InsideJapan News Network

While visitors to Japan may more often think about sake as a drink linked to the country, the nation actually boasts a whisky tradition going back for than 100 years.

According to an Associated Press, the availability of Japanese whisky is changing as firms put extra effort in to advertise their wares outside of the country.

Some of the best whiskys to come out of Japan include Yamazaki single malt and blended Hibiki, noted the source. Parts of the Japanese whisky industry have links to Scotland and as such, the Japanese spelling for whisky echoes the one used there.

"Suntory founder Shinjiro Torii hired Masataka Taketsuru, who studied distilling in Scotland. Taketsuru went on to found Nikka, also a major producer," the source explained.

Sake, a drink commonly drunk in Japan, is an alcoholic beverage made from rice. It is sometimes also referred to as rice wine and is much stronger than wine or beer.

Written by Susan Balion