The best Japanese gin to start with is Suntory's ROKU. For something special, buy Ki No Bi from Kyoto. For a
martini, or if you drink whisky, buy Nikka Coffey Gin. Beyond those three, ETSU from Hokkaido,
SAKURAO from Hiroshima, Masahiro from Okinawa and Komasa from Kagoshima are worth tracking down.
What sets Japanese gin apart is not only yuzu, sansho and green tea. It is who makes it. Many Japanese gins come
from sake brewers, shochu and awamori distillers and whisky makers, and several are built on their own base
spirits: rice spirit in Ki No Bi, awamori in Masahiro, rice shochu in Komasa, grain spirit from a whisky still in
Nikka. The base is part of the flavour.
This guide covers eleven bottles, how they compare, how to serve them, and how to find them outside Japan, where
Amazon will not sell you one.
Quick Reference: 11 Japanese Gins at a Glance
| Gin | Maker / region | What makes it Japanese | ABV | Easy to find abroad? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROKU | Suntory, Osaka | Six Japanese botanicals, one per season | 43% | Yes |
| Ki No Bi | The Kyoto Distillery, Kyoto | Rice spirit, Fushimi water, gyokuro | 45.7% | Yes |
| Nikka Coffey Gin | Nikka, Miyagi | Coffey still grain spirit, four Japanese citrus | 47% | Yes |
| ETSU | Asahikawa Distillery, Hokkaido | Yuzu, green tea, sansho; mountain water | 43% | Often |
| SAKURAO Original | SAKURAO, Hiroshima | 9 of 14 botanicals from Hiroshima | 47% | Often |
| Masahiro Okinawa Gin | Masahiro, Okinawa | Awamori base, goya, shikuwasa | 47% | Sometimes |
| Komasa Sakurajima Komikan | Komasa Jyozo, Kagoshima | Rice shochu base, Japan's smallest mandarin | Varies by bottling | Sometimes |
| SUI | Suntory, Osaka | Yuzu, green tea, ginger; built for gin soda | - | Mostly Asia |
| KANOMORI | Yomeishu, Nagano | Kuromoji (spicebush) | 47% | Japan |
| 9148 #0101 | Benizakura Distillery, Sapporo | Kombu, dried shiitake, dried daikon | 45% | Japan |
| Setouchi Lemon | Miyake Honten, Hiroshima | Setouchi lemon, Japanese green tea | - | Japan |
1. Why Japanese Gin? The Botanicals, and the Base Spirit
Gin only has to taste mainly of juniper. Everything else is the distiller's choice, and Japanese distillers have choices nobody else has.
Botanicals from the Japanese Kitchen
Yuzu, sansho pepper, gyokuro and sencha tea, sakura blossom, hinoki cypress, shiso, kombu. These are the flavours of Japanese cooking and Japanese seasons, and they give the gins in this guide aromas a European gin does not reach for. ROKU even picks one botanical for each season, harvested at its peak, which in Japan is called shun.
Made by Sake, Shochu, Awamori and Whisky Makers
Japanese gin is young, but the companies making it are not. Suntory's Osaka plant has made gin since Hermes Gin
in 1936. SAKURAO began as a sake brewer in 1918. Komasa Jyozo has made shochu since 1883, and Masahiro is an
awamori distillery in Okinawa. Nikka builds its gin on spirit from the Coffey still it uses for grain
whisky.
That background shows up in the glass. Instead of neutral grain spirit, several of these gins start from a
spirit with its own character: rice spirit, rice shochu, awamori. If you want to taste what makes a Japanese gin
Japanese, the base spirit is the place to start.
A Dedicated Gin Distillery in Kyoto
In 2016 The Kyoto Distillery opened as Japan's first distillery dedicated to gin. Its Ki No Bi showed that a Japanese gin could be made as carefully as Japanese whisky, and small distilleries across the country followed, from Sapporo to Okinawa.
