Japanese Whisky, Scotch Blend

by Olive Checkland

In 1918, Masataka Taketsuru came to Scotland from Japan to learn how to distil whisky. He fell in love and married Rita Cowan, of Kirkintilloch, who left Scotland with him to live in Japan for forty years. She died there in 1961.

Japanese Whisky, Scotch Blend is the story of one man's determination to succeed, both in business and love, despite criticism and cultural barriers. It is also the story of a young girl's move to Japan, a land of unfamiliar customs and even stranger language, her joys and heartaches, the struggle of life during the second World War, and her determination to build a family home.

It is also the incredible story of how whisky is made to perfection thousands of miles away from its cultural 'home': at Yoichi, Hokkaido. Taketsuru's whisky business eventually prospered, and Japanese Whisky, Scotch Blend traces the history of its development within Japan up to the present day.

160 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2001