Society

Bottle of Japanese whisky sells for record $343,000

Aug 18 (Nikkei) - A bottle of rare Japanese whisky sold at a world-record price on Friday, the third record shattered this year for a single malt from the country.

The 50-year-old Yamazaki first edition went for 2.695 million Hong Kong dollars ($343,000), including the buyer's premium, at a Bonhams auction in Hong Kong. The buyer chose to remain anonymous, Bonhams said, but the auction house disclosed that the winner -- who placed the bid by phone -- was from Asia.

The previous record for a bottle of Japanese whisky was set in May, when an Expression of Karuizawa 1960 52-year-old The Dragon fetched HK$2.45 million at Bonhams in Hong Kong. In January, a Yamazaki single malt aged 50 years sold for HK$2.337 million at a Sotheby's auction, also in Hong Kong.

"The Yamazaki 50-year-old is a very rare and special whisky, and I am expecting a lot of interest from collectors," Daniel Lam, Bonhams' head of fine wine and whisky in Hong Kong, had said in a statement prior to Friday's auction.

[Image: The auctioneer brings down the hammer at the auction of a bottle of Yamazaki 50 whisky at Bonhams in Hong Kong. (Photo by Dean Napolitano)] The auctioneer brings down the hammer for the 50-year-old Yamazaki first edition. (Photo by Dean Napolitano)

When the Yamazaki first edition was initially released in 2005 with 50 bottles, it sold for 1 million yen, or about $9,000 at the current exchange rate, Christopher Pong, Bonhams' specialist for wine and whisky, said after the auction hammer came down on the winning bid.

Japan-Bound Tanker Clears Strait of Hormuz

An Idemitsu Kosan crude oil tanker has safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz, becoming the first vessel bound for Japan to do so since attacks on Iran heightened tensions in the region and effectively disrupted maritime traffic.

Golden Week Crowds Seen From Above

Japan’s Golden Week holiday period got fully underway on April 29, drawing large crowds to major tourist destinations and airports, where long lines formed as overseas travel surged.

Giant Bears Return to Hokkaido

A series of sightings involving unusually large brown bears in Hokkaido has heightened concerns among local residents, with one 330-kilogram animal captured in Tomamae and another 280-kilogram bear attacking a hunter in Shimamaki.

Golden Week Travel Kicks Off

Full-scale Golden Week travel began on April 29, with Chubu Centrair International Airport experiencing its busiest outbound travel day of the holiday period. The airport was crowded from the morning with vacationers heading overseas.

Japan Faces Higher Power and Gas Bills

Electricity and gas bills for usage in May will rise slightly in Japan, with the impact of tensions involving Iran expected to appear in utility charges from June onward. Larger increases could follow in subsequent months.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Motorcyclist Dies After Deer Collision and Hit-and-Run

A motorcyclist was killed after colliding with a deer and being struck by following vehicles on April 29th in the early hours in Shibukawa, Gunma Prefecture, with police arresting a 61-year-old woman on suspicion of a hit-and-run.

Man Escapes After Hammer Attack

A man in his 40s is on the run after allegedly attacking two teenage boys with a hammer, injuring police officers and his mother by spraying what is believed to be agricultural chemicals, and then escaping from his home during a police standoff in Tokyo's Fussa on April 29.

Rhino Charges Zoo Keeper Inflicting Serious Injuries

A male zoo keeper in his 50s was seriously injured after being attacked by a rhinoceros at the Kumamoto City Zoo and Botanical Gardens on April 26.

Rare Japanese Animal Barricades Itself Inside Bank

A Japanese serow, a species designated by the government as a Special Natural Monument, entered a bank in Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture, on the afternoon of April 27.

Video of Foreigner Wrapped Like Sushi by Police Goes Viral

A viral social media video showing a man believed to be a foreign national being restrained by police in Tokyo has sparked widespread debate, with claims that officers had begun deporting troublesome tourists by wrapping them 'like sushi.'

Man Steals Fire Engine to Get Home

A 57-year-old man was arrested after allegedly stealing a fire engine dispatched to a suspicious fire near a railway station in Aichi Prefecture, then crashing it about 9 kilometers away while attempting to drive back to his home in Chiba Prefecture.

Asahiyama Zoo Worker Says He Dumped and Burned Wife's Body

A male employee of Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, has told investigators that he disposed of his wife's body in the zoo's incinerator and burned it for several hours, police said, as officers continued voluntary questioning of the man in his 30s, according to sources close to the investigation.

Princess Aiko Enjoys Court Music Performance

Princess Aiko, the eldest daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, attended a performance of the traditional Japanese court music art known as gagaku.

< 2 3 4 5 >