An unofficial guide to Yamaguchi Prefecture and its nihonshu
Today's sake is a rarity: Koshu, aka Aged Sake! I picked this bottle up at tiny Ikedaya Liquor shop in Hofu, Yamaguchi, the only place you can get Takeuchi sake these days. It was just hanging out in their cooler, and it stood out because I've seen a lot of Wakamusume sake before, but never... Continue Reading →
As you might have heard, recent flooding in western Japan has left thousands of people in emergency shelters, killed more than 200, and caused unimaginable damage across several prefectures. Yamaguchi is in the area of flooding, but luckily was much less harder hit than Hiroshima or Okayama. However, one exception is the Asahi Shuzo brewery,... 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 →
Before I begin, I'd like to mention the recent flooding disaster in Western Japan. I live in the midst of one of the worst floods to hit Japan in decades. My family and I are safe and, mostly, unaffected, but the communities around us have been devastated. Dozens of lives have been lost, thousands of... Continue Reading →
Wakamusume is the prime label for a local small kura, Shintani Shuzo, that is making some waves with their own "revival narrative." Shintani is a venerable local kura that was on the verge of closing after its Toji retired, but the label founder's grandson Yoshinao Shintani decided to make a go of it alone,... Continue Reading →
Today is a bit of a departure--a really big one, actually. This sake is all the way from Sapporo, Hokkaido! I know this blog is dedicated to Yamaguchi and the surrounding areas, but when I saw this on offer from a shop I follow on Instagram, I just had to try. Hokkaido is not really... Continue Reading →
This sake from Yatsushika Shuzo is a rarity for me on two counts. First, it's my first sake from Oita prefecture in Kyushu. I've visited Oita many times, but oddly never picked up a brew there. It's a serious oversight! Second, it's a ginjo that isn't a junmai. This class of sake is increasingly being... Continue Reading →
This junmai "kounodou" sake comes from small, traditional Kinfundo Shuzo in Kudamatsu, Yamaguchi. I picked it up in preparation for their open house event later this month, so I'd have an idea what to expect. I was delighted with what I found. To start with, this sake is a junmai made with rice milled to... 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 →
In my recent pursuit to learn as much as possible about the local sake world, I've tried to join as many events as I can. It's not only a good chance to drink some sake, but also to experience the cultural and social aspects of the drink, as well as meet some great people. This... Continue Reading →
Yamaguchi Sake 