Suntory Holdings rode two decades of surging popularity for Japanese whisky. Then the coronavirus hit, shutting down cities and means for people to gather. (Photo by Tomoki Mera)

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JOHN GAPPER, Nikkei Asian Review editor-at-large, and NANA SHIBATA, Nikkei staff writer

July 1, 2020 04:19 JST

TOKYO -- When Bob Harris, the jaded movie star played by Bill Murray in the 2003 film "Lost in Translation," flies to Tokyo to advertise Suntory's Hibiki 17-year-old blended whisky, he behaves in a way that now seems reckless. He sings at a karaoke club, rides in a packed elevator, and drinks in a crowded hotel bar. "For relaxing times, make it Suntory time," Murray's character declares.