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Interview with Kazunori Shizuya about the future of the whiskey scene.
- Part 2 -

We interview "Master of Whiskey" Kazunori Shizuya about whiskey tourism based at Taiki Cosmic Glen Distillery and the future of the Japanese whiskey scene.

writer：Ryoko Kuraishi　後編写真：Midori Yamashita

A small selection of private bottles that Mr. Shizuya has worked on.

Growing popularity of craft whiskey!A new trend in the whiskey scene.

As the owner-bartender of Shinjuku Whiskey Salon and Bar Livet, Shizuya welcomes a variety of guests from Japan and abroad.
He says, "The current Japanese whiskey scene is getting calmer.

Yes, the frenzy that existed for a while has subsided, and now I feel that we have moved on to the next step, which is to say, the "deepening" stage.

For example, 60-70% of our customers are from overseas, and they all study Japanese whiskey very carefully before coming to drink it.

Craft distilleries are especially popular, and many of them request limited bottles from these distillers.

Especially popular among overseas customers are Nagahama distillery, Kanosuke distillery, Akkeshi distillery, and Tsunuki distillery, which is not a craft distillery.

Compared to a decade ago, when Hakushu and Yamazaki were the only choices, I feel that the range of Japanese whiskey has expanded worldwide.

For these people, whisky tourism offers a unique opportunity to taste and understand Japanese whisky more deeply.

Taiki Cosmic Glen Distillery plans to actively promote whisky tourism as it offers a different experience from bars.