Jeffrey Friedl's Blog » Behind Suntory’s Yamazaki Whisky Distillery

Behind Suntory’s Yamazaki Whisky Distillery

by Jeffrey Friedl Sun, March 12th, 2017 10:44am JST (8 years ago)

Shiio Shrine 椎尾神社、サントリー山崎蒸溜所の裏 behind the Suntory Yamazaki Whisky Distillery -- Shiio Shrine (椎尾神社) -- Yamazaki, Osaka, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, https://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 48mm — ¹/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Shiio Shrine
椎尾神社、サントリー山崎蒸溜所の裏
behind the Suntory Yamazaki Whisky Distillery

As I posted the other day, I made a visit to Suntory's Whisky Distillery in the Yamazaki area just south of Kyoto. Eric and I arrived early for the tour, so we wandered a bit.

A public road bisects the distillery campus, and while the road then turns 90° to wrap up behind and beyond the campus, the logical straight-ahead continuation brings you to Shiio Shrine, apparently on Suntory property.

With Eric from the public road that bisects the campus -- Shiio Shrine (椎尾神社) -- Yamazaki, Osaka, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, https://regex.info/blog/

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 27mm — ¹/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
With Eric
from the public road that bisects the campus

The public road heads off to the right, pitching up sharply (~15% grade). It looked inviting to cycle, so I came back later by bicycle to poke around. I also made a Strava segment for this road, starting with the slow climb from the distillery entrance until this turn, continuing then with the steep climb after the turn.

But for today's visit, Eric and I were on foot, so we wandered into the shrine. The entrance path has two stone gates.

Between the Gates -- Shiio Shrine (椎尾神社) -- Yamazaki, Osaka, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, https://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 29mm — ¹/160 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Between the Gates

Just to the left of the steps in front of the gate in the photo above is a light pole, on which there's an old (and to me, odd) forest-fire warning sign...

“ Mountain Forest File Prevention ” “ Risky! You can burn the mountains with your fire ” -- Shiio Shrine (椎尾神社) -- Yamazaki, Osaka, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, https://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 36mm — ¹/200 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
“Mountain Forest File Prevention”
“Risky! You can burn the mountains with your fire”

As best I can tell, the character in the sign is a chameleon smoking a cigarette. Lovely

Not far away is a little alcove with a water-fountain feature. It seems like it should be photogenic, but I wasn't feeling it....

Wide View -- Shiio Shrine (椎尾神社) -- Yamazaki, Osaka, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, https://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 66mm — ¹/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Wide View

Shiio Shrine (椎尾神社) -- Yamazaki, Osaka, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, https://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — ¹/100 sec, f/2.8, ISO 450 — map & image data — nearby photos

Meh -- Shiio Shrine (椎尾神社) -- Yamazaki, Osaka, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, https://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — ¹/125 sec, f/7.1, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Meh

Looking Back -- Shiio Shrine (椎尾神社) -- Yamazaki, Osaka, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, https://regex.info/blog/

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 32mm — ¹/125 sec, f/7.1, ISO 900 — map & image data — nearby photos
Looking Back

The small temple building itself is apparently so un-notable that I didn't even taking a picture as I moved to the mountain trails that start behind it.

Temple Roof from the mountain trail behind -- Yamazaki, Osaka, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, https://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 28mm — ¹/125 sec, f/14, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Temple Roof
from the mountain trail behind

Warning at the start of another trail (the pink fungus is poisonous even to the touch) -- Yamazaki, Osaka, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, https://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — ¹/100 sec, f/14, ISO 2500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Warning
at the start of another trail
(the pink fungus is poisonous even to the touch)

Distillery from Behind -- Yamazaki, Osaka, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, https://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — ¹/100 sec, f/14, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Distillery from Behind

Pretty Bamboo -- Yamazaki, Osaka, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, https://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — ¹/100 sec, f/5, ISO 4500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Pretty Bamboo

Uncommonly Thick -- Yamazaki, Osaka, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, https://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 32mm — ¹/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Uncommonly Thick

Splash -- Yamazaki, Osaka, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, https://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 55mm — ¹/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Splash

It's a pleasant place to wander around a bit, so if you visit the distillery for a tour, some time before or after for the bamboo will be rewarding.

January	30th,	2015	Unexpectedly Snowy Photoshoot at the Joshokoji Temple
February	28th,	2017	Suntory Yamazaki Whisky Distillery Tour (2017) Preview

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One comment so far...

Yifen votes that the creature on the sign is not a chameleon but a monkey.

— comment by Yifen on March 12th, 2017 at 12:36pm JST (8 years ago) — comment permalink