An unofficial guide to Yamaguchi Prefecture and its nihonshu
The event I talked about last time sold a couple of limited edition sakes. This is one of them! It's a junmai tobingakoi, meaning it was filtered by being hung in cotton bags and funneled directly into a glass tank before it is pumped into the bottles. Harada Toji is filling bottles directly from a... Continue Reading →
Today's sake is a particularly special one, and one that I'm quite excited to share with you. But in order to explain why it's special, we need some cultural context. Heisei 31 , Tsuchi no Toi (the 36th year of a 60 year cycle), February 4thGokyo Junmai GinjoNamagenshu In the traditional Japanese calendar, the seasons... 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 →
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 →
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 →
On Saturday, May 19th I took a three hour course for "Sake Navigator" certification from the Sake Service Institute (Japanese Link)( (SSI). It was a really interesting day, and worth discussing. First, some background. SSI is a Japan-based international organization dedicated to promoting Sake and offering education on the topic. It is also Japan's leading Sake... Continue Reading →
Twice a year, Yamaguchi sakagura and several gourmet Japanese restaurants near Tokuyama station in Shunan host the Guruguru Yamaguchi no Sake event. For a 7000 yen ticket, you get a name tag and the right to visit 5 restaurants, each of which hosts 1 or 2 different sake brewers for a tasting and pairing experience.... Continue Reading →
An event report from Shunan, Yamaguchi's Achi Kochi Marche Sake fest.
This is a bottle I drank over yakitori, as is my wont, with the family at a local restaurant. Hiroshima has a very strong sake tradition, and a huge number of well respected kura. Aihara Shuzo, with their famous Ugo no Tsuki label, is certainly among the best known. This is their "special" honjozo unpasteurized,... Continue Reading →
Yamaguchi Sake 