'Japanese Whisky' puts the ambrosial spirit in its place
In his new book, Brian Ashcraft explores the phenomenal success of Japanese whisky and what has led it to becoming the world's most desirable spirit.
Yamanashi Prefecture is a paradise for connoisseurs of wine, craft beer and whisky
Long renowned as an agricultural hub rife with orchards and pristine water sources, a group of viticulturists, distillers and brewers are quietly developing Yamanashi into a hub of Japanese wine, whisky and beer production. Just a short trek from the bustling downtown area of central ...
Hokuriku's sole whisky distillery gets face-lift via crowdfunding as it seeks to woo tourists
A sake brewery with over a century of history has turned to crowdsourcing to help revamp its whisky distillery — the only one in the Hokuriku region near the Sea of Japan — and show it to more tourists. Wakatsuru Shuzo in Tonami, Toyama Prefecture, ...
Japanese whisky at ¥100,000 a bottle driving rice farmers to the drink
Japan's burgeoning whisky business is driving rice farmer Hiroshi Tsubouchi to hit the booze. With domestic rice consumption sliding, Tsubouchi, 36, says he is getting on the whisky bandwagon — or, at least, switching to the barley used to make it. With Japanese whiskies ranking ...
A tipple that's close to my heart — and life
I moved to Kurohime in northern Nagano Prefecture in 1980, and three years later I bought some land here and built the first house I had ever personally owned. That was made possible by the Nikka Whisky Distilling Co., for whom I did my ...
'Smallest whisky distiller' in Japan thinks big for the future
The "smallest distiller in Japan" operating on a mountainous site about 100 km northwest of Tokyo has won recognition from whisky lovers at home and abroad. Venture Whisky Ltd. was established only 11 years ago. But some of its products won high marks as Japanese ...
The future for aged Japanese whisky and traditional kaiseki
'This will surprise you," says chef Kenichi Hashimoto as he hands me a glass of what appears to be beer. This serious-faced chef — who leads the kitchen at Kyoto's Ryozanpaku, a two-Michelin-starred kaiseki (Japanese haute cuisine) restaurant — waits for me to take ...
Wine joins whisky in Japan's 'Napa Valley'
The small town of Yoichi in Hokkaido has become famous recently as the setting for much of an NHK TV series titled "Massan" that was screened every day, Monday to Saturday, from September 2014 to March this year. The popular 15-minute morning drama was based ...
Brewing and distillery giant Suntory Holdings Ltd. was among three Japanese businesses invited to promote their products one night in Taipei earlier this month at a party to celebrate Emperor Akihito's birthday on Dec. 23. The event was organized by the Interchange Association, Japan's de ...
Step into another era at Cafe Streamline
Leaving the tranquil streets of Tokyo's Daikanyama district and entering Cafe Streamline is like going back in time. The bar contrasts the modern architecture outside with antiques and old kitchen appliances cluttering the interior and soft jazz music playing on a radio. Then again, ...
Japan denied a dram of its winning whisky
Of the many things that Scotland has bequeathed to the world — golf, kilts and the baffling culinary phenomenon of fried Mars bars — my favorite by far is whisky. I have an enduring fondness for peaty and powerful Scotch whiskies from Islay and ...
Younger drinkers lured by bourbon cocktails
Up until recently, whisky was seen as a drink for ojisan (old men), enjoyed on the rocks or mizuwari style (heavily diluted with water). With the opening of the limited-edition Jim Beam Bar in Roppongi Hills, however, alcoholic-beverage giant Suntory Holdings proffers that whisky ...
