TOKYO/OSAKA -- A Kyoto-area
town known for its pure water
is now drawing international
tourists for a
very different liquid: whisky.
The Suntory Yamazaki Distillery
in Shimamoto has become a
pilgrimage for
the world's
whisky connoisseurs, with
foreign visitors increasing
to more
than 9,300 last year
from around 800 a decade ago.
Even with a boom in Japanese
whisky, the country's declining population
and alcohol
consumption are forcing brewers
like Suntory to look
abroad for
growth.
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