“Tokyo-born” Craft Gin / Hachioji City Tokyo Hachioji Distillery
A place where craftsmanship and refined sensibility come alive— Tokyo Hachioji Distillery, a craft gin distillery dedicated to creating spirits with skill, passion, and character.
Great food deserves great spirits, and a fine drink makes every dish even more enjoyable. Alcohol is an indispensable partner in the pleasure of dining. This series introduces passionate makers and individuals across the Tama area who devote themselves to the art of crafting sake and spirits. In this edition, we spotlight Tokyo Hachioji Distillery, a Hachioji-based producer dedicated to the creation of distinctive craft gin.
This venture by Daishin Kogyo Co., Ltd., a company with a 75-year history specializing in the manufacture of construction materials such as resin glazing channels used to secure residential window frames and glass, began with one unforgettable encounter experienced by President Shintaro Nakazawa. While on a business trip to the company’s Sapporo sales office, Nakazawa happened upon a bar in Hakodate, where he encountered “BEL AIR,” a craft gin produced by a Parisian distillery and often described as “a perfume you can drink.” For the first time, he experienced the idea of enjoying alcohol not through taste, but through aroma—and the impact was profound.
At a company that has been passed down since his grandfather’s generation, the idea of developing a new line of business had long been under consideration. When Nakazawa heard that the gin production process is essentially industrial in nature, his intuition was sparked.
Wine production must begin with the cultivation of grapes, while sake requires highly skilled craftsmanship—master brewers overseeing fermentation and the intricate art of koji-making. Gin, by contrast, is produced by infusing grain spirits—distilled from grains such as corn or rye—with botanicals like juniper berries and coriander seeds. Because the process does not involve microorganisms, it allows for a more industrial approach to production. This realization led to a pivotal insight: gin could indeed be a viable new venture for a manufacturing company.This was the starting point of everything.
In 2019, Nakazawa traveled to a distillery in Chicago, USA, to undergo hands-on training and learn every step of gin production, from distillation to sales. During this time, his vision of what kind of gin he wanted to create became clear. While craft gin has been gaining attention in Japan—often characterized by highly distinctive, locally inspired flavors—Nakazawa set his sights on a different goal: a gin that does not stray too far from the classic London Dry Gin style, one that is easy to use as a cocktail base, never overpowering, yet capable of adding depth, and a spirit people would want to continue using for years to come. From there, he carefully refined market research and sales plans, and built a sleek, glass-walled distillery within a corner of the company’s own factory. In January 2022, Tokyo Hachioji Distillery released two gins: Tokyo Hachioji Gin “CLASSIC” and “ELDER FLOWER.”
That May, the two gins were honored at the Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition 2020, winning Gold and Silver Awards in the Western spirits category. They were praised for how the botanicals resonate with and layer upon one another, creating a sense of complexity and depth.
In fact, Nakazawa has another side to him—that of a musician. While he has spent many years in manufacturing and leads his company with a logical, analytical mindset as president, he has also been playing the trombone since junior high school and continues to organize orchestral concerts around three times a year. A musician who leads with a keen sensitivity to layered sound, Nakazawa brings together these two distinct sensibilities. Perhaps it is precisely because he possesses both perspectives that he has been able to create a unique harmony of aromas—where botanicals resonate and overlap, producing a complex and richly layered fragrance.
Nakazawa also advocates a way of enjoying gin as a mealtime drink. Spirits such as gin are characterized by their higher alcohol content and clean, dry mouthfeel. Despite their aromatic elegance, they finish crisp and sharp on the palate, often leaving one wanting just a touch of sweetness to complement the flavors. For this reason, gin is most commonly enjoyed as a gin and tonic, with tonic water adding a gentle bitterness and subtle sweetness—making it well suited as an aperitif. Short cocktails made with gin, such as martinis or gimlets, on the other hand, are better enjoyed as digestifs, served after a meal.
He therefore proposes enjoying gin as a “Gin Sonic,” a simple mix of gin diluted with equal parts tonic water and soda. This style enhances the gin’s aromatic elegance while adding depth, yet maintains a clean, refreshing finish. With just the right level of sweetness—never overpowering—it complements food without getting in the way, making it ideal as a mealtime drink.
On the second floor of the distillery is a dedicated tasting bar counter. In addition to hosting distillery tours on an irregular basis, the space serves as a hub of ongoing exchange with bartenders from central Tokyo and the surrounding area. Together, they explore new flavors and work toward the broader cultivation of spirits culture. The future in which Nakazawa’s vision of a “Tokyo-born” standard dry gin earns devoted fans across Japan—and around the world—may well be within reach.
| Facility Name | Tokyo Hachioji Distillery |
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| Address | 1213-5 Kunugida-machi, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo, Japan |
| Official Website | https://www.hachioji-distillery.jp/ |
https://www.instagram.com/hachiojidistillery/ |
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| Distillery tours are held irregularly and are by reservation only. For tour dates and reservations, please refer to the URL below |
