Kanpai Journal is an independent English-language publication covering Japanese whisky and sake from the perspective of the international collector, investor, and serious drinker. We exist because the available English coverage of this category is split between industry trade press written for distributors and short-form individual reviews on Substack — neither of which gives a buyer the structured, comparable information needed to make decisions.

What we cover

• Distillery and brewery profiles — production characteristics, history, current core range, real availability
• Bottle reviews — tasting notes alongside structured data (year, ABV, cask, market price)
• Auction watch — quarterly summaries of secondary-market realizations across major platforms
• Market analysis — investment-relevant context including regulation changes, distillery openings, supply dynamics
• Buyer's guides — practical recommendations updated as availability shifts

How we work

Articles are produced by the Kanpai Journal Editorial Team using AI-assisted research workflows grounded in publicly available data — auction results, distillery publications, regulatory filings, and trade-press reporting. Every article is structured around verifiable factual claims; we cite sources where possible.

We believe an editorial process that combines machine-driven data aggregation with human oversight on accuracy and tone produces better coverage than either approach alone. This approach also lets us cover a wider catalog more frequently than a traditional publication of comparable size could afford.

Independence and conflicts

We accept affiliate revenue from retailers, auction platforms, and direct distillery channels. See our Affiliate Disclosure for the full list and how it affects our editorial process. In short: which products we cover is editorially independent; which retailers we link to depends in part on which programs we participate in. We never accept payment for positive coverage.

Get in touch

Tips, corrections, and feedback are welcome. Editorial: editor [at] kanpaijournal.com

For our editorial standards, see the Editorial Standards page.