The Rise of Japanese Craft Gin: Botanicals, Brands & Where to Try

In just a few years, Japan has become one of the most exciting craft gin producers in the world. By infusing traditional gin with uniquely Japanese botanicals — yuzu, sakura, sansho pepper, matcha, and hinoki cypress — Japanese distillers have created a category that's distinctly their own. For cocktail lovers visiting Japan, exploring this scene is a revelation.

Why Japanese craft gin?

Japan's craft gin movement took off around 2016–2017, when several distilleries began experimenting with local botanicals. The timing coincided with the global gin renaissance and Japan's own craft spirits boom. What makes Japanese gin special isn't just novelty — it's the meticulous attention to quality and balance that Japanese makers bring to everything they produce.

Key botanicals

Japanese gins stand out because of their botanicals. While they use the traditional juniper base, they add ingredients that are deeply rooted in Japanese culture:

• Yuzu (柚子) — A citrus fruit with an unmistakable bright, floral aroma. The most common Japanese gin botanical.
• Sakura (桜) — Cherry blossom petals and leaves, adding delicate floral notes.
• Sansho pepper (山椒) — Japanese pepper with a tingling, citrusy kick.
• Gyokuro (玉露) — Shade-grown green tea, adding umami depth.
• Hinoki (檜) — Japanese cypress wood, contributing a clean, woody, spa-like aroma.
• Shiso (紫蘇) — Perilla leaf, herbal and slightly minty.
• Kabosu — A citrus from Oita prefecture, tart and aromatic.
• Kinome — Young sansho leaves, bright and fresh.

Notable Japanese gins

Roku (六) — Suntory

The most widely available Japanese gin, Roku (meaning "six") features six Japanese botanicals: sakura flower, sakura leaf, yuzu peel, sencha tea, gyokuro tea, and sansho pepper. Each is harvested at its peak and distilled separately. The result is balanced, floral, and versatile. Available at most bars and convenience stores.

Ki No Bi — Kyoto Distillery

Japan's first dedicated gin distillery, located in Kyoto. Ki No Bi ("The Beauty of the Seasons") uses Kyoto-sourced botanicals including yuzu, hinoki, gyokuro from Uji, and Fushimi water. It's elegant, complex, and considered one of the world's finest gins. The distillery also produces seasonal and limited editions.

Nikka Coffey Gin

Made using Nikka's Coffey stills (the same used for their whisky), this gin blends traditional botanicals with yuzu, kabosu, amanatsu, and sansho pepper. It's rich and citrus-forward, excellent in cocktails.

Wa Bi Gin

A small-batch gin from Kyoto that emphasizes Japanese ingredients like yuzu, lemon, green tea, ginger, and red shiso. Delicate and aromatic.

Komasa Gin — Kagoshima

From a shochu distillery in Kagoshima, this gin uses komikan (a local mandarin) as its signature botanical. It's bright, fruity, and showcases the connection between shochu and gin production.

YASO Gin

Made with 89 different botanicals, including herbs, fruits, and wild grasses fermented and distilled in Niigata. Complex, herbaceous, and unlike any other gin.

How to drink Japanese gin

Gin & tonic

The classic serve. Japanese bartenders often elevate it with specific tonic choices and garnishes that complement the gin's botanicals — a yuzu peel with Roku, or a shiso leaf with Ki No Bi.

Gin & soda (gin soda)

Increasingly popular in Japan, especially in summer. Lighter than G&T and lets the gin's character shine. Many Japanese bars serve excellent gin sodas.

Martini

Japanese gins make exceptional martinis. The floral and citrus notes add complexity. Order one at a cocktail bar and let the bartender choose the gin.

Neat or on the rocks

Premium gins like Ki No Bi are worth sipping straight. The botanicals are complex enough to enjoy without mixers.

Where to try Japanese gin

Cocktail bars

Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka have world-class cocktail bars where bartenders are passionate about Japanese gin. Many have full lineups of domestic gins. Use barhop.jp to find cocktail bars near you.

Distillery visits

• Kyoto Distillery — Offers tours and tastings (reservation recommended)
• Suntory — Various distillery experiences across Japan

Convenience stores and supermarkets

Roku and other major brands are available at convenience stores for home mixing. Canned gin & tonics (like Suntory's) are widely available.

Japanese craft gin represents the perfect intersection of tradition and innovation. Whether you're a gin enthusiast or a curious traveler, it's one of the most exciting things to explore during your time in Japan.