2. The Japanese Botanicals, One by One
| Botanical | What it brings | Find it in |
|---|---|---|
| Yuzu | Bright citrus somewhere between lemon, grapefruit and mandarin, with a floral edge | ROKU, Ki No Bi, Nikka, ETSU, SAKURAO, SUI |
| Sansho pepper | A citrusy, tingling spice, related to Sichuan pepper but brighter | ROKU, Ki No Bi, Nikka, ETSU |
| Gyokuro and sencha | Green tea depth; gyokuro, the shade-grown tea, adds a savoury note | ROKU, Ki No Bi (gyokuro from Uji), ETSU, SUI, Setouchi Lemon |
| Sakura flower and leaf | A soft floral note, familiar from cherry blossom sweets in Japan | ROKU |
| Hinoki cypress | Clean wood, the scent of a hinoki bath | Ki No Bi, SAKURAO |
| Ginger | Warmth on the finish | Ki No Bi, SAKURAO, SUI |
| Kuromoji (spicebush) | A woody, sweet-spicy aroma from a tree used for Japanese toothpicks | KANOMORI |
| Kombu and shiitake | The savoury base of Japanese dashi, turned into an aroma | 9148 #0101 |
3. The Big Three: ROKU, Ki No Bi, Nikka Coffey Gin
These three are the Japanese gins you are most likely to find in a good bottle shop or bar outside Japan.
No.1 ROKU: The One to Start With
ROKU means "six" in Japanese, and the hexagonal bottle carries the idea. Suntory uses six Japanese botanicals,
each harvested at its peak: sakura flower and sakura leaf for spring, sencha and gyokuro tea for summer, sansho
pepper for autumn and yuzu peel for winter. Eight traditional gin botanicals, juniper among them, complete the
recipe.
It is the easiest Japanese gin to find and the easiest to like. Make Suntory's own perfect serve, a gin and tonic
over plenty of ice with six thin slices of fresh ginger, and you have tasted the category.
- Maker
- Suntory, Osaka
- ABV
- 43%
- Japanese botanicals
- Sakura flower, sakura leaf, sencha, gyokuro, sansho, yuzu peel
- Best serve
- Gin and tonic; highball
No.2 Ki No Bi: Kyoto in a Bottle
Ki No Bi Kyoto Dry Gin is made at The Kyoto Distillery, which opened in 2016 as Japan's first dedicated gin
distillery. It starts from a rice spirit and is cut with water from Fushimi, Kyoto's sake-brewing district.
The botanicals read like a walk through a Kyoto garden: yellow yuzu, hinoki, sansho and its young leaves
(kinome), gyokuro tea from Uji, ginger, red shiso and bamboo leaves, alongside juniper, orris and lemon.
It is the bottle to choose when you want to sip a Japanese gin slowly, over a single large ice cube, or give one
as a gift.
- Maker
- The Kyoto Distillery, Kyoto
- ABV
- 45.7%
- Base
- Rice spirit, Fushimi water
- Best serve
- On the rocks; a light gin and tonic
No.3 Nikka Coffey Gin: The Whisky Maker's Gin
Nikka builds this gin on spirit from its Coffey still, the column still it uses for grain whisky at the
Miyagikyo distillery. That base gives the gin more body than most. The botanicals lean hard on Japanese citrus,
yuzu, kabosu, amanatsu and shikuwasa, with apple and sansho pepper alongside juniper, angelica and coriander.
The weight makes it the best of the three for a martini or a Negroni, and the natural first Japanese gin for
anyone who already drinks Japanese whisky.
- Maker
- Nikka Whisky, Miyagi
- ABV
- 47%
- Base
- Grain spirit from a Coffey still
- Best serve
- Martini; Negroni; gin and tonic with a citrus peel
4. Regional Gins Worth Tracking Down
Four gins that taste of one corner of Japan, from the far north to the far south. All four are exported, though you may need a specialist shop.
No.4 ETSU: Hokkaido Yuzu and Mountain Water
ETSU is made at the Asahikawa Distillery in Hokkaido. The spirit is distilled to around 83% and brought down to bottling strength with water from the Taisetsu mountains. Yuzu leads, with green tea, sansho pepper and bitter orange peel behind it. Bright and easy, it is a good second Japanese gin after ROKU.
- Maker
- Asahikawa Distillery, Hokkaido
- ABV
- 43%
- Best serve
- Gin and tonic with a yuzu or lemon peel
No.5 SAKURAO Original: Nine Botanicals from Hiroshima
SAKURAO was founded in 1918 in Hatsukaichi, near Miyajima, and makes sake, shochu, liqueur and whisky as well as gin. Of the fourteen botanicals in SAKURAO Original, nine come from Hiroshima, including navel orange, yuzu, hinoki, green tea and ginger. Hiroshima's citrus shows clearly in a gin and tonic. The Original won a gold medal at the IWSC in 2018.
- Maker
- SAKURAO Brewery and Distillery, Hiroshima
- ABV
- 47%
- Best serve
- Gin and tonic; on the rocks
No.6 Masahiro Okinawa Gin: Built on Awamori
Masahiro is an awamori distillery in Okinawa, and its gin uses awamori, the island's own rice spirit, as the base. The botanicals are just as local: goya (bitter melon), guava leaves, roselle (a hibiscus), long pepper and shikuwasa, Okinawa's small green citrus. Nothing else in this guide tastes like it.
- Maker
- Masahiro Distillery, Okinawa
- ABV
- 47% (Recipe 01)
- Best serve
- Gin and soda with a lime wedge
No.7 Komasa Sakurajima Komikan: Japan's Smallest Mandarin
Komasa Jyozo has made spirits in Kagoshima since 1883, first for local shrines and then as a shochu distiller. It added gin in 2018, on a base of rice shochu. The star is the Sakurajima komikan, Japan's smallest mandarin, grown on the slopes of the active Sakurajima volcano. Expect a gentle, sweet citrus gin. Bottling strength differs between releases, so check the label.
- Maker
- Komasa Jyozo, Kagoshima
- Base
- Rice shochu
- Best serve
- Gin and soda; on the rocks
5. Mostly in Japan: Four to Buy on a Trip
These four are easiest to find in Japan itself, in liquor shops, department stores and airport duty-free. If you are visiting, they are worth the space in your luggage.
No.8 SUI: Suntory's Gin for the Dinner Table
SUI comes from the same Suntory plant in Osaka as ROKU, but it was made for a different job. It uses three Japanese botanicals, yuzu, green tea and ginger, on top of a traditional dry gin, and Suntory pairs it with soda rather than tonic, so it sits easily alongside food through a meal. In Japan you will see it everywhere, in cans as well as bottles. Outside Japan it has been launched in a handful of markets, mostly in Asia.
No.9 KANOMORI: From the Maker of Yomeishu
Yomeishu is best known in Japan for a herbal tonic liqueur. While studying kuromoji, a spicebush that goes into that liqueur, the company built a gin around it, launched in 2019. KANOMORI combines kuromoji with eighteen other botanicals and very soft water from the Central Alps, and is bottled at 47%.
No.10 9148 #0101: Dashi Notes from Sapporo
Benizakura Distillery in Sapporo makes small batches, about 600 bottles at a time from a 400-litre still. Its standard 9148 #0101 is a juniper-forward gin with a late, savoury sweetness from Hidaka kombu, dried shiitake and dried daikon, the ingredients of Japanese dashi. Bottled at 45%.
No.11 Setouchi Lemon: A Sake Brewer's Lemon Gin
Miyake Honten, the Kure brewer behind Senpuku sake, runs SETOUCHI DISTILLERY. Its first gin was built to show off the delicacy of the lemons grown around the Seto Inland Sea, paired with Japanese green tea and spring water drawn from 60 metres beneath Mt. Haigamine. Pour it with soda.
6. ROKU vs SUI vs Nikka Coffey Gin
The three most common comparisons, side by side.
| ROKU | SUI | Nikka Coffey Gin | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese botanicals | Six (sakura x2, two teas, sansho, yuzu) | Three (yuzu, green tea, ginger) | Four Japanese citrus, plus sansho |
| Made for | Gin and tonic | Gin soda with food | Martini, cocktails |
| Body | Light, floral | Light, citrus | Fuller, from the Coffey still base |
| Choose it if | You want one Japanese gin to try | You are in Japan and want an everyday gin | You drink whisky or stirred cocktails |
7. How to Serve Japanese Gin
Gin and tonic
One part gin to three or four parts tonic, over plenty of ice. A drier, less sweet tonic lets yuzu and tea come through. Garnish with yuzu or lemon peel, or with six thin slices of fresh ginger for ROKU. Stir once, gently, to keep the bubbles.
Gin and soda, the Japanese way
One part gin to about four parts cold soda water. Without tonic's sweetness and quinine, the botanicals come through more clearly and the drink sits better with food. This is how SUI is meant to be drunk, and it suits Masahiro, Komasa and Setouchi Lemon too. Chill the glass and the soda first.
On the rocks
One large ice cube in a rocks glass, gin poured over it. As it chills and slowly dilutes, the aroma opens up. Ki No Bi and SAKURAO reward this most. A thin-rimmed glass makes the aroma easier to catch.
Martini
Five parts gin to one part dry vermouth, stirred over ice and strained into a chilled glass, with a lemon twist. Nikka Coffey Gin's fuller body holds up best against the vermouth.
8. Where to Buy Japanese Gin Outside Japan
Amazon does not sell spirits in the United States, so you will not find these gins there. Three routes work better:
- Wine-Searcher: search the gin's name and it lists shops near you that have it in stock. We have linked each bottle above.
- A good local bottle shop or bar: ROKU, Ki No Bi and Nikka Coffey Gin are carried by many specialist shops, and a shop can often order the regional gins from its importer.
- On a trip to Japan: liquor shops, department store food halls and airport duty-free carry far more than you will see abroad, including SUI, KANOMORI, 9148 and Setouchi Lemon. Check your home country's duty-free allowance for spirits before you fill a suitcase.
9. Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Japanese gin?
ROKU for a first bottle, Ki No Bi for sipping, Nikka Coffey Gin for a martini.
If you already know those three, try SAKURAO for Hiroshima citrus, Masahiro for an awamori-based gin, or ETSU for
a bright yuzu gin from Hokkaido.
What is the difference between ROKU and SUI?
Both come from Suntory's Osaka plant, but ROKU is made for gin and tonic and SUI for gin soda with food.
ROKU uses six Japanese botanicals, one for each season; SUI uses three, yuzu, green tea and ginger, for a lighter,
simpler gin. ROKU is the one you will find abroad.
How is Japanese gin different from London Dry Gin?
The botanicals, and often the base spirit.
Japanese gins still use juniper, but they add yuzu, sansho, Japanese tea, sakura or hinoki, and several are built
on rice spirit, shochu or awamori instead of neutral grain spirit. Some, like Ki No Bi, are also labelled as dry gin.
Which Japanese gin is best for a gin and tonic?
ROKU, with six thin slices of fresh ginger, as Suntory serves it. ETSU and SAKURAO Original also make bright, citrus-led gin and tonics.
Can I buy Japanese gin on Amazon?
Not in the United States. Amazon does not sell spirits there. Use Wine-Searcher to find a shop near you, or ask a local bottle shop to order it.
Does gin need to be refrigerated?
No. At 40% alcohol and above, gin keeps at room temperature. Store it upright, away from sunlight and heat. Very aromatic gins taste their best within several months of opening, as the lighter aromas fade.
What is the difference between gin and vodka?
Vodka aims to be as neutral as possible. Gin must taste mainly of juniper, with other botanicals added by the distiller. Japanese gin adds Japanese botanicals and, often, a Japanese base spirit.
Final Thoughts: Start with ROKU, Then Follow the Base Spirit
ROKU is the easy first step: easy to find, easy to like, and a clear picture of what Japanese botanicals do in a
gin. Ki No Bi is the bottle to sip slowly. Nikka Coffey Gin is the one to stir into a martini.
After that, follow the base spirit. A gin built on awamori in Okinawa, on rice shochu in Kagoshima or on rice
spirit in Kyoto tastes of the place in a way botanicals alone cannot. That is the part of Japanese gin no one
else can copy.
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