SakeToday

A subscription to Sake Today and/or a collection of all the back issues makes a great holiday gift! Please consider giving Sake Today to somebody in your life who loves all things Japan (especially if they have a taste for sake). We ship worldwide. saketoday.com/get-the-magazi…

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We take a lengthy look at flavored sake (infused, blended, etc) and run shorts on Echizen ceramics, dashi-wari (sake soup?), IWA Sake’s turning-point moment with its newest blend, a recipe, and an essay on every brewer’s friend in Japan: the taxman (no, really, he is a friend).

Last month we wrapped up Sake Today 46, our most eclectic issue yet. It features Fermenteria, an intriguing sake brewpub model launched by Euka Isawa (cover). Our travel special spotlights Fukui on Japan’s west coast, known for pastoral pleasures and ancient religious sites.

Today, he combines that hands-on experience with a clear business vision for the road to the brewery’s 200th anniversary… in 2065!

In Sake Today 45, we introduced Sō Okasora of Chiyomusubi, who spent twelve years as a banker before becoming the 6th-generation president. To lead effectively, he immersed himself in the brewing process, believing a president should be familiar with every aspect of the company.

@mrjeffu It has really good sake, too.

Video: a beautiful winter scene of mountains at sunset in Toyama City, Japan. In 2025 the New York Times featured Toyama on its "52 Places to Go" list.

One highly recommended bar is Ishizue, which shochu expert Stephen Lyman calls shochu college. Lyman wrote a brief guide to drinking establishments for our feature in Sake Today 44.

There are only a couple of producers of sake in Kagoshima; as many know, this is shochu kingdom, and the beverage is everywhere in Kagoshima city. The heart of drinking culture is the Tenmonkan district. There are dozens of bars and izakaya specializing in local producers.

Our Sake Today 44 travel feature on Kagoshima highlighted its natural attractions; many in Japan consider it the most exotic scenery in the country, from an active volcano in its central bay to mesmerizing ancient forests. If you love nature, this is a spiritual destination.

You never know where you’re going to find a great sake-centric place. Over winter vacation, we discovered Sake Haus in Phoenix, Arizona. Highly recommended for selection, quality, price, knowledge, and friendliness!

Recognized as a Sake Samurai in 2017, Samuels has insights into the industry like few others—an interview well worth reading! (Pictured above with the Sato’s of Kaetsu Shuzo and here with Daimon of Daimon Shuzo).

We featured Monica Samuels, the American doyenne of sake and president of Komé Collective, in Sake Today 44. She talks about running one of America’s most influential sake import operations, navigating market uncertainty, and memorable experiences with sake in Japan and America.

She knows a thing or two about responsibilities as well.” –from our feature article on Kirakucho in Sake Today 44. Get the issue or subscribe here: saketoday.com/get-the-magazi…

“Mayuko Kita likens sake making to caring for a child. As the toji for Kita Shuzō, makers of Kirakucho sake, and as a young mother to a toddler barely a year old, she would know. She’s also the ninth generation president of this small, family brewery in Shiga prefecture…

Note to subscribers: shipping last year hit holiday traffic so if you haven’t received your copy yet, you’ll get it shortly. For those that read us through the digital app on Apple Store, the new issue is up there! Interested in a print subscription? saketoday.com/get-the-magazi…

We released Sake Today 45 last month with a spotlight on Nagasaki sake and travel. Our two featured breweries were Chiyonosono and Chiyomusubi with additional articles on low-alcohol sake, Julian Houseman of Sake House in Osaka, NOMU in Okinawa, and a new sake from Patagonia.

Doi Shuzo’s Sword of the Sun and Pink Floyd’s album Wish You Were Here for a relaxing evening… what music do you listen to while sipping?

Of note, they have an extensive selection of one-cup sake. The shop is an easy walk from Higashi-Nakano Station (northwest of Shinjuku). If you’re looking for a bite nearby, check out Tama Sushi, Heihachi (yakitori), or just a few doors down, Spice Bay SUZU (excellent curry).

Ajinomachidaya, a bottle shop in Tokyo, should be on your sake map. Founded in 1952, they offer a range of beverages, including shochu, whisky, craft beer, and wine, but excel when it comes to sake, especially local/craft sake. They’re not just retailers, but curators of taste.