Tokyo's progressive French restaurants are developing a taste for sake
The first time I drank sake at a non-Japanese restaurant was nearly seven years ago at Coi, a Michelin-starred establishment in San Francisco that serves modern Californian cuisine. I had opted for the beverage-pairing course, and the drink came with a dish of tofu ...
Gem by Moto: Simple, stylish and seasonal — with sake to match
Whenever you find a place that serves good sake, there is a high chance it has quality food, too. No matter if it's an upscale Japanese restaurant, a down-home izakaya tavern or an obscure bar for sake geeks, this rule of thumb rarely fails. ...
Tokai breweries rush to fill surprising demand for 'amazake'
Amid the increasing popularity of amazake, a traditional sweet non- or low-alcohol sake made from fermented rice, breweries and retailers in the Tokai region are boosting production and sales ahead of winter, when demand surges. Touted for its health and beauty benefits, amazake has seen ...
The major changes that have hit the world of sake
In early September, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a change in international policy that will affect the way American consumers drink and buy sake. "Japanese sake" in the U.S. will now be protected under the Geographic Indicators laws — the same ones that say ...
Rating, ranking — and ruining? — Japanese sake
On Aug. 31, the Wine Advocate, a publication started by the influential U.S.-based wine critic Robert Parker, released its first "official" ratings guide to sake with reviews written by Chinese critic Liwen Hao. Parker, who gained fame for creating the 100-point scoring system widely ...
As part of the effort to boost regional economies, the Japan Tourism Agency plans to seek an exemption for domestically produced alcoholic drinks such as sake from the liquor tax when purchased by foreign tourists, agency officials said Saturday. The agency will call for the ...
Major sake brewer plans free tours for foreign tourists at new factory
Major sake brewer Kizakura Co. said on Thursday that it will provide free guided tours to foreign tourists at a new factory it plans to open next week to raise its brand recognition abroad and promote exports. The Fushimigura factory will open in Kyoto's Fushimi ...
Sake Competition sets the standard for new enthusiasts
On July 29, Iwao Niizawa, the fifth-generation president of Niizawa Jozoten in Miyagi Prefecture, was one of six brewers to claim prizes at the 2016 Sake Competition awards ceremony that took place at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Tokyo. His Atago no Matsu Tokubetsu ...
Tokyo serves up some frozen delights
Ice cream and gelato has been the go-to for cooling refreshments for centuries, evolving from the Romans eating fruit-juice flavored snow to the vanilla, chocolate chip and other popular dairy-rich products we see today. But who says we have to stick to the regular ...
Yamagata brewer Dewazakura wins top sake prize at London wine competition
Dewazakura Dewanosato, a sake from Yamagata Prefecture, took the top prize in its category Thursday at the International Wine Challenge, one of the world's largest wine competitions, in London. This is the second time Dewazakura Sake Brewery Co., based in Tendo, has won the IWC ...
In search of 'natsuzake,' Japan's summer sake
Summer is my least favorite season in Japan. Stepping outside, the heat and humidity hits with startling force: the hot air weighs heavy on my limbs, enveloping me in a stifling and unwelcome embrace. The thought of spending the height of summer in Tokyo ...
