In 2008, Ichiro Akuto started operations at the Chichibu distillery. It was the first time in 35 years that the Japanese government had granted a whisky production license to a new company. The Chichibu distillery won many awards at national and international competitions. The success of the Chichibu distillery led to an increase in the number of companies entering the whisky business, and whisky distilleries began to be built all over Japan.