Miyagikyo Distillery Report, Part 2: The Unbelievable Coincidence Behind the Name “Nikka” — the Nikkawa River and Taketsuru’s Big Fuss (Sendai, Japan)

2026.10.05

In short: where does the name “Nikka” come from — and what is the unbelievable coincidence behind it? Nikka’s Miyagikyo Distillery in Sendai stands where two rivers meet, one of them the Nikkawa River. Its underground water, with a hardness of only about 20, gives Miyagikyo its silky texture. Part 2 of my Miyagikyo report by Mika Tanimoto, owner of Bar Little Happiness in Hiroshima.

A column by Mika Tanimoto, Bar Little Happiness (Nagarekawa, Hiroshima)

Here’s a sudden quiz.

Do you know where the company name “Nikka Whisky” comes from?

If you love whisky, you may already know.

But I think very few people know the story one step further. Let me tell you that story today.

(I recommend watching at 2x speed ↓)

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Where the name “Nikka” comes from

Let’s start with the origin of the company name.

When Masataka Taketsuru began making whisky in Yoichi, it would take years before the distillery’s whisky was ready.

With nothing to sell in the early days, the company made and sold juice and jam from apples, which were widely grown in Hokkaido.

The company was then called “Dai Nippon Kaju” (Greater Japan Fruit Juice Co.).

The “Ni” of Nippon and the “Ka” of Kaju (fruit juice).

Put those two together and you get “Nikka.” That is where the name comes from.

So far, this is a fairly well-known story.

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The Nikkawa River: the soft water behind Miyagikyo

From here on is the story few people know.

When you enter the grounds of Miyagikyo Distillery, you can see a river beyond the parking lot.

The Hirose River, and one more river.

The distillery stands where these two clear streams meet.

The water used for mashing is underground water drawn from 3.5 metres beneath that river.

Ordinary tap water has a hardness of about 50, and even bottled mineral water is around 30 — but this water has a hardness of just 20, extremely soft.

This “ultimate soft water” creates Miyagikyo’s silky mouthfeel and floral aroma.

The name of that river is the “Nikkawa.”

“Nikkawa.”

Yes — a river that sounds just like “Nikka.”

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“Someone betrayed me!” — Taketsuru’s big fuss

Taketsuru only learned this after construction of the distillery had begun.

He asked an old man who lived nearby, “What is this river called?” — and that was the first he heard of it.

I love how human Masataka’s reaction was in that moment.

“I’m heartbroken. Someone has betrayed me! There must be a culprit who knew Nikka was buying this land and didn’t tell me the river’s name!”

Apparently, he made a huge fuss.

Of course, it was a complete coincidence.

The name “Nikka” came from Dai Nippon Kaju, and the “Nikkawa” was simply the name of a river that had always been there.

Masataka himself had bought the land without knowing the river’s name.

But Taketsuru insisted, “Someone must have set this up,” and made a fuss.

When I heard this story, I couldn’t help laughing. At the same time, I got a little goosebumps.

It is almost too perfect to be a coincidence.

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My own “coincidence” at Sendai Airport

Actually, I have a similar story of my own.

For this Miyagikyo visit, I flew from Hiroshima to Sendai.

After arriving at Sendai Airport, I was looking up buses and trains, wondering how to get to the distillery.

“Tanimoto-san?!”

I looked up, and it was the team from Sakurao Distillery in Hiroshima.

Wait, what? Why are you here?

What are the odds of running into people from a Hiroshima distillery at an airport in Tohoku?

We stared at each other in disbelief — and the next moment, we were laughing.

I have a long connection with Sakurao Distillery.

Born and raised in Hiroshima, I have kept talking about its charms as a self-appointed super fan.

And those feelings have always reached them.

I really think this connection is tied by a red thread of fate.

A thread of fate that never breaks and always pulls us together 💛

We were both heading to Miyagikyo.

One coincidence led to another, and they gave me a ride all the way to the distillery.

In the car with the people from a Hiroshima distillery, on the way to a Sendai distillery.

The mountains of Tohoku flowing past the window.

It was such a fulfilling time.

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“Every encounter is meant to be” is something I hold dear.

After 20 years behind the counter, there have been so many moments when I truly feel it.

Encounters that look like coincidence, but that you later realise were meant to be.

With people, with drinks, with places.

Maybe Taketsuru, too, was called by this river.

And maybe I, too, was called at that airport.

Soft water with a hardness of 20 creates Miyagikyo’s floral character.

Even today, that water is quietly drawn up from 3.5 metres underground.

It becomes new make, goes into casks, and over many years turns amber.

“Truly wonderful water.”

Everything began with that one sip Masataka took.

▶️ Next time: the secret of this distillery’s “invisible beauty” — the man who buried the power lines underground!

*This article is based on what I saw and heard on my visit to Miyagikyo Distillery, what I already knew, and what I newly researched. It includes some of Mika Tanimoto’s personal views.

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Every encounter is meant to be. Welcome to the world of Rum&Whisky.

“Whisky and rum taste even better when you touch the hearts of the people who make them.”