In the difficult years after World War II, whisky drinking in Japan was a sign of success, opulence and western-style modernity—in other words, a practice reserved for the few and privileged. But as the century wore on, whisky became one of Japan’s favorite alcoholic drinks, something that’s evident from the number of specialty whisky (or “shot”) bars scattered around Tokyo. Undoubtedly the most impressive is Zoetrope, opened by cinephile and whisky fanatic Atsushi Horigami in 2006 in the city’s skyscraper-heavy Shinjuku district. The slim bar, with décor reminiscent of a mid-century western speakeasy, offers over 250 Japanese whiskies, from classic Yamazaki malts to smaller brands Eigashima and Mars, with prices ranging from $6 to $65 a shot. In addition, there is Japanese vodka, rum and if you’re feeling really adventurous, a Japanese grappa. As if the owner’s own passions weren’t obvious enough, he’s often on hand to regale customers with extracts from the diary of Masataka Taketsuru—the father of Japan’s whisky industry, who helped Shinji Torii establish the Yamazaki distillery in 1923. For further entertainment, classic silent films featuring stars from Charlie Chaplin to Buster Keaton are projected on the wall. To help you pick through the many hundreds of bottles available, Tokyo-based journalist, author and whisky blogger extraordinaire Chris Bunting (whose site Nonjatta.com is perhaps the most extensive resource on Japanese whisky online) recommends the first five whiskies any visitor to Zoetrope should taste:

Hibiki 12-year-old


This is a blended whisky from Japan's biggest whisky distiller, Suntory. The Hibiki brand is Suntory’s premium blend and is probably best known from Sofia Coppola’s film Lost in Translation, in which Bill Murray's character is advertising Hibiki. Not everyone in Japan was happy at the portrayal of the country in that film, but Suntory weren't complaining about the free publicity. The 12-year-old Hibiki is more easily available abroad than many Japanese whiskies and has a sweet, mild taste with floral notes. 




Yoichi (no age statement) 


Not as easy to get outside Japan as the Hibiki and Yamazaki, but this blend from Nikka whisky, Suntory's main rival, is in my top five because of its price. At about 1,600 yen ($17) a bottle in Japan, it's a reasonable dram, even at today's swinging exchange rates. It's a single malt from Yoichi, a distillery on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, owned by Nikka whisky. The distillery spends a good deal of the year under feet of snow but puts out some of Japan's best drams. Although it has no age statement, I believe this Yoichi is matured for about 5 or 6 years. It is robust but characterful and definitely belies its age.

Yamazaki 18-year-old


This one and the Yamazaki 12 single malt have been fairly widely distributed outside of Japan and are the two Japanese whiskies which US consumers have some hope of getting hold of. (In general, Europeans have a much better selection available to them). The Yamazaki 18's cinnamon, jammy notes, balanced by a woody dryness, make it well worth seeking out.




Yoichi 1987