Nikka Whisky Sign

The Nikka Whisky sign features a giant, mustachioed man in a top hat holding a glass of whisky, glowing neon above the Susukino intersection. Since nineteen sixty-four, this figure has watched over Sapporo. The mascot is King Blender, a character based on the original blender of Nikka Whisky, Masataka Taketsuru. Taketsuru traveled to Scotland in the nineteen twenties to learn the craft and returned to establish the company. He remains the face of the brand, illuminated every night against the city skyline.