STORY: Special wood, to stoke special fire... in the hopes of crafting a special whisky.

Shizuoka Distillery claims it’s the only whisky still in the world heated with a wood fire underneath, using fragrant Japanese cedar, often used in aromatherapy and the country’s onsen baths.

It’s a distinction they hope sets them apart from a groundswell of independent craft whisky makers in Japan and a global frenzy to buy their bottles.

Shizuoka founder Taiko Nakamura was inspired to tap into the industry in 2016 after a trip to Scotland.

[Taiko Nakamura/Founder, Shizuoka Distillery]

"When I saw an actual distillery for the first time, I was impressed by how amazing it was. I could see that this small distillery in the mountainous countryside was selling whisky globally, and I thought that I would also like to make my own whisky and sell it around the world."

It wasn’t always like this.

2023 marks a century since today’s leading distillery, Yamazaki, was opened by Japan beverage giant Suntory.

It had long been seen as an inferior copy of Scotch.

Then in the 2000s, Japanese labels began to sweep whisky awards and a scramble to snap up bottles eventually drank the supply of Japanese whisky dry around 2015.

That shortage has sent prices skyrocketing. It’s also seen new entries to the arena, like Shizuoka.

They are one of the more than 100 licensed distilleries the country has - a number that has doubled in a decade – and they appear to be transforming the industry.

On a recent night in Tokyo, Bar Shinkai had a wide range of brands on the shelf.

Hiroyuki Shinkai, who runs three of the bar’s locations, says nowadays he sees people looking beyond the big players.

[Hiroyuki Shinkai/Owner, Bar Shinkai]

"Everyone knows the major whisky brands like Suntory and Nikka, and of course there are a lot of customers drinking them. But we're making a big effort to offer a large selection of whiskies from craft distilleries like Chichibu, Akkeshi, Shizuoka, Kanosuke and others, those that started around 2016.”

Meanwhile, Suntory has poured $67 million into upgrading its distilleries – including its Yamazaki site.

Chief blender Shinji Fukuyo told Reuters he welcomes the new breed of Japanese distillers, and that Suntory is willing to give advice to the startups "as long as it contributes to maintaining and improving the quality of Japanese whisky as a whole."