Following a visit one evening from two Japanese whisky lovers, he determined that, as a whisky collector, he needed to see what was happening outside Scotland. He visited Yamazaki & Chichibu distilleries and took part in WhiskyLive Tokyo.
He presented an Inverclyde plaque to whisky lover and Scotophile, Takeshi Mogi, his host in Japan, who returned the compliment by visiting the bar recently on a visit to Scotland and playing his bagpipes to the locals.