After living there for 13 years, I came to the conclusion that while they make damn good whisky, the national drink is Sake, or Shochu. Sake is made from rice, while shochu is made from a variety of things, from potato to buck wheat. The main difference is that shochu is distilled, while sake is not. I was not a sake drinker, but I'll tell ya, the more you spend the better is it (some of them are sweet and smooth like water). On the flip side, a 300.00 bottle will be wasted on the American brought up on Big Macs and Bud. As far as bourbon/whisky, knock a few back and get the one that tickles your tonsils the best. Sorry nothing specific. Have fun up there.