By Aya OtaThere is a clean and pure-looking restaurant, located on a corner of the Union Square/Greenwich Village District, which makes you feel like ...

By Yuji MatsumotoSake Q&A1. Cold or HotMany people think that high quality sake should be enjoyed cold but this is wrong. Compared to fine quality sake which you can drink without worrying about the temperature, sake that has poor balance should be enjoyed extremely cold. 