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Pure and Elegant as Moonlight: Gakkogawa Distillery in Yuza, Yamagata
GAKKOGAWA DISTILLERY, the whisky distillery established and operated by Tatenokawa Shuzo Co., Ltd. (楯の川酒造), was featured in Otoko no Kakurega Digital. The online article was published on August 9, 2026, after originally appearing in the magazine’s February 2026 issue.
Whisky Making by Tatenokawa Shuzo
Gakkogawa Distillery is a whisky-making project of Tatenokawa Shuzo, a Yamagata sake brewery whose history dates back to the Tenpo era (1830–1844) of the late Edo period. While continuing to pursue sake brewing with a strong focus on rice, the company began exploring whisky as another way to express the character of Yamagata and its craftsmanship. Tatenokawa Shuzo acquired land in Yuza at the beginning of the Reiwa era and began distilling there the following year.
Between Mount Chokai and the Sea of Japan
The distillery is located in Yuza, Yamagata Prefecture, at the foot of Mount Chokai, a mountain also known as “Dewa Fuji.” Spring water emerging from its forested slopes feeds the Gakkogawa River, from which the distillery takes its name. With Mount Chokai on one side and the Sea of Japan on the other, the distillery is shaped by the natural environment of the Shonai region.
Brewing Knowledge Carried into Whisky
Gakkogawa Distillery uses Scottish malt and primarily follows a non-peated style. Its fermentation process draws on Tatenokawa Shuzo’s experience in sake brewing, including the use of thermal tanks also employed for sake fermentation. The production site combines this brewing knowledge with whisky equipment such as a German-made malt mill, a lantern-shaped wash still and a straight-shaped spirit still.
In this way, the distillery brings together the natural resources of Yamagata and almost two centuries of brewing experience accumulated by Tatenokawa Shuzo.
Yuza: A “Whisky Town”
Yuza is home to both Gakkogawa Distillery and Yuza Distillery. The presence of these two producers led the town to declare itself a “Whisky Town,” reflecting the growing role of whisky production in the local community.
GAKKOGAWA WHISKY NEWPOT 2025 Edition
The article also introduces GAKKOGAWA WHISKY NEWPOT 2025 Edition, the new-make spirit from the distillery’s second production season before cask maturation. It provides an early view of the distillery’s developing house character. Gakkogawa Distillery also offers a private-cask program through which participants can acquire whisky by the cask and create an original expression.
