When my friend Natsuko heard I was going to Japan again during Autumn, she suggested we go to Sake Park, a sake festival held in Shubiya, Tokyo. With over 25 sake breweries and 5 craft sake breweries from all over Japan participating, it didn’t take me long to consider if I would go or not.
So, on this grey Tokyo day I hopped on the train towards Shibuya. Thankfully this event was held really close to Shibuya station, so it wasn’t hard to find. Entrance to the event is free, but to try sake you have to buy stickers. You can also buy a small masu as a souvenir from the event. I meet up with Natsuko and together we checked out all the different stands.
I noticed that a lot of people first flocked towards the craft sake stands. According to Natsuko, they were sold out very quickly last time, so people wanted to get some immediately. All craft breweries had interesting craft sake with them: from doburoku mixed with coffee, craft sake brewed with hops and many more interesting combinations. I myself felt attracted towards Haccoba’s Vert craft sake. Made with juniper berries, this sake reminded me a lot of Genever and Gin. Librom from Fukuoka had a lot of fruity craft sake that were also very delicious.
The sake brewers brought their best sake to the event. A couple of breweries showed off their Shinshu, a.k.a. new sake. Mostly namazake, that were very fresh and crisp and just absolutely great. I also saw a lot of different rice varieties, from local rice varieties to the more famous ones like Yamada-Nishiki. All styles of sake were represented, so everyone can find something they like.
One of the most fun aspects of this event was being able to talk to brewers and other sake enthusiasts. The brewers talked about their sake with a lot of passion, talking about their breweries and their way of working. I was very surprised, that when I talked to the brew master of Kenkonichi, I found out he and I have a shared connection with another sake enthusiast living in the Netherlands.
This event gathered a lot of sake fans, both Japanese and foreign. Thanks to all the wonderful people I got to talk to I had a fantastic time. But especially Natsuko, who I was very happy to see again! I hope to enjoy this event again someday in the future. I would definitely recommend it to everyone reading this. Check out the website of Sake Park to see when the next edition is.
Add a comment