An unofficial guide to Yamaguchi Prefecture and its nihonshu
The other day I dove into the very timely practice of "on-nomi" or online drinking parties. In this time of plague, it's pretty much the only way to get together for drinks these days. I met a few people from all over Japan and the world and my drinks of choice were to aged sakes,... Continue Reading →
Koshu, or aged sake, is a tricky thing. It's a big, popular topic right now, and everyone is talking about how amazing it can be, but it's also kind of a mixed bag. It can be funky, and off-putting, and sometimes downright undrinkable. One I tried was described as having notes of soy sauce, earth,... Continue Reading →
I'm beginning to feel I have some kind of karmic connection to Nakashimaya. Every sake event I go to I run into the same young staff member, and he always talks me into trying something new. When people ask me for recommendations, I always find that their specific event needs seem to call for one... Continue Reading →
Saturday, October 27th was Shunan city's 2nd annual Jizake Yokocho local sake Fair. 16 sakagura from all over Yamagata were there offering their wares, including some rarities I've never seen anywhere locally. A group of friends and I went to give our lovers a workout, and it was pure fun. None of the kura were... 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 →
Yamaguchi Sake 