Tabelog ratingSuntory's 'forest distillery' sits at around 700 m in the Southern Alps, and the walk through woodland to reach the buildings is part of the visit. The paid ¥3,000 monozukuri tour leads past the wooden washbacks, the stills and the warehouses, then into Bar Hakushu, a bar open only to tour guests. There you taste three component malts and Hakushu NV, mix your own mint-topped Hakushu highball, and keep the tasting glass.
The forest setting and the smell of fermenting malt come up in almost every review. Guides are described as clear and kind, and one went out of their way to accommodate a wheelchair user. The tasting lounge has counter seats facing a glass wall of trees. It pours bottlings that are hard to find elsewhere, including Hakushu 18 and 25 and a new 25-year flight of Hakushu, Yamazaki and Hibiki. At the Hakushu Terrace restaurant, reviewers single out the pizza, the chicken confit, the pasta and a peach-and-grape sherbet.
Most complaints concern rigid rules. A late arrival was handed a souvenir instead of joining the tour, and one walk-in was given conflicting information about entry. The live translation device was patchy and sometimes crashed. Drivers receive only water and a pen at the tasting. One visitor found the experience efficient but lacking warmth.
In 2025–2026 reviewers paid around ¥600–800 for a glass in the lounge, about ¥1,600–1,900 for a Hakushu aging flight and ¥700–800 for a highball. In the restaurant, pizzas ran about ¥1,900–2,000 and up, a salad about ¥1,000 and pasta from around ¥1,000. A bottle of Hakushu NV cost ¥7,700. Lunch typically comes to ¥3,000–3,999. There is no dinner service, as the site closes at 16:30. Museum entry is free.
Reviewers repeatedly call the ¥3,000 tour too cheap for what it includes. Lounge pours sit close to Tokyo bar prices, but the selection justifies them.
- Getting there: free shuttle bus from Kobuchizawa Station, or a taxi. The site is remote, so allow most of a day.
- Booking: walk-ins are not possible. A reservation is required even to enter the grounds or the shop, and visitors without one are often turned away. The paid tour is allocated by lottery about two months ahead. Free museum entry and the restaurant are easier to book but still need a reservation. Phone: 0551-35-2211.
- Age restriction: under-20s cannot take part in tastings. Children and strollers are welcome on site.
- Drivers cannot taste.
- Payment: VISA, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX and Diners are accepted, as are electronic money and QR payments. The tasting lounge is cashless only, with orders by tablet or ticket machine.
- Language: tours run in Japanese with a real-time translation device.
- Shop: one bottle per person.
- Seating: no private rooms or private hire. Entirely non-smoking.
- Parking: about 120 spaces, including one for disabled visitors. Large buses are accepted.
