An unofficial guide to Yamaguchi Prefecture and its nihonshu
Ube City's Nagayama Honke is a growing name in the sake world. Their label Taka is not only popular in Japan, but it's earning a name overseas as well. And I'm a fan myself, with the green label Choshu no Junmai taking a top spot in my favorites list. The Nagayama Honke main building, a... Continue Reading →
In my last post, I talked about visiting the Nada area of Kobe and the Hakutsuru Sake Brewing Museum. This continuation will look at some (slightly) lesser known kura, which were much more fun. Directly after Hakutsuru, we went to visit SawanoTsuru. This brewery was founded 300 years ago, and it uses the distinctive "rice... Continue Reading →
This blog focuses on two things, mostly: Jizake in general (i.e. small local sake breweries), and Yamaguchi in particular. Today's post, however, has nothing to do with either. A colleague on a recent business trip invited me to visit his neighborhood of Nada in Kobe to visit some sake breweries, and how could I say... Continue Reading →
Shintani Shuzo Location: Tokuji, Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi PrefectureOpen to the Public: NoProduction: 50 Koku (9,000 liters), Shiki Jozo (year-round production) On January 19th, I had the pleasure of visiting Wakamusume maker Shintani Shuzo, and talking with Toji Fumiko Shintani. It was mostly a business meeting, but I did get to see the kura and talk... Continue Reading →
Location: 山口県岩国市今津町3-18-9/ 3-18-9 Imazumachi, Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Open to Public: Yes, by appointment Cost: 200 yen for disposable clean suits Production: 1,000 Koku (18,000 liters) produced from September through March On Saturday, January 29th I had the perfect excuse opportunity to visit Yaoshin Shuzo, makers of Gangi, when a friend came to the area and the... Continue Reading →
SO to finish up what I started in my last post, I'll talk this time about the third and final sakagura featured on this tour: Hatsumomiji (self-styled Hatsumimidi). This is a very interesting case, since Hatsumomidi is the only kura in Shunan to brew year-round in the Shikijozo style. The others all brew only in... Continue Reading →
Shunan city, which is just a short drive or train ride from me here, is home to a surprising number of sakagura. The local tourist association has decided to capitalize on that by setting up what they call Takushu: a taxi tour of the three kura closest to Tokuyama station. (The name is a pun... Continue Reading →
On Monday, July 16 Japan had a national holiday, Marine (or Sea or Ocean) Day (Umi no Hi). While most people go to the beach to celebrate the day off, my family took the other way, and headed to the mountainous interior of Yamaguchi prefecture to a town/area called Mine. My wife wanted to go... Continue Reading →
The other evening, at the Toyobijin no Kai, an employee of Nakashima Sake shop mentioned that I should try to put together a sake group for foreign residents. I wasn't so sure about it myself, since there just aren't that many around these parts, I have no idea how popular sake is with the local... Continue Reading →
This article was originally published March 6, 2011, on my blog "A Loss For Words" (now defunct.) The picture quality is...not the best, but it was a different time, then. Links and a few terms have been updated to reflect changes in website and education. Last weekend we had the good luck to get a... Continue Reading →
Yamaguchi Sake 