Due to a decline in public interest in whisky and poor business performance, the company decided to cease production in Karuizawa on December 31, 2000, and the factory shut down. In 2016, the factory was razed to the ground, and all its facilities were auctioned off. The remaining Karuizawa whisky on the market is becoming increasingly scarce, meaning each bottle consumed increases its value. Coupled with the already limited production, annual auction news, and speculation from various parties, prices continue to rise.
