【Upcoming Events】Mars Komagatake Distillery Festival 2025 to be held on Sunday, May 18

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News
Hombo Shuzokomagatake Distillery

The second “Mars Komagatake Distillery Festival” will be held on the long-awaited May 18 (Sunday)!

(Headquarters: Kagoshima City; President: Kazuto Hombo) will hold the “Mars Komagatake Distillery Festival” to express our gratitude for your patronage.
On the day of the festival, the distillery staff will hold seminars on whisky tasting, the Nijo Barley Project produced in the Kamiina area, and sherry casks with tastings (*). Visitors will be able to experience the passion and dedication to sake brewing that only the Hombo Shuzo can offer.
A stage event will also be held, and gourmet booths (for a fee) will be set up with the cooperation of restaurants so that visitors can enjoy delicious food along with delicious sake. There will also be a raffle for a commemorative bottle of sake.
We invite everyone to come and enjoy the festival, whether you can drink or not.

Please note that participation in each seminar will be by lottery and application through the special website.
Application period: Friday, April 11, 4:00 p.m. to Sunday, April 20, 4:00 p.m.

Click here for an outline of the event

Event name: Mars Komagatake Distillery Festival 2025

Date: Sunday, May 18, 2025, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (light rain permitting)

Venue: Special venue at Mars Komagatake Distillery, Hombo Shuzo Co.

4752-31 Miyadamura, Kamiina-gun, Nagano, 399-4301 Japan TEL 0265-85-4633 FAX 0265-85-4714

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1.How to apply for admission in advance

Date and Time Sunday, May 18, 2025, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., rain or shine
Time slots for each seminar

Whisky Tasting Seminar
Time / ①10:30-11:30 ②14:00-15:00
Fee / 3,000 yen per person (tax included)
Venue / whisky distillery
Lecturer / Mr. Kunihiro Kawakami, Blender

Komagatake and Spinola Sherry Cask Seminar
Time / 13:00-14:30
Fee / 3,000 yen per person (tax included)
Venue / Seminar Room, Visitor’s Building 2F
Lecturer / Ms. Kayo Kouno, Bodegas Jimenez Spinola
   Mr. Keiki Fukuda, whisky Production Manager

Komagane City-Miyadamura Nijo Barley Project Seminar
Time / 11:00-12:30
Fee / 3,000 yen per person (tax included)
Venue / Nijo Barley Field (Komagane City)
Lecturer / Mr. Katsuki Akiyama, Whisky Production Manager
   Mr. Shohei Oya, Agriculture and Forestry Division, Komagane City Hall
   Mr. Hideyuki Hayashi, producer

Seminar application period: 4/11 (Fri.) 16:00 to 4/20 (Sun.) 16:00.
Winners will be notified by 4/25 (Fri.) 12:00.

Price Free admission
Sales Method Special page here

2. venue

Venue

4752-31 Miyadamura, Kamiina-gun, Nagano, 399-4301 Japan

Access to the venue

Free shuttle bus available
First bus departs at 9:00 a.m.
(1) Tonda Village Office→(2) JR Jitonda Station→(3) Komagane Interchange→(4) Komagane Farms
→⑤Mars Komagatake Distillery
Last return trip departs from Mars Komagatake Distillery at 16:00 *This service departs every 30 minutes.

By car: Approx. 5 min. from Komagane I.C. on Chuo Expressway
JR: Approx. 10 minutes by cab from Komagane Station or Miyata Station on the JR Iida Line.

3-1. Events on the day of the festival


3-2. Original festival commemorative bottle

Limited quantity
Festival Commemorative Bottle

Commemorating the 2nd Distillery Festival,
Single Malt Komagatake” made from 2-row barley produced in Kamiina, Nagano Prefecture, will be available for sale by lottery.
Lottery application: Accepted at the venue (on the day of the event only)

3-3. Mars Komagatake Distillery Festival 2025 special site

マルス駒...

For more information about Komagatake Distillery, please click here.

Mars Komagatake Distillery(Hombo...
Founded in 1872. Hombo Shuzo, a general liquor manufacturer including shochu and wine, revived the distillery in 2011 af...
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Lastly: Recommended Books on Japanese Whisky

If you want to learn more about Japanese whisky, which is a global trend, we highly recommend these books.

(1).Whisky Galore Vol.29 December 2021 issue

In the December 2021 issue of Whisky Galore, published by the Whisky Culture Research Institute, we report on 11 Japanese craft distilleries, including some that are open to the public for the first time, under the title of “Japanese Whisky Craft Frontline,” the first of three consecutive issues. Why did the popularity of Japanese whisky and the craft boom occur? We will examine with interviews. Chichibu Distillery / Chichibu No.2 Distillery / Mars Shinshu Distillery / Mars Tsunuki Distillery / Kanosuke Distillery / Hioki Distillery / Ontake Distillery / Osuzuyama Distillery / Kaikyo Distillery / Hanyu Distillery / Konosu Distillery

(2). Japanese Whisky as an Education for Business

This is a book written by Mamoru Tsuchiya, a world-famous whisky critic and representative of the Whisky Culture Research Institute, titled “Japanese Whisky as a Culture that Works for Business” .
The book covers the basics of whisky, the introduction of whisky to Japan, the birth of Japanese whisky, advertising strategies and the rise of Japanese whisky, and the current rise of craft distilleries. This is a book that summarizes Japanese whisky in a very easy to understand way.

(3). Whisky and I (Masataka Taketsuru)

Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of Nikka Whisky, devoted his life to brewing whisky in Japan. This is a revised and reprinted version of the autobiography of a man who simply loved whisky and talked about himself. The book vividly depicts the days when he went to Scotland alone to study as a young man and overcame many hardships to complete Japanese whisky, as well as his companion, Rita.

(4). A Letter of Challenge from a New Generation Distillery

Launching in 2019. With the world experiencing an unprecedented whisky boom, what were the managers of craft distilleries thinking and what were their thoughts as they took on the challenge of making whisky? This book tells the stories of 13 craft distillery owners, including Ichiro Hido of Venture Whisky, famous for his Ichirose Malt, who inspired the birth of craft distilleries in Japan.

(5). Whiskey Rising

This is the Japanese version of Whisky Risng, published in the US in 2016, with much updated content. Not only does it describe the history of Japanese whisky in detail, but it also includes data on all the distilleries in Japan, including the craft distilleries that have been founded in recent years. The book also includes descriptions of the legendary bottles that have been released, as well as information on bars where Japanese whisky can be found.

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