Shizuoka (Gaiaflow) Distillery: Japan's Wood Fired Whisky Pioneer

What it is: A craft distillery in the mountains of Shizuoka, built by Gaiaflow (established 2014) and completed in 2016 under president Taiko Nakamura, known for its ex-Karuizawa pot still and the world’s only wood fired direct heat still.
Why it matters: Shizuoka is pushing Japanese whisky toward true terroir, using locally grown barley, proprietary yeast, cedar washbacks, and firewood from surrounding forests.
What to try first: Shizuoka Contact S blends spirit from both signature stills and represents the distillery’s full character at 55.5% ABV.
Visiting: Tours run by reservation only from the distillery website, about 60 minutes by bus from JR Shizuoka Station. Tours are in Japanese with English materials provided.
Availability: Limited releases sell out quickly in Japan. International availability is growing through UK and European importers, though expect secondary market premiums.

Every craft distillery in Japan has a story. Chichibu has the playing card bottles. Akkeshi has the 24 Solar Terms. But Shizuoka Distillery has something no other distillery in the world can claim: a pot still heated by burning wood, and a second still pulled from one of whisky’s most legendary lost distilleries.

Located in the Oku-Shizu mountain region of Shizuoka prefecture, about 60 minutes southwest of Tokyo by Shinkansen (Hikari service), Gaiaflow Shizuoka Distillery has been producing whisky since October 2016. Gaiaflow Distilling Co. was formally established on October 8, 2014, with construction of the distillery completed on August 9, 2016. In less than a decade, its limited releases have earned a cult following and consistently sell out within hours of going on sale.

The Founder: Taiko Nakamura

Taiko Nakamura is the president of Gaiaflow Co., Ltd., a company that imports spirits from around the world, including Scottish single malts, independent bottlers like Blackadder and Asta Morris, and Indian whisky Amrut. That importing business gave Nakamura deep connections across the global whisky industry, and a clear understanding of what makes great whisky.

Nakamura’s vision was specific: a distillery built from its surroundings. Not a copy of a Scottish or American operation, but something that could only exist in Shizuoka. He hired Derek Buston, an American architect living in the prefecture, to design a building that would blend into the mountain landscape rather than impose on it. The result is a distillery wrapped in local cedar, integrated with the forest rather than standing apart from it.

Construction was completed in August 2016. The whisky distillation license followed in September, and the first distillate ran off the stills in October. By December 2016, the first spirit was resting in casks.

The Stills: K, W, and Why They Matter

Shizuoka’s identity is defined by its two wash stills, each with a radically different character.

Pot Still K: The Karuizawa Legacy

The K still is a pot still salvaged from the Karuizawa Distillery, one of the most revered names in whisky history. Karuizawa ceased production in 2000 and was formally closed in 2011, its bottles now commanding six figure sums at auction. When the equipment was being sold off, Nakamura acquired the wash still, giving it a second life in Shizuoka.

This is a steam heated still, producing spirit with a character that reviewers describe as more refined, with creamy mouthfeel, minerality, and honeyed notes. For the first three months of operation, before the other stills were fully set up, all distillation ran through the K still, making the earliest Shizuoka spirit a direct descendant of Karuizawa’s equipment.

Pot Still W: The World’s Only Wood Fired Still

The W still, manufactured by Forsyths of Scotland, is believed to be the only whisky pot still in the world heated directly by wood fire. While direct firing itself is not unique (Yoichi famously uses coal, and several Scottish distilleries use gas), using wood as the heat source is unprecedented.

The firewood comes from local lumber forests in the Tamakawa district, supplied by Tamakawa Kicori, a lumberyard in Shizuoka City. The logs are split and dried on site at the distillery before use. Where indirect steam heating operates at around 150 degrees Celsius, direct wood firing can push temperatures up to 800 degrees Celsius, creating different chemical reactions during distillation that influence the final spirit character. For more on how distillation methods shape flavor, see our guide on how Japanese whisky is made.

Does wood firing produce measurably different whisky? The distillery and reviewers believe so. In comparative reviews, Prologue W (wood fired) tends to show more sweetness, fruitiness, and a caramel honey character compared to Prologue K’s minerality and malt. Whether this difference comes from the still type, the heat source, or both remains an open question that will become clearer as the whisky ages.

The spirit still is also a Forsyths, using standard indirect heating. There is also a hybrid still for experimental runs.

Washbacks and Water: The Shizuoka Terroir

Cedar Washbacks

Shizuoka is the only distillery in the world using Japanese cedar (sugi) washbacks for fermentation. The distillery maintains both cedar and Douglas fir washbacks, allowing them to compare how the wood species influences fermentation character. The cedar washbacks were built by Fuji Seiokesho from Osaka, one of the last traditional coopers in Japan who still make large wooden vessels by hand.

Nakamura’s inspiration came from the traditional use of cedar in sake brewing, where sugi has been used for centuries. Applying this to whisky production is entirely new.

Water Source

The distillery draws water from an on-site well fed by underground flows from the Abenakagochi River, which originates in the Southern Alps. This underground water filters through the mountain geology before reaching the distillery, providing a clean, mineral water supply used throughout the entire production process.

The All-Shizuoka Whisky

In November 2018, Shizuoka began producing a truly all-local whisky using ingredients sourced entirely from within the prefecture:

Barley: Harvested from farms in Fujinomiya and Kayama (near the distillery). Barley cultivation is uncommon in Shizuoka, making this a deliberate local agricultural partnership.
Yeast: A proprietary strain called NMZ-0688, developed at the Numazu Industrial Support Center specifically for malt whisky and beer production. The same facility also created “Shizuoka Yeast” used in local sake.
Fuel: Locally sourced firewood for the W still.
Water: On-site well water.

This makes Shizuoka one of the few distilleries in Japan (or anywhere) where every ingredient, from grain to glass, comes from the surrounding region.

The Releases

Shizuoka’s release strategy follows a clear progression: single still releases first, then blended still releases, gradually building complexity as the whisky ages.

Prologue K (2020/2021)

The distillery’s debut single malt used only the ex-Karuizawa K still for both distillation runs, making it what Shizuoka calls a “Single Wash Still Whisky.” Released in a batch of 5,000 bottles at 55.5% ABV with no chill filtration or added color, it was blended from 31 first fill bourbon casks.

The malt was roughly half imported and half Japanese grown. Retail price was around ¥8,130 plus tax. Shizuoka Prologue K sold out but could be found sitting on local shop shelves for a brief period after release. Secondary market prices have since climbed to multiples of the original price.

Reviewer notes describe malty vanilla, grassy peat, pear, woody caramel, and minerality. Nomunication rated it B minus, noting it was juvenile but showed the delicacy and complexity the distillery could deliver over time.

Prologue W (2021)

Made entirely on the wood fired W still, again at 55.5% ABV with 5,000 bottles. Shizuoka Prologue W used a broader ingredient base: Japanese malt, Scottish peated and unpeated malt, and German beer malt. The cask selection was also wider, including bourbon barrels, first fill bourbon quarter casks, and virgin American oak casks.

Retail price was ¥8,943 including tax. Nomunication gave it an A rating, finding it more refined and balanced than Prologue K, with caramel, green apple, lemon lime citrus, honey, and cinnamon character. The reviewer noted: “If you have to choose between the two, go with the Prologue W.”

Contact S (2021)

Shizuoka Contact S was the first release to blend spirit from both the K still and the W still, giving the whisky its name: the point of “contact” between two distillation methods. Also 55.5% ABV, 5,000 bottles, no chill filtration or added color. Aged predominantly in first fill bourbon barrels and quarter casks.

Like Prologue W, Contact S used three malt types: domestic Japanese barley, Scottish peated and unpeated malt, and German beer malt. Reviews on Whiskybase average around 89/100. Tasting notes across reviewers include toasted seeds, honey, salted butter caramel, vanilla, pears, light smoke, with a palate of sweet malt giving way to warming spices, dark chocolate, and earthy smoke.

Available through UK and European importers at a premium above the Japanese retail price.

United S (2022)

Shizuoka United S continued the blended still approach at 50.5% ABV (slightly lower than previous releases). Again 5,000 bottles. The same three malt types were used. Reviews describe it as similar to Contact S but slightly less complex, with a shorter finish. Available through the same UK and European import channels, typically at a similar or slightly lower premium than Contact S.

Gaiaflow Blended M

Gaiaflow Blended M is a blended malt that mixes Shizuoka distillery spirit with imported malt whisky. It is not labeled as “Japanese Whisky” and would not meet JSLMA standards due to the imported component. For those curious about the distillery’s character at a lower price point, it offers an accessible entry, though it does not represent what Shizuoka can do on its own.

How Shizuoka Compares

Shizuoka sits within a generation of Japanese craft distilleries that launched between 2016 and 2020, alongside Kanosuke Single Malt from Kagoshima and Akkeshi Hakuro from Hokkaido. All three share a commitment to terroir driven production and JSLMA compliance, but their approaches differ:

Shizuoka emphasizes equipment innovation (wood firing, cedar washbacks) and all-local ingredient sourcing.
Kanosuke focuses on oceanfront maturation and multiple pot still sizes.
Akkeshi draws on Hokkaido peat and an Islay inspired approach.

For fans of Chichibu The Peated, Shizuoka represents a different branch of the same tree: craft scale, terroir focused, and willing to experiment. Where Chichibu’s identity is built around Ichiro Akuto’s floor malting and cooperage, Shizuoka’s is built around its stills and its relationship to the surrounding forest.

Visiting Shizuoka Distillery

Getting There

The distillery is in the mountains of Oku-Shizu, about 60 minutes by bus from JR Shizuoka Station or about 45 minutes by taxi or rental car. From the Shin-Shizuoka IC on the Shin-Tomei Expressway, it is about 20 minutes by car. JR Shizuoka Station is roughly 60 minutes from Tokyo by Shinkansen (Hikari service) or about 90 minutes on Kodama.

Address: 555 Ochiai, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka-ken 421-2223 Phone: 054-292-2555

The Tour

Tours are by reservation only through the distillery website. The guided tour lasts about one hour and covers the full production process: malt milling (using a vintage 1989 English mill from the Karuizawa era), mashing, fermentation in the cedar and fir washbacks, distillation across all stills, and the maturation warehouse.

Tours are conducted in Japanese. English speaking visitors receive a fact sheet to follow along. After the formal tour, there is a paid tasting session in the distillery shop lasting about one hour.

Tour cost: ¥1,100 (tax included) per person for visitors 20 and over. Free for those under 20 accompanied by a parent or guardian. Private cask owners enter free with up to two companions.

The Tasting and Shop

The tasting room offers paid pours of Shizuoka’s single malts and new make, plus selections from Gaiaflow’s import portfolio (Amrut, Blackadder, Asta Morris, and more). Notably, you cannot buy bottles of Shizuoka single malt at the shop. The releases sell through the Whisky Port online shop and selected retailers.

Private Cask Program

Shizuoka operates a private cask program that is consistently oversubscribed. Owners purchase a full cask of new make, age it for a minimum of three years at the distillery, and then bottle it at their preferred timing. Cask owners can visit to check on their whisky’s progress and taste it at various stages of maturation.

What to Buy and What to Expect

Shizuoka releases sell out quickly in Japan and command premiums on the secondary market. If you can find Contact S at close to its original retail price, it is the best representation of the distillery’s character. For help navigating online retailers, see our guide to buying Japanese whisky online, blending both stills into a single bottle.

For UK and European buyers, Contact S and United S are available through importers, though prices sit above the Japanese retail. Check specialist whisky retailers rather than general spirits shops.

The distillery continues to release limited editions and single cask bottlings. As the whisky ages (the oldest casks are now approaching a decade), expect more complex and mature releases in the coming years.

FAQ

Is Shizuoka whisky JSLMA compliant?

Yes, Shizuoka single malt releases (Prologue K, Prologue W, Contact S, United S) carry the “Single Malt Japanese Whisky” designation on their labels, indicating JSLMA compliance. The distillery uses domestic and imported malt, distills and matures entirely in Japan, meeting all JSLMA requirements.

How do you visit Shizuoka Distillery?

Tours are by reservation only through the distillery website. The guided tour lasts about one hour and is conducted in Japanese, with English fact sheets provided. A paid tasting session follows in the shop. The distillery is about 60 minutes by bus from JR Shizuoka Station.

What is the K still at Shizuoka Distillery?

The K still is a pot still salvaged from the legendary Karuizawa Distillery, which closed and was later demolished. It serves as one of two wash stills at Shizuoka. Prologue K was made using only this historic still for both distillation runs.

What makes the W still at Shizuoka unique?

The W still, manufactured by Forsyths, is believed to be the world’s only wood fired direct heat pot still. It uses locally sourced firewood from Shizuoka forests instead of gas, coal, or steam. This method can push temperatures up to 800 degrees Celsius, compared to about 150 degrees with indirect heating.

What is Shizuoka Contact S?

Contact S is the first Shizuoka release to blend spirit from both the K still and the W still, released in 2021 at 55.5% ABV. The name refers to the “contact” between these two distinct distillation methods. It was a limited run of 5,000 bottles.