Growing up in a brewing family, Masatake Taketsuru mastered fermentation techniques from an early age. In 1918, he went to Scotland to learn whisky-making techniques using a copper still: first single malt, then grain signel. Back in Japan, he met Shinjiro Tori through his Scottish wife, who was teaching English. Enthused by Masatake's mastery of sake and whisky-making techniques, they decided to found Japan's first whisky distillery together in 1924: Yamazaki, which later became Suntory. After an argument between the two men, Masatake decided to open his own distillery in Yamazaki in 1934: "Dai Nippon Kajû", which began by producing apple brandy to keep its stills working and profitable. He then dropped the letters of his company, keeping only the Ni and Ka, thus forming "Nikka". His whisky was only distributed in Japan, making it very rare in the West. In 2001, a Frenchman brought a Yoichi back to France, launching the Japanese whisky craze in Europe.