Why Tohoku Took Over Japan’s Sake Scene May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan CitiesWhy Tohoku Took Over Japan’s Sake SceneThe trip almost didn't happen. I'd booked an Aomori brewery visit at the end of a rushed week, the second…27 min read
Why Kansai, Not Niigata, Is the Sake Capital May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan CitiesWhy Kansai, Not Niigata, Is the Sake CapitalHyogo and Kyoto produce more sake than the next eight prefectures combined. Two of Kansai's six prefectures, side by side,…22 min read
What to Drink With Sushi in Japan May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan FoodWhat to Drink With Sushi in JapanThe third nigiri at Sushi Sho in Yotsuya was where it landed for me. Hokkaido shima-aji, brushed with a single…24 min read
Otoso, Bonenkai, and the Hush of Shogatsu May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan Drinking CultureOtoso, Bonenkai, and the Hush of ShogatsuThe first person to write the recipe for otoso was a third-century Chinese physician named Hua Tuo, and he wrote…30 min read
What to Drink at an Onsen Ryokan, and When May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan Drinking CultureWhat to Drink at an Onsen Ryokan, and WhenThe first sound is the knock of the wooden bath bucket against the stone rim, and then the slow tip…32 min read
Hot Sake in Japan: A Field Guide to Atsukan May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan Drinking CultureHot Sake in Japan: A Field Guide to AtsukanThe first time hot sake actually surprised me, the steam came up off the cup before I tilted it, and…20 min read
Hiroshima for Drinkers: Sake Town to Oyster Bay May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan CitiesHiroshima for Drinkers: Sake Town to Oyster BayHiroshima Station to Saijo by local train: 31 minutes, ¥420. From the platform, you walk five minutes to a thousand-year-old…24 min read
Niigata Brews More Sake Than Any Other Prefecture May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan CitiesNiigata Brews More Sake Than Any Other PrefectureNiigata Prefecture has 91 active sake breweries, more than any other prefecture in Japan. The next-densest, Hyogo and Kyoto, are…26 min read
How to Eat and Drink Your Way Through Kanazawa May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan CitiesHow to Eat and Drink Your Way Through KanazawaThe bowl came down on the counter at Amatsubo just before nine on a wet March evening, kaisendon piled until…25 min read
How to Read a Japanese Sake Label May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan Drinking CultureHow to Read a Japanese Sake LabelYou're standing in the basement of a department store in Shinjuku, holding a bottle of sake by the neck, and…25 min read
Cold Sake and a Tarp at Cherry Blossom Time May 8, 2026 by drinkingjapan Drinking CultureCold Sake and a Tarp at Cherry Blossom TimeThe first thing you notice is the smoke. Charcoal smoke, the lighter-fluid kind nobody admits to using, drifting between the…25 min read
What to Eat With Sake on a Trip to Japan May 7, 2026 by drinkingjapan FoodWhat to Eat With Sake on a Trip to JapanThe first time I really understood sake pairing, I was sitting at the counter of a tiny seven-seat kappo in…23 min read