How's the scene at HND airport duty free at departure any stock of Nikka 17 or 21?

Latest update from NRT airport when I emailed the fasola duty free store, Nikka Taketsuru 17 available for 3500 yen. If anyone is flying to SFO from NRT in the next few weeks, if they can pick up a bottle or 2 for me will highly appreciate it.

At NRT T2 right now - both FaSoLa's only have Suntory products at the prices reported here.

JAL Duty Free has Suntory and Kirin 18 (14000).

ANA Duty free has Suntory, Kirin 18 (14000), Nikka Taketsuru Blended Pure Malt NAS (I think 7000), and as of now they have a couple Nikka 17 left at 3500 left (saw a couple other people buying them in addition to buying for myself). Didn't ask if they are planning to restock the 17.

Thanks for all the great information on this thread.

When booking my last ever USDM trip from Australia to Europe I routed via Narita on the way home for the sole reason of stocking up on Japanese Whisky on my way back to Australia !

The last time I was there in 2012/2013 there were no supply problems so I am a little nervous reading about all the supply issues, high prices and lack of stock at the airport.

I arrive from Hong Kong at around 4.05pm and then depart for Sydney at 7.35pm.

Does anyone think that is enough time to clear customs, get a taxi to Narita city , stock up on whisky then get back to the airport in time to check in an extra bag ? Obviously with this plan I would need to be clear on where I was going and had already arranged what I was going to purchase.

This would also bring me to my second question , does anyone know of a good liquor store in Narita city ?

I don't think you'll have time time - a couple days ago I flew in from BKK on JL 708 which lands around that time (4:25pm or so) and it took us 45 minutes to clear immigration since a large bank of flights arrive at the same time.

I explored Narita Town from the Mercure (where we overnighted) and didn't find a single liquor store within walking distance. Lawson's and Family Mart had a couple types of whisky. Lawson's specifically had Nikka Yoichi NAS (I bought a 180ml for ~750 yen I think) and they also had Yamazaki and Hakushu NAS (though I think both were only available in 180ml).

In my searching with google maps while sitting in the Mercure it found a couple other liquor stores that were listed as within 3 - 6 miles of the Mercure as well as 3 - 5 that are listed as near Narita airport itself (not in Narita Town).

I'll say this - if you want Hibiki 12, 17, or 21, you won't have any problem getting it at the Duty Free, at least in Terminal 2 - they had plenty of it yesterday when I was there - it just costs a lot more than it used to (prices are quoted upthread). However, they were sold out of Yamazaki 18 and 21 (though as quoted upthread they were priced at ridiculous prices).

JAL Duty Free and ANA Duty Free had plenty of Kirin 18 (didn't actually see any Kirin 18 at the FaSoLa). About an hour after my OP (and after having purchased some for myself), I walked through the ANA Duty Free on the way to my gate to see if they had restocked an Nikka 17. They had not and in fact they didn't have any left on the shelf (there were a couple left after I purchased mine) - so it would seem the supply of Nikka 17 has been exhausted in Terminal 2, at least temporarily, but I have no insight into whether they are getting more shipments of it.

shhh....Kirin Sanroku 18 is also very good. now being the Canuck that i am, if i could get some Kirin-Seagram branded single malts, i would be VERY happy!

i bought some at hasegawa, i want to say it was 18900Y there last June. at least a price point.

I also suspected this will be the case so will focus on the airport.




I emailed the ANA Duty free store and just got the following message back ;

Dear Sir/Madam

Thank you for Inquiry.

We were carried Suntory, NIKKA product until a few month ago.

At present, our ANA DUTY FREE SHOP doesn't carry any Japanese Whisky,

We heard manufacturing company can not keep up with production.


We are sorry for the inconvenience caused.

Please understand our current situation.


Thank you,


ANA DUTY FREE SHOP/ Kohara


The above email is slightly worrying . I am not going to be in Japan till late August so crossing all my figures things improve .

I would be more than happy to return from my travels with a few bottles of this !

So is it just the bottle that is limited ? The same whisky as in the regular bottle ?

As an example, in Australia where alcohol prices are mostly government tax , I can get the Hibiki 12 for around 11,000 ($105 AUD) and the Hibiki 17 for 15,200 ($160 AUD). These are prices for the regular bottle.

Yes, it's the same whisky - the bottle just has a different label, if I recall correctly (I was too aghast at the prices to remember). Just a way to jack up the prices.

Are there people who really buy those limited edition whiskeys? They r so Expensive.

Yama 18 - 250k yen, yama 25 - 500k.... Oh men, whos gonna buy this?

I noticed today one of the duty free shops had Kirin 18 year. Price was comparable to that at Isetan and Hasegawa FWIW (~14k yen).

Although I have yet to pass through US customs with my much-in-excess of allowance (fingers crossed they are too lazy to collect duty, as has always been the case for me--ETA agent said, "Thanks for being honest," and waved me through), I just capped off a trip where I picked up several I've never found at home. I didn't make it to any distilleries, unfortunately--just not enough time in the trip!

Narita... well, I did suck it up and cough up the excess 8k yen over February prices to get a Hibiki 17 in a different limited edition bottle than what I own (this one has cranes instead of Fuji-san and sakura like the one I picked up before).

Tokyo is definitely picked bare, although Isetan and Hasegawa did have the Kirin 18. I stopped at a couple of places in Kanagawa prefecture in the countryside and picked up various other bottles, nothing super special but all new to me.

I just wish someone had the Nikka Coffey Grain 12 year in stock. I understand it's sometimes obtainable at the distillery, which I didn't make it to this trip, but that's it.


Yep, although what amazes me is the fact that some of them were in "commemorative" bottles just a couple of months ago and cost a bit more than half what they do now. It's amazing that they have managed to jack the prices up so much at duty free.

A friend just stopped at Tokyo station for Yamazaki 18, but the two places he visited only had Yamazki 12 or Hibiki 17.

I did see a mini Hibiki 17 at Biclo Shinjuku for ~ 800 yen, which might make for a funny prank as "Would you bring me a bottle" before giving the regular sized bottle or perhaps of interest for those who want small ones for consumption now and large bottles for tax free (regulations state they should be unconsumed when you go through customs exit)

All of the reports of absurdly high prices and a lack of stock at the airport are not great but I really appreciate everyone who is passing through Japan updating this thread.

Crossing my fingers stock gets better in August when I transit through Nartia.