TOKYO/OSAKA -- The town of Shimamoto, near Kyoto, is known as the site of a bloody 16th-century samurai battle and as a source of pure water for traditional tea ceremony. These days, however, travelers come for the tipple.

The Suntory Yamazaki Distillery in western Japan has become a magnet for the world's whisky aficionados. (Photo by Tomoki Mera)
Big three brewers move abroad as domestic alcohol consumption dries up