Winter is a season full of holiday events and festivities in Japan, and it’s also a time to sip exquisite Japanese whiskies to warm yourself up to combat the cold. Toward the end of the year, Japan lights up with Christmas light viewings in certain areas famous for light shows, such as the Lake Toya Onsen Illumination Street and Illumination Tunnel and the Grand Illumination in Izu.

One holiday lighting event is exclusively whisky related, and that’s the Yoichi Snow Story. Similar to Otaru’s Yuki Monogatari (Otaru Snow Story), which is held in a town next to Yoichi-cho, the Yoichi Snow Story “Dream of the Amber” holiday illumination event begins November 12th and ends on February 12th. Lights will brighten the Rita Road and Yoichi Ekimae Park, which are right outside the JR Yoichi Station, and you’ll also get a chance to attend a special night tour of Yoichi Distillery. (Read more at Japan Info.)

If you plan to visit Japan between December and February, make sure to take a tour of this light display by Yoichi Distillery! You can also book a tour of Nikka’s whisky distilleries while you’re there so that you can see the behind-the-scenes whisky-making process of this prominent Japanese whisky company. Find more information about Yoichi Distillery tours here.

Not planning to go to Japan any time soon? Here at Dekanta, we make Nikka whiskies readily available for international purchase! You can discover a wide range of Nikka-made drams in our Nikka collection. Yoichi is known for its strong, peaty flavor, a perfect spirit to enjoy during the cold holiday season.

Nikka Whisky Feature: Yoichi 15 Year Old