“Hanzo” & “Yoshinogawa” In-store tasting event @ Ikebukuro


You can taste Hanzo, Ota Sake Brewery from Mie prefecture, and Yoshinogawa, Yoshinogawa co,Ltd from Niigata prefecture.

Hanzo (Ota Sake Brewery)

Currentry, there are 34 sake brewaries in Mie. The sake produced in Mie’s breweries always performs well in the Annual Japan Sake Awards and other contests, and its delicious taste is gaining increasing attention. The reasons why it tastes so delicious are Mie’s rich food culture rooted in the locality, its climate, clear spring water, and high-quality sake rice. Based on these factors, the breweries produce a variety of high-quality sake that complements well with all kinds of cuisine.

The products of Ota Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. are largely hand-made according to traditional production techniques. The brew master, or “Toji”, is the most important person in the brewing process. He controls the quality of the sake by deciding at what temperature the fermentation process takes place. He also supervises all the other workers. The most important period in the sake making process is from November to April, since the low winter temperatures benefit the sake quality.

During this time, the brew master is always present in the brewery, continuously checking the temperature of the raw sake, even during the night. Many experienced brew masters are originally from the Tohoku area of Northern Honshu.

The brew master at Ota Sake Brewery Co., Ltd., Mr. Hisamitsu Fujii, 71, comes from Iwate Prefecture, also located in Tohoku, and is a member of the “Nambu Toji” Brew Master Guild. His skills, combined with 50 years of sake making know-how at Ota Sake Brewery Co., Ltd., where management and staff is working together as a team with the determination to only produce the highest quality.

Hanzo Junmai Daiginjo was selected for G7 Ise-Shima Summit. Because of that Hanzo Junmai Daiginjo Yamadanishiki Migaki 40 (Seimaibuai 40%) was short supply.

Ota Sake Brewery Home page

Tasting at home by amazon

Hanzo Junmai Daiginjo 【Kami No Ho】大田酒造 半蔵 純米大吟醸 神の穂 720ml

Exclusively made with the “Kami No Ho” variety of sake rice, especially developed over 12 years for the Mie area, which was described as “God’s country” in Japanese legends. It features a fresh, particularly smooth flavor, the way sake should taste.

Rice: Kami No Ho
Seimaibuai (The degree of polishing rice): 50%
The degree of Sake: +2
Alcohol: 15%
How to serve: Under 15℃ is good, but best is chilled at 7-10℃
Suitable for both Japanese and Western style meal

 


Yoshinogawa (Yoshinogawa co,Ltd)

Yoshinogawa is located in Settaya, Nagaoka city, Niigata. Nagaoka is famous for Fireworks. The Nagaoka Festival is held from August 1st to August 3rd around the Shinano River. Its main attractions are the portable shrine float parades and folk dance processions during the day with large-scale fireworks displays in the evening on the final two days. It is one of the three great fireworks festivals of Japan.

It is said that over 1 million spectators attend over the three days every summer. It is really a big event, you need an early reservation for transport and accommodation.



Booking.com

Settaya is a village in Niigata known for many years as a place specializing in fermentation. There are swarms of breweries such as Sake, Mirin (sweet sake; used as seasoning) and Soy sauce in the 500 square meters and you can see many wooden and old style buildings. On of the old building has existed ever since the Edo period. This quaint town still retains the atmosphere of old bygone days.

Mikuni Kaido (三国街道) was an ancient highway in Japan that stretched from Takasaki-juku (present day Gunma Prefecture) on the Nakasendo to Teradomari-juku (present day Niigata Prefecture) on the Hokuriku Kaido. Settaya area was along the Mikuni Kaido and convenient location in Edo period. Moreover, there were abundance of high quality underground water from Ota river and Shinano river also produced rice and soybeans. Therefore sake, miso and soy sauce brewing industries developed in this area.

Yoshinogawa is founded in 1548. It is the oldest brewery in Niigata where the one of Japan’s leading sake producing areas. They have 470 years brewing history.

Yoshinogawa co,Ltd Home page

Tasting at home by amazon

Ginjo Gokujo Yoshinogawa 吟醸 極上吉乃川 720ml

 

 

DATE AND TIME

2018/11/08 (Thu)~2018/11/14 (Wed) 10:00~20:00

You cannot go? Check out ichibansake Event Calendar

LOCATION

Ikebukuro Tobu Department Store B1F

1 Chome-1-25 Nishiikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo 171-0021

Google map

Access

Directly connected to “Ikebukuro station”

Web site

For more information visit, 東武百貨店 池袋店 日本酒催事スケジュール

Japan Sake and Shochu Information Center

You can learn about the charm of Japanese sake, shochu and awamori including the history and the culture by “Seeing,” “Touching,” and “Experiencing” in Japan Sake and Shochu Information Center.


As soon as you enter, you will find a big wooden tub on the ceiling. The wall is beautifully decorated in Black and Red glass which looks like the traditional lacquer ware. You can feel aroma with fresh woody fragrance in elegant and slow atmosphere.The variety of Japanese sake from all over Japan is displayed in the center.

You can see the process of making Sake and Shochu on the TV monitors and 2 screens. If you are an enthusiastic Sake learner, you can find out on the tablet device they prepared.

Sake concierge always welcome for you. They will find out for you any kind of Sake information such as, where is the nearest breweries from Tokyo, there is English service or not, the sake shop where you can purchase your looking for and so on.

Of course, there is tasting section. You can always taste about 50 items of Japanese sake, shochu, and awamori. Sake include various types such as Daiginjo, Junmai-ginjo, Junmai, Aged sake, Sparkling sake, etc. from all over Japan for minimum price of 100 yen per cup. If you cannot choose, try set menu, you will meet new Sake.

 

*Shochu made from different ingredients such as sweet potato, barley, rice, and brown sugar can be tasted as well.
*Awamori is another special spirit from Okinawa, and you can also enjoy tasting.

Occasionally, they have some events, such as a tasting event by a certain brewery and a seminar by a specialists on the topic.

BUSINESS TIME

10AM to 6PM weekdays

Close on weekends

LOCATION

Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association (JSS)

1-6-15, Njishishinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan 105-0003

Google map

Access

3 min walk from Tokyo metro Ginza Line Toranomon Station Exit 9
4 min walk from Tokyo metro Chiyoda line Kasumigaseki Station C3 Exit
3 min walk from Toei Mita Line Uchisaiwaicho Station A4 Exit
8 min walk from JR line Shimbashi Station Hibiya Exit

Web site

For more information visit, http://www.japansake.or.jp/sake/english/

Tel:  +81 3 3501 0101

E-mail:  jss-info@japansake.or.jp

“Dassai” In-store tasting event @ Ikebukuro

You can taste Dassai, ASAHISHUZO co.,ltd. from Yamaguchi prefecture.

Dassai (ASAHISHUZO co.,ltd.)

Thirty minutes by car from Iwakuni City, deep in the mountains of Yamaguchi Prefecture, is the home of Dassai, a top-quality sake that has been highly acclaimed both at home and abroad.


The Nishiki River runs through Iwakuni City, and it is a place where you can find delicious sake thanks to the flourishing brewery industry. There are five breweries in Iwakuni, it is evidence that Iwakuni has good water for Sake. World wide famous Dassai is followed by Gangi, Gokyo, Kinkankuromatsu, Kinsuzume. These are the Sake to drink for any true Sake lover!

The city’s main attraction is the Kintai-bashi Bridge, one of the three finest bridges in Japan. You can take a boat from there and they offer you variety of Bento box menu. Of course you can order Iwakuni 5 breweries’s Sake on the boat.

In spring, the cherry blossom trees along the river banks in full bloom. You can enjoy their beauty in the day and also at night when the trees are lit up. In the summer, cormorant fishing and fireworks are held, in autumn you can enjoy the autumn foliage. You can enjoy an impressive and spectacular view from cruise boats.

On the other hand, the Nishikigawa Seiryu Line (錦川清流線 Nishikigawa Seiryu-sen, “Nishiki River Limpid Stream Line”) is a Japanese railway line connecting Kawanishi and Nishikicho stations, all within Iwakuni, Yamaguchi. As the name suggests, the line parallels the Nishiki River (Nishiki-gawa).

Occasionally, they have tasting event in the train. They operate sake tasting Train. You can enjoy a special time while looking at scenery full of nature from the train window.

ASAHISHUZO co.,ltd. Home page

Nishiki river cruise Kintaibashi : http://ukai.iwakuni-city.net Tel: 81-827-28-2877

Nishikigawa Seiryu Line: http://nishikigawa.com/index.php Tel: 81-827-72-2002

 


Tasting at home by amazon

Dassai tasting set 180ml×3 bottles 獺祭(だっさい) おためしセット 180ml×3本

 

 

DATE AND TIME

2018/11/01 (Thu)~2018/11/07 (Wed) 10:00~20:00

You cannot go? Check out ichibansake Event Calendar

LOCATION

Ikebukuro Tobu Department Store B1F

1 Chome-1-25 Nishiikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo 171-0021

Google map

Access

Directly connected to “Ikebukuro station”

Web site

For more information visit, 東武百貨店 池袋店 日本酒催事スケジュール