Kirishima Yokogawa Distillery, in Yokogawa-cho, Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture, is opening limited preorders on September 1, 2026, for Single Malt Whisky "The Drink You Don't Drink," a new release combining the distillery's malt-making craft with a special blessing from Chief Priest Benmou of Taishisan Tenmyoji Temple, a Shingon Buzan sect temple. Shipping is scheduled to begin gradually from late October.
A New Kind of Prayer: "The Drink You Don't Drink"
Sake has long been treated as an offering to the gods and Buddhas, and as an essential part of celebratory rituals. This new single malt whisky is built around the idea of "the drink you don't drink" — instead of opening the bottle, buyers write their own wish (good health, financial luck, longevity, protection from misfortune, business prosperity, good fortune, and so on) on the label and keep it displayed, unopened, in a room or at a household shrine or display shelf. It's a concept whisky meant to give everyday prayer a physical form.
Seven Flavors, One for Each of the Seven Lucky Gods
The series comes in seven variations, each tied to the blessing associated with one of the Seven Lucky Gods, and each made with a different whisky base so buyers can choose according to the wish or blessing they're hoping for.
- Ebisu: business prosperity and abundant harvests (a deity native to Japan)
- Daikokuten: wealth, fortune, and the kitchen (originating in Hindu tradition from India)
- Bishamonten: victory and protection from misfortune (originating in Hindu tradition from India)
- Benzaiten: the arts, learning, and wealth (a goddess originating in Hindu tradition from India)
- Fukurokuju: longevity and prosperous descendants (originating in Chinese Taoism)
- Jurojin: health and longevity (originating in Chinese Taoism)
- Hotei: bringing in many customers and marital harmony (a Zen monk who actually lived in China)
Product Highlights
A chief priest's personal oversight during aging
Under the supervision of Chief Priest Benmou of Taishisan Tenmyoji Temple, the whisky's base spirit was checked in person by the priest himself as it quietly matured in the cask, born from the passion of the distillers together with the priest's watchful presence.
Kirishima Yokogawa Distillery's craftsmanship
The whisky is produced by Kirishima Yokogawa Distillery, known for its exacting approach and three original techniques, paired with a favorable natural environment.
- Pristine water: the mash water is drawn from clear groundwater nurtured by the grand nature of the Kirishima mountain range, its soft, clean quality drawing out the delicate flavor of the base spirit.
- A fitting climate: the whisky is slowly aged in the climate of Yokogawa, Kirishima, where wide temperature swings suit whisky maturation.
- Skilled technique and original methods: craftsmen with more than 25 years of distillery experience apply three original techniques across ingredient selection, fermentation, distillation, and cask-filling, resulting in deep aroma and rich flavor.
- First-press method: extracts the malt's umami and pure flavor to the fullest.
- Lactic-acid fermentation method: fermentation with lactic acid bacteria produces a bright, deep ester aroma.
- Low-temperature distillation method: avoids unwanted off-flavors in the base spirit for a smooth, clear finish.
While built to the quality standards of a proper single malt, the whisky is deliberately positioned as a "wish" item — buyers write their wish on the label and keep the bottle displayed for the long term rather than opening it right away.
Supervisor Profile and Message: Chief Priest Benmou
Profile
Suzuki Benmou
Chief priest of Taishisan Tenmyoji Temple (Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture), a Shingon Buzan sect temple.
A graduate of Taisho University's Faculty of Letters and its graduate school master's program, he trained at Hase-dera, the head temple of the Shingon Buzan sect, before becoming chief priest of Tenmyoji Temple. Aiming to be "a temple for people living in the present," he works on temple management and prayer services suited to modern needs, and is active on multiple fronts, including media appearances on YouTube and support for revitalizing temples nationwide.
Message from the Chief Priest
"I performed a fire ritual with all my heart before the casks as the whisky quietly waited out its aging, praying that everyone's wishes come true. Sake has long served as a sacred offering connecting the gods and Buddhas with people. My hope is that everyone who picks up this whisky will write their own wish on the label, keep it stored carefully without drinking it, and face that wish day by day — and that doing so becomes a bond drawing in good fortune, health, business prosperity, and a rich future."
Product Overview
Label design is a sample and may differ from the final product.
Product name: Single Malt Whisky "The Drink You Don't Drink" (飲まないお酒) Seven Lucky Gods Series (seven variations: Ebisu, Daikokuten, Bishamonten, Benzaiten, Fukurokuju, Jurojin, Hotei)
Alcohol content: 50%
Volume and price:
- 700ml (each of the seven variations): ¥18,000 (excluding tax)
- 300ml (each of the seven variations): ¥9,000 (excluding tax)
Release date (preorder start): September 1, 2026 (Tue)
Shipping period: Gradually from late October 2026
Sales format: Limited quantity
Supervision: Chief priest of Taishisan Tenmyoji Temple, a Shingon Buzan sect temple
Production: Kirishima Yokogawa Distillery
Related: A Book by Supervisor Chief Priest Suzuki Benmou
読むだけで金運が上がる！ 仏教的お金の引き寄せ
Author: Suzuki Benmou
Publisher: KADOKAWA
Release date: On sale nationwide at bookstores since August 26
Price: ¥1,980 (¥1,800 plus tax), 224 pages (four-six format)
ISBN: 9784043301126
Overview: Money flows to those who give. A practicing chief priest explains Buddhist money philosophy, gently walking readers through the buddhas associated with money, relationships, health, and emotional struggles, along with their mantras.
Also Available: A Special Bottle Marking Kirishima Yokogawa Distillery's Origins
Single Malt Whisky Kirishima 531
Named for the date Kirishima Yokogawa Distillery began whisky production (May 31, 2023), this memorial bottle carries the distillery's original spirit and passion, and is also currently on sale at its official online shop.
Blending base spirits aged mainly in mizunara, sherry, and red wine casks, it layers a complex aroma with deep flavor. Its alcohol content, 53.1%, echoes its name.
Product name: Single Malt Whisky Kirishima 531
Price: ¥13,500 (tax included)
Volume: 700ml
Alcohol content: 53.1%
Cask types: Mainly mizunara, sherry, and red wine casks
Shipping period: Gradually from the end of September 2026
