Kyoto-based artisan gin Ki No Bi, has launched the 2024 Kyoto Legacy Collection, a novel celebration of gin-making and centuries-old kimono craftsmanship, inspired by Japan’s oldest novel, The Tale of Genji.
Written over 1,000 years ago by Murasaki Shikibu, this Japanese literary classic captures the complexities of aristocratic life in Kyoto. Each bottle in the five-piece collection reflects the personality and seasonal spirit of one of the novel’s female characters.
Wrapped in silk textiles crafted by Kanoko, a historic kimono maker founded in 1889 in Kyoto’s Nishijin district, the bottles are adorned with intricate patterns created through a weaving technique dating back to the 5th century. The textiles resemble obi kimono sashes, handwoven on traditional looms, with colours and designs tailored to echo the flavours of the gin.
Wrapped in silk textiles crafted by kimono maker Kanoko, the bottles
are adorned with intricate patterns created through a
weaving technique of hand-dyed threads dating back to the 5th century…
Premium Japanese gin inspired by The Tale of Genji
According to Jun Tomita, a Design Director for the Ki No Bi Legacy Collection, the patterns reflect the novel’s heroines, with colours evoking the four seasons. Hand-braided, tasselled cords enhance the traditional Japanese aesthetic.
“We aimed to keep the design minimal, while decorating the bottle with one of the most intricate obi in Japan, maintaining its actual size. The obi cords, intentionally designed to be feminine, evoke Miyabi, the elegant beauty of Kyoto.”
The bottles are presented in a luxurious kiribako box, handmade from paulownia wood. The lid features a hangi woodblock pattern from Kira Karacho, Japan’s oldest karakami atelier, dating to 1624.
The Kyoto Legacy Collection comprises four gins and one liqueur. Known for its small-batch production, Ki No Bi uses a rice spirit base and locally sourced botanicals like yuzu, sansho pepper, and gyokuro tea, all harvested at their seasonal peak.
Each of six botanical categories (base, citrus, tea, herbal, spice, fruity & floral) is distilled individually, then blended to achieve Ki No Bi’s signature profile, a refreshing, aromatic spirit with warm notes of ginger spice.
Each of the 125 sets of the Kyoto Legacy Collection 2024 is uniquely numbered, and priced at €1,500. While sales will primarily take place in Japan, global shipping can be arranged through the Kyoto Distillery team upon request.
More readily available, but no less special, Ki No Bi Kyoto Dry gin is available from Master of Malt, with prices starting at £45.
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Christmas is coming, and Master of Malt and Drinks by the Dram are ready with a new collection of spirits advent calendars, with 30ml wax-sealed drams behind every door. The calendars cover everything from classic Scotch and Japanese whisky to gin, rum and vodka, and the vast majority of the included spirits are new for…
Kyoto-based artisan gin Ki No Bi, has launched the 2024 Kyoto Legacy Collection, a novel celebration of gin-making and centuries-old kimono craftsmanship, inspired by Japan’s oldest novel, The Tale of Genji.
Written over 1,000 years ago by Murasaki Shikibu, this Japanese literary classic captures the complexities of aristocratic life in Kyoto. Each bottle in the five-piece collection reflects the personality and seasonal spirit of one of the novel’s female characters.
Wrapped in silk textiles crafted by Kanoko, a historic kimono maker founded in 1889 in Kyoto’s Nishijin district, the bottles are adorned with intricate patterns created through a weaving technique dating back to the 5th century. The textiles resemble obi kimono sashes, handwoven on traditional looms, with colours and designs tailored to echo the flavours of the gin.
Premium Japanese gin inspired by The Tale of Genji
According to Jun Tomita, a Design Director for the Ki No Bi Legacy Collection, the patterns reflect the novel’s heroines, with colours evoking the four seasons. Hand-braided, tasselled cords enhance the traditional Japanese aesthetic.
“We aimed to keep the design minimal, while decorating the bottle with one of the most intricate obi in Japan, maintaining its actual size. The obi cords, intentionally designed to be feminine, evoke Miyabi, the elegant beauty of Kyoto.”
The bottles are presented in a luxurious kiribako box, handmade from paulownia wood. The lid features a hangi woodblock pattern from Kira Karacho, Japan’s oldest karakami atelier, dating to 1624.
The Kyoto Legacy Collection comprises four gins and one liqueur. Known for its small-batch production, Ki No Bi uses a rice spirit base and locally sourced botanicals like yuzu, sansho pepper, and gyokuro tea, all harvested at their seasonal peak.
Each of six botanical categories (base, citrus, tea, herbal, spice, fruity & floral) is distilled individually, then blended to achieve Ki No Bi’s signature profile, a refreshing, aromatic spirit with warm notes of ginger spice.
Each of the 125 sets of the Kyoto Legacy Collection 2024 is uniquely numbered, and priced at €1,500. While sales will primarily take place in Japan, global shipping can be arranged through the Kyoto Distillery team upon request.
More readily available, but no less special, Ki No Bi Kyoto Dry gin is available from Master of Malt, with prices starting at £45.
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From AI-powered disaster planning to investable wine, CEATEC 2026 offers a glimpse of Japan’s next wave of innovation. Taking place at Makuhari Messe, near Tokyo, many of the innovations extend beyond traditional consumer electronics. Japan’s flagship technology exhibition has increasingly become a showcase for new business models, emerging luxury experiences and technologies designed to reshape…
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Christmas is coming, and Master of Malt and Drinks by the Dram are ready with a new collection of spirits advent calendars, with 30ml wax-sealed drams behind every door. The calendars cover everything from classic Scotch and Japanese whisky to gin, rum and vodka, and the vast majority of the included spirits are new for…
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