Karuizawa Distillers aspires to be major Japanese whisky player
Koji Shimaoka, co-founder and CEO of Karuizawa Distillers Inc, tells Nimmi Malhotra about his ambitions to become Japan’s top whisky producer.
Long-time Karuizawa resident, whisky lover and ex-Citibank managing director Koji Shimaoka is positioning himself to shake up Japan’s whisky sector.
Shimaoka’s entry into the industry began in 2016 when he and his wife, Yoshu, partnered with award-winning whisky distiller Ian Chang – best known for his work at Taiwan’s Kavalan – to establish Karuizawa Distillers Inc (KDI). The name nods to the revered Karuizawa distillery, which ceased production in 2000 and whose bottlings command cult status.
Komoro
KDI’s first project was Komoro, a single malt whisky distillery set at the foothills of Mount Asama in the Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Initially budgeted at US$8 million, the facility opened in 2023 at more than triple that cost. Designed by Tokyo-based architecture firm Sogo Architecture & Urban Design, the site blends natural surroundings with contemporary design: floor-to-ceiling windows, a Mizunara oak bar and two copper pot stills, positioned openly in front of visitors.
Shimaoka notes that it’s not just a distillery. Instead, he describes Komoro as a whisky destination complete with a visitor centre, tasting rooms, tours and a whisky academy. The distillery currently produces 400,000 litres annually. While KDI has offered limited en-primeur releases ranging from ¥14,800 to ¥18,000 (£70 to £90), the first full public release is slated for late 2026.
Tourism is already a critical revenue stream, with more than 10,000 visitors a year attending masterclasses, whisky production tours and live music nights. “On average, our visitors spend ¥5,000 (£24) without buying a bottle,” Shimaoka says.
A second revenue pillar is Komoro’s private invitation-only investor club, The One Hundred Club. Members of this invitation-only club pay a substantial entry fee for access to exclusive bottlings and cask ownership opportunities.
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Furaliss: a second, much larger distillery
In June 2025, Shimaoka revealed plans for a second distillery named Furaliss – a portmanteau of Furano and Bliss. Set to open in 2028, Furaliss is being developed in collaboration with the Seibo Group, which owns the land in Furano, Hokkaido. Under the agreement, Seibo will provide a long-term lease of the land to KDI and assume a shareholder role.
As with Komoro, the malted barley will be imported, and maturation will draw on a broad cask portfolio including Japanese exclusive Sherry, Port, Bordeaux, Sauternes, Tequila and Japan’s prized Mirunara oak.
Master distiller Ian Chang says the cooler Hokkaido climate offers exciting possibilities. “Hokkaido is even cooler than Nagano. We can have even longer maturation and better oxidation in the colder climate,” he says.
Furaliss will house eight pot stills in different shapes and sizes from Forsyths of Rothes in Scotland, producing an expected 2m litres per year; four times Komoro’s output. The expanded capacity will allow KDI to lay down more long-term stock.
“Komoro is ultra-premium, but in terms of quantity, it is quite small,” Chang says. “We need some more volume to meet global demand.”
Ambition to crack the top tier
Beyond the two distilleries, KDI is working to secure long-term supplies of Mizunara oak, identifying locations in Singapore for a global distribution centre and scouting for a third distillery in southern Japan.
According to the Japanese Whisky Information Centre, Japan now hosts 117 whisky distilleries. Suntory and Nikka remain dominant, followed by Mars and Kirin Fuji Gotemba. Komor’s first release next year is expected to place KDI as the eighth-largest producer in Japan. Once Furaliss comes online, KDI anticipates rising to third.
Shimaoka’s ambitions are unabashed. He says: “We want to be a powerhouse of Japanese whisky.”
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