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Stories of makers, ingredients, places and the decisions behind Japan's most compelling drinks.

AWARD : GIN

The Logic of Subtraction

The Defiant Philosophy Behind NISEKO ohoro GIN Hakkaisan Brewery, the revered Niigata sake producer, has spent more than a century mastering the nuances of rice fermentation since its founding in 1922. Yet, when the historic house turned its gaze toward the pristine wilderness of Niseko, Hokkaido, to craft a gin, it made a singular, counterintuitive […]

Drink

The Philosophy of Bespoke

A Quiet Triumph at IWC 2026 Sake names occasionally carry a quietly elegant turn of phrase. SAKE HUNDRED’s “Byakko Bespoke” is one such example. In Japanese, this expression is known as Betsuatsurae—a traditional term signifying an item crafted entirely to order. In the vocabulary of sartorial elegance, it translates perfectly to the concept of bespoke […]

Drink

The Two Percent That Shapes the Story of Wine

A glass of wine is composed almost entirely of water and alcohol—together accounting for 98% of the liquid. The remaining 2% holds everything else. And yet, it is this precise 2% that allows wine to taste, look, and feel like wine. According to the Institute of Enology and Viticulture at the University of Yamanashi, the […]

Drink

The Philosophy of Totality

How Toyama’s Fumigiku Sake Brewery Secured No. 2 at Kura Master 2026 Sake breweries take many paths. Some refine a single label to perfection; some embrace the ephemeral with seasonal releases; others compete through the sheer magnitude of scale. Fumigiku Sake Brewery, established in 1916 in Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture, departs from these conventional paths. […]

Drink

The Counterintuitive Excellence of NiKo

Redefining ‘Futsū-shu’ at IWC 2026 There are some sakes whose true nature cannot be understood from the label alone. “NiKo,” brewed by Shirataki Sake Brewery—founded in 1855 in Echigo-Yuzawa, Niigata Prefecture—is precisely that kind of bottle. Legally, it is classified as “futsū-shu,” or ordinary sake. Yet in 2026, this sake received recognition in the sake […]

Drink

A Parallel Spirit

The Story of Rice Shochu Nurtured in Hitoyoshi-Kuma, Kumamoto Both sake and rice shochu are born from the same ingredient: rice. And yet, their flavors are strikingly different. Sake offers a clear, gentle sweetness, while rice shochu is known for its dry aroma and light, clean finish. The reason such distinct spirits can emerge from […]

CHIEBIJIN

The Elegance of Restraint

How Oita’s Nakano Shuzo Embraced the Unpolished Path There is a long-held belief in the world of sake: “The more you polish the rice, the better the sake.” For generations, sake crafted from rice whose outer layers have been extensively milled away has been regarded as the pinnacle of premium quality, prized for its clean, […]

Drink

The Journey of Namazake

How the Cold Chain Redefined the Sake Landscape Sake typically undergoes a traditional process called hiire, a method of pasteurization through heating. This vital step sterilizes the liquid, suppresses enzyme activity, and stabilizes overall quality. Sake that skips this process is known as namazake, or unpasteurized sake. Namazake retains the fresh, vibrant character of newly […]

Drink

Sushi and the Choice of Shochu

A Three-Dimensional Pairing Born from “Almost Zero Residual Sugar” When envisioning a pairing for sushi, thoughts naturally drift toward sake. Yet in Miyazaki, a region revered as the kingdom of shochu, artisans offer an alternative perspective: shochu belongs at the sushi counter.At a storied sushi establishment, a curation of shochu pairings presented by these Miyazaki […]

Drink

A Daily Companion Ascends to Global Acclaim

KID Junmai Secures the IWC 2026 Wakayama Junmai Trophy At the 2026 International Wine Challenge (IWC), an event of global scale, 1,738 entries vied for recognition within the sake category. Merely 59 secured the coveted trophies. Among this elite selection stood “KID Junmai,” awarded the Wakayama Junmai Trophy—a distinction that positions this regional expression firmly […]

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