An insider's guide to rare Japanese sake — the bottles, the bars, and the cups worth seeking out, from someone drinking it in Japan.
Sake ReviewsOct 27, 2026
Seven Kumamoto breweries, a three-ticket tasting set, and a plaza full of food stalls in front of JR Kumamoto Station. My notes on Chiyonosono Akikaoru, Koro Ryo, and Zuiyo Nananama, plus tips for visiting.
Sake ReviewsOct 20, 2026
A review of Senkin's Tabimai edition of Modern, a kimoto sake from Tochigi brewed with Kumamoto's heirloom Homashi rice. Gently fruity, lactic, and easy to enjoy on its own.
Sake WareOct 13, 2026
A Kutani ware hira-sakazuki (flat sake cup) bearing the Shogetsu signature, bought for ¥9,000 at the West Japan Ceramics Fair. Its bird-and-flower painting, the turquoise underside, and how a wide, shallow cup changed the way Senkin Modern reached my palate compared with a guinomi.
Sake ReviewsOct 7, 2026
A tasting review of Nabeshima Harvest Moon, a tokubetsu junmai from Fukuchiyo Shuzo in Saga. Lightly sparkling, juicy, and the freshest of three autumn bottles from Saga I tasted this season.
GuidesOct 7, 2026
Hiyaoroshi is sake rested through summer and released in autumn. Learn how it is made, how it differs from nama sake and akiagari, and what real bottles taste like.
Sake WareOct 6, 2026
A handmade Oribe ware guinomi by Tatsunaga Yamamoto of Shisuigama in Izumo, found for ¥1,100 at a ceramics fair in Kitakyushu and used with autumn sake at home.
🍶 Sake Reviews 14
Honest tasting notes on Japanese sake, from bottles you can order anywhere to rare jizake.
🏺 Sake Ware 7
The vessels that bring sake to life — Hagi, Arita, yachimun and more — and where to find pieces like them.
📖 Guides 3
Getting started with sake: types, temperatures, and how to buy well wherever you live.
Toshi, writing from Kyushu in southern Japan — and someone who has spent years chasing bottles that never leave it. More about The Sake Encounter →
