(A Thank-You Pour Across the Ocean)

Over the past month, I’ve noticed something surprising in my blog stats: a big jump in readers from Japan. Now, when I say “big,” we’re not talking viral influencer levels here—my site falls well short of those numbers. Still, for a small blog like mine, that’s huge, and I couldn’t help but notice that so many of you are joining me from across the Pacific.

So I just want to say: thank you, Japan. It humbles me that people halfway around the world are spending a little time with my words. Whether you stumbled across my posts by accident, or whether you keep coming back on purpose, I’m grateful you’re here.

And that brings me to something we share: bourbon.

Japan has one of the richest whisky traditions in the world, modeled on Scotch but with its own elegance and style. Yet, over the years, Japan has also fallen in love with bourbon. Blanton’s Black Label, Wild Turkey 12-year, Four Roses Super Premium—these bottles have become legends in Japanese bars and homes. Even Jim Beam has become part of the local landscape thanks to Suntory. Bourbon, with its bold caramel, vanilla, and oak, offers a counterpoint to the refinement of Japanese whisky, and together they create something beautiful: contrast, balance, and variety.

So when I see those hits from Japan, I can almost imagine a shared toast. Me here in Florida with a Glencairn of Kentucky gold, you there with a pour of something distinctly American but now also distinctly yours.

Here’s to shared stories, shared spirits, and shared appreciation.

Kanpai!

P.S. I don’t normally post on Fridays, so while it’s still Thursday here in the U.S., it’s Friday morning in the Land of the Rising Sun, and for my new friends in Japan, I’ll make an exception. Think of this as a small “arigatō” in blog form.

Ccopyright © 2025 Doug DeBolt.