Food & Drink | KANPAI CULTURE May 9, 2020
Here’s what the sake and shōchū experts are drinking at home
by Melinda Joe
It’s 5 o’clock somewhere: Time for a well-deserved at-home happy hour.
Business / Corporate Apr 16, 2020
Sake breweries answer calls for strong alcohol as sanitizers run short
Sake breweries across Japan have begun producing high-alcohol content liquids for use in place of the alcohol-based sanitizers that have become scarce during the COVID-19 crisis. Kazuki Haruta, president of Kikisui Sake Co. based in Kochi Prefecture, said he arrived at the idea of producing ...
Food & Drink Mar 21, 2020
Sake, sashimi and all-night hours: Tokyo's izakaya bars have it all
by Phoebe Amoroso
Although many bars and restaurants in Japan remain open, medical professionals strongly recommend people refrain from congregating in small, crowded spaces to prevent the spread of COVID-19. For more information, visit bit.ly/whocovid19-jp. "An iza-what?!" says a friend visiting Tokyo, ready to eat his way through ...
Food & Drink | KANPAI CULTURE Mar 7, 2020
Nagayamahonke Shuzojo: Sake with terroir takes root in Yamaguchi
by Melinda Joe
At sake brewery, Nagayamahonke Shuzojo, brewer Takahiro Nagayama prioritizes organic rice, water and sustainability over technology. The result: sake with distinct local flavor.
Business Feb 26, 2020
Foreign diplomats introduced to sake-making in bid to promote Japan's national beverage
by Reito Kaneko
Foreign diplomats in Japan have toured a sake brewery near Tokyo to study how the beverage is made in a project the government and the sake industry hope will promote the traditional rice wine overseas. The National Tax Agency, which co-hosted the project with the ...
Food & Drink | KANPAI CULTURE Jan 11, 2020
Young brewers, new sake and classic flavors
by Melinda Joe
Sake is enjoying a new wave of popularity, thanks to improvements in quality, an ever-expanding variety of styles and the spread of sake education programs. Now, younger brewers are being encouraged to enter the market.
Food & Drink | TOKYO FOOD FILE Jan 4, 2020
Taishu Sakaba Raincolor: Start the decade with the down-home and delicious
by Robbie Swinnerton
The first meal of the year is always important. When it's the first of the decade, though, it surely takes on even weightier significance. So what's it to be? Fine dining or casual? Traditional or contemporary? Homegrown Japanese, something from overseas or perhaps some ...
National Jan 3, 2020
The government is considering designating highly skilled masters of Japanese cuisine and sake brewing as "living national treasures," a title currently limited to performers and experts skilled in traditional arts and crafts, sources familiar with the matter said Friday. The Cultural Affairs Agency also plans ...
National Dec 3, 2019
The Fukushima Prefectural Government launched a weeklong sake promotion event in New York City on Monday, hoping to boost recognition of its Japanese rice wine among U.S. consumers amid a sales slump in the domestic market. Ten Japanese restaurants in the city are participating in ...
Business Nov 27, 2019
The government and ruling bloc are discussing plans to allow the issuing of new licenses for the production of sake meant for export amid the growing popularity of the drink overseas, according to informed sources. New entries are effectively not allowed at present, but the ...
Travel Nov 23, 2019
Joetsu: A historic town braces for the first snowfall of winter
by Claire Williamson
Joetsu, Niigata Prefecture, might be most famous for its snowfall and skiing, but it also has a long history of local sweets, sake and even samurai.
National / Politics Nov 22, 2019
Sake from Abe's home prefecture served at controversial Tokyo cherry blossom party
Dassai sake from Yamaguchi Prefecture, where Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's constituency is located, was used at the annual state-funded cherry blossom-viewing party that's now the subject of intense scrutiny, it was learned Friday. The government admitted serving the well-known brand at the party in a ...