Sasanokawa Shuzo is one of Japan's oldest spirits producers, founded in 1765 in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, on the main island of Honshu. Originally established as a sake brewery, the company has built a heritage of more than 250 years, with sake and shochu remaining the cornerstone of its business. In 1946, Sasanokawa Shuzo obtained its first whisky licence, marking the beginning of a long journey into Japanese whisky production. The distillery is best known for its Yamazakura brand, a range of blended and pure malt whiskies that reflect the company's commitment to quality and craftsmanship. Operating from its Asaka Distillery in Fukushima, Sasanokawa Shuzo has steadily developed its whisky portfolio, focusing on high-quality, flavourful malt whiskies. The company gained wider recognition when Ichiro Akuto, in the early days of his whisky venture, used Sasanokawa Shuzo to bottle expressions from the legendary Hanyu casks, underscoring the distillery's respected position within the Japanese whisky community.