well with a variety of foods, the companies said, with one representative saying, "The momentum is unstoppable."
Related coverage:
Historic Japan sake brewery offering courses for foreign sommeliers
Japan's oldest sake brand determined to keep taste unchanged
Sake's export boom bringing in new fans and food pairings
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