Ichiro Akuto's Chichibu II Set for U.S. Debut

In the world of Japanese whisky, few names command as much respect as Ichiro Akuto, founder of Venture Whisky. Best known for resurrecting his family’s whisky heritage through the legendary Hanyu Card Series and then launching distilling at the cult-favorite Chichibu Distillery in 2008, Akuto expanded his operations in 2019 by adding a second distillery: Chichibu II. Located in Saitama prefecture about 60-70 miles northeast of Tokyo, Chichibu II began distillation in October 2019, but while it’s located close to the original distillery, Chichibu II is no mere copy, it’s a distinct evolution in both scale and spirit.

While the original Chichibu Distillery gained its reputation on its small-scale artisanal production, Chichibu II was built to meet the demand for Chichibu single malt and to provide more stock for the Ichiro’s Malt range of world blends. Demand for Chichibu whiskies has long outpaced supply ever since Chichibu The First was released in 2011, with small batch and single casks editions from the original distillery often snapped up upon release or traded on the secondary market at a premium. The Chichibu enterprise is otherwise self-contained: Akuto runs a small maltings, a cooperage, and a bottling line, with casks maturing in dunnage warehouses. There is no Chichibu Distillery visitor center or regular tours, but the team has shown visitors around by appointment if arranged in advance, but access is not guaranteed.

Chichibu II is designed to produce four to five times more spirit than its older sibling—an ambitious leap that reflects the brand’s growing international stature. The most notable changes between the two sites are the fermentation and distillation set-ups. While the original distillery took the singular step of installing mizunara oak washbacks, Chichibu II is equipped with washbacks made of French oak. The Chichibu II copper pot stills, fabricated by Forsyths in Scotland, are direct gas-fired and much larger in capacity than the small, steam-heated, straight-necked Forsyths stills used at the original distillery. Direct-firing may be old school, but this traditional method of heating the still is understood to create more complex flavors than the more consistent method of internal heating, which is why direct firing remains in use at scotch whisky distilleries such as Glenfarclas, Springbank, and Glenfiddich, as well as some other small craft distilleries. (Gas firing wasn’t used at Chichibu for reasons of efficiency, as it was a small start-up and steam heating requires less maintenance.) In Japan, direct-fired stills can also be found at a number of distilleries, including Yamazaki, Hakushu, Yoichi, and Shizuoka, with the latter operating a wood-fired still.

The debut release from Chichibu II launched in Japan in March 2025. Simply titled Chichibu Distillery II, the bourbon cask driven Japanese single malt whisky found its way into specialist whisky bars and stores, with a small number of bottles reaching the secondary market by the summer—much to the delight of fans who have closely followed Akuto’s journey from Hanyu to Chichibu and now to Chichibu II. Meanwhile, the original Chichibu Distillery has now become more experimental, serving as a micro-distillery for Akuto to run distillation trials that could be scaled up at the larger distillery if successful. For Japanese whisky lovers in the U.S., there is more good news. High Road Spirits, Chichibu’s U.S. importer, has confirmed that the first shipment of Chichibu II bottlings will be available in the U.S. beginning in October 2025, along with a new Chichibu 10 year old expression from the original distillery, offering enthusiasts the rare opportunity to taste the latest evolution of Chichibu across two sites—and two distinct styles. Whether you're chasing the new bottlings on the secondary market or waiting for official imports to land, Chichibu II marks the next chapter in Japan’s craft whisky scene—and in the career of one of its most influential makers.