A Toast to Japanese Craftsmanship

As the House of Suntory celebrates 100 years of whisky-making excellence, we reflect on the house's unwavering dedication to the craft in its rise to global prominence.

-  Indran P

Those words were boldly proclaimed by Shinjiro Torii, founder of House of Suntory and its firstgeneration master blender. And it is from this fearless vision that the company blossomed from an esteemed Japanese distillery to a globally renowned brand with a comprehensive and highly regarded repertoire of spirits.

According to his grandson and third-generation master blender Shigo Torii, the elder distiller was guided by two Japanese principles. Kotobuki, which wishes happiness upon all, and Yatte Minahare, a rallying cry that invokes courage, which inspired him and his associates to challenge themselves and dream big. With these founding philosophies, he hoisted the Japanese flag proudly in the fiercely competitive arena of spirits.

Necessity is credited as the mother of invention. But as Torii has shown, sometimes, dreams precede necessity. In his quest to make a new kind of whisky, he centred Japan as a new fount for whisky: “an original whisky, blessed by Japanese nature and craftsmanship”, that his son, second-generation master blender Keizo Saji and thereafter, grandson, third-generation master blender Shingo Torii, would inherit and protect.

The Suntory whiskies of today—Yamazaki, Hakushu, Chita, Toki and Kakubin—are part of an expansive range that account for over 100 types of malt whisky, all of which reflect their founder’s philosophy of fusing nature and craftsmanship in a manner unique to Japan.