Beyond the lavender fields in Furano, a whisky distillery sprouts

Japan Times

14 hours ago

Known for its melons and lavender fields in summer and powder snow in winter, Furano in central Hokkaido is planning to add another drawcard: a destination whisky distillery.
Furaliss Distillery — an amalgamation of the words 'Furano' and 'bliss' — is a collaboration between the city of Furano, real estate developer Seibu Group and Tokyo-based Karuizawa Distillers.
The distillery, which is slated to open in 2028, will be located near the Seibu-owned New Furano Prince Hotel, which sits at the foot of a ropeway- and chairlift-lined ski slope.
At a press conference held at the New Furano Prince Hotel on June 5, Takashi Goto, CEO of Seibu, said the three partners 'aim to create a dream project that inspires people around the world,' while Taketoshi Kita, mayor of Furano, said the project 'represents an exciting step forward' for the region.
For Koji Shimaoka, CEO of Karuizawa Distillers, whisky production is his 'third career.'
After spending 25 years in finance at Citibank, Shimaoka left his job in 2010 to pursue his whisky passion. Together with his wife, Yoshie, who is also chief financial officer of Karuizawa Distillers, they ventured into hospitality in 2016, acquiring a traditional inn in Nagano Prefecture's Karuizawa before taking a leap of faith to found Karuizawa Distillers on Christmas in 2019.
In 2023, they opened Komoro Distillery at the foothills of Nagano's Mount Asama, making whiskies such as the Komoro Citizen Reserve, which features artist Keizo Koyama's painting 'Mt. Asama Midsummer' on its label, and the Sakura Cask Matured 2025, which is aged in cherry blossom casks.
The co-founders of Karuizawa Distillers, (from left) Yoshie Shimaoka, Koji Shimaoka and Ian Chang, are eager to make world-class whisky in Furano. |
KARUIZAWA DISTILLERS
Furaliss is the company's second distillery. Shimaoka said it is a 'great honor for us to take on the challenge of creating world-class whisky in the exceptional setting of Furano.'
The Shimaokas initially came to Furano to look for a place to set up maturation warehouses on Seibu-owned land — from their dealings in Nagano, the pair had developed a good relationship with Prince Hotels and their owner, Seibu — but eventually felt the area's abundant natural resources made for the perfect spot to set up a distillery.
The star from Taiwan
Shimaoka's master stroke was bringing in Ian Chang, the former whiskymaker of Taiwan's renowned Kavalan Distillery, as Karuizawa Distillers' third co-founder to oversee whisky production.
If there is a true rockstar of Asian whisky, it would be the Taiwan-born Chang. Having mentored under the innovative Jim Swan — a legend in the whisky world and also a de facto national hero in Taiwan — Chang's pedigree is impeccable. At Kavalan, his application of Swan's pedagogy, coupled with his studiousness, saw the distillery rise from a relative unknown to the talk of the industry within 15 years. Kavalan's award-winning whiskies, especially its Solist series of single cask bottlings, are now highly sought after.
As head distiller at both Komoro and Furaliss, Chang will split his time between the two distilleries.
After the press conference, Chang led a tour of the proposed site for the distillery, which was still just a clearing among trees downslope from the New Furano Prince Hotel.
Furaliss Distillery will be located near the New Furano Prince Hotel, which sits at the foot of a ski hill. |
SEIBU GROUP
The climate in the cooler north allows for longer whisky-aging in barrels, a style that Chang is eager to work with. (Conversely, warmer temperatures lead to faster maturations but also the potential for higher extraction of oak flavors from the barrel.)
'Because the temperature in Furano is very low in winter, we are aiming for a long maturation. If you plan to do that, you need to make sure the new make (freshly distilled spirit) is very fruity to begin with,' he explained. 'That will then allow it to mellow with age and be in a very good state to be enjoyed at the end of its maturation.'
Chang said Furaliss will focus on single malts, making excess stock that can age for five, 12 and perhaps 30 years or more. Komoro has a production volume of about 500, 000 liters, and Furaliss' output will be three to five times bigger than the former, an initiative they are undertaking for 'future generations.' There are, however, no plans to blend whiskies from Komoro and Furaliss but he may consider once both distilleries 'have established their own personalities.'
'Koji and I both love single malt,' said Chang. 'We think that it is the story of the distillery and the local culture, people and climate.'
In the lead-up to the opening of the distillery — construction will begin in the spring of 2026 — there will be staggered whisky releases offered by Komoro: The first will be Furano Edition, a sort of prototype of the fruit-forward whiskies aged in a cold climate they aim to produce at Furaliss; the second, Furano Reserve, will be made in Nagano but aged in Furano; finally, the third will be Furaliss' own whisky produced and aged entirely on its new premises.
While Furaliss undergoes construction, Chang will work at his Nagano-based distillery to create the whisky styles he has in mind for the Furano project. |
KARUIZAWA DISTILLERS
Initially, many of the raw ingredients, such as malted barley, will be imported. With moves toward using local barley in Nagano already underway — Komoro is currently procuring malted barley from suppliers in the U.K. and Japan — Furaliss will follow suit in the future.
'Apparently, Hokkaido is a place in Japan where they have peat, just like in Islay, Scotland. So that is something we will definitely explore,' said Chang, adding that they also plan to have their own cooperage to create barrels for aging as well as different pot stills to produce various styles and flavors.
The design of the distillery will be similar to its Komoro sibling — an open concept with large internal windows — and will also be overseen by the same team, Akira and Mami Sogo of Sogo Architecture & Urban Design. Akira hopes the place will be an incubator for whisky production alongside whisky culture.
And what better way to communicate the culture than through food? Furaliss will have a bar and restaurant, along with a 'whisky academy' headed by renowned whisky expert and Karuizawa Distillers' chief educator Eddie Ludlow. Visitors will also be able to take home whisky-flavored cakes and cookies. Chang noted that a good distillery should also offer 'an experience and tools for consumers to understand more about our whisky and promote a lifestyle.'
Meanwhile, Chang's own personal mission is to continue the legacy of the late Swan, who passed away in 2017.
'Jim always told us that whisky is the fusion of 70% science and 30% art,' he said. 'I've promised Koji that I'm going to pass on Jim's techniques and his philosophy to our future generations of blenders and distillers.'