THE value of Scottish food and drink exports to Japan has surged to almost £100 million, strongly supported by the country’s growing taste for Scotch whisky, External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop said yesterday.

The most recent export figures show the overall value of food and drink sales to Japan rose by nine per cent to a record £98.7m in 2015, compared with £90.3m the year before. Whisky exports account for 77 per cent of the total, with seafood 16.71 per cent of Scotland’s current food and drink exports to Japan.

Hyslop – pictured above alongside staff at the Isetan Shinjuku Store in Tokyo – said: “Scotland has a fantastic larder of some of the world’s best natural produce, a flair for innovation and a long-standing reputation for producing top-quality food and drink.

“I was delighted to help promote Scottish seafood at Japan’s most prestigious department store and look forward to continued success in the Japanese market.”