The Disneyland of Sake Lovers
Hello. This is Yuka, a lady who loves her drink.
Today I'd like to talk about an event I call "the Disneyland of sake lovers" — one whose next run I'm eagerly awaiting.
The event venue at Takashimaya, which connects directly to Nagoya Station, hosts all sorts of events — among them one where Yoshida-san, bien's own Ayako-chan, has a booth!
Yes — it's an event where you can enjoy sake.
Recently, in October 2021 the Nihon no Shuzo-ten (Japan Sake Brewery Fair) was held, and in November the Dai Tohoku-ten (Great Tohoku Fair).
In October, the "Nihon no Shuzo-ten" (Japan Sake Brewery Fair) was held, where sake brewers gathered from across the country to showcase each kura's (酒蔵) proudest offerings!
In October, the "Nihon no Shuzo-ten" (Japan Sake Brewery Fair) was held, where sake brewers gathered from across the country to showcase each kura's (酒蔵) proudest offerings!
In November, the Great Tohoku Fair was held — not only the sake of the Tohoku region, but its delicious food was on display too. It was a wonderful time, both drinking and eating.
(There's so much delicious food that I always end up eating too much...)
(The photo above is borrowed from Takashimaya's website)
But from this alone, it just looks like an ordinary trade fair, doesn't it?
The reason I call it "Disneyland" is this: at this fair, the brewers let you taste their sake, so you can enjoy a whole variety of sakes!
Above all, the sakes sold by weight at Yoshida-san's booth are all rare ones that, ordinarily, you couldn't taste without making the trip all the way to the brewery itself!
In October, Niigata's "Tsukimizu-no-Ike," Tochigi's "Otokoyama Bita" (Houou Bidan), and Fukushima's "Sharaku" were lined up. As you can tell from the color, each had a beautiful golden hue, with an elegant flavor in which the taste of the rice clearly remained.
That day, since I was craving sukiyaki, I brought home a one-year-aged "Tsukimizu-no-Ike."♪ It harmonized beautifully with the robust soy sauce flavor, and it was utterly delicious.
Then in November, at the Great Tohoku Fair, Yamagata's "Jokigen," Fukushima's "Naraman," and Aomori's "Mutsu Hassen" were on display. All of them were hard to rank against one another...
As an Omachi-lover — an "omachisuto" (← come to think of it, is that spelled in katakana, or hiragana, or a mix of kanji and katakana...? How should one even write it?) — I brought home Yamagata's "Jokigen." Since that one was aged as well, I was able to savor its deep flavor.
The new year has come, and here in Aichi the state of emergency measures have gone into effect. Wishing for a swift resolution, I await the next "Disneyland of sake lovers" with eager anticipation.
When the "Disneyland of sake lovers" is held, if you enjoy sake, please leave the car at home and come by public transport (those who drive usually end up looking rather disappointed).
The cold days continue. Please take good care of yourself.
Thank you for keeping me company to the very end again today (*^^*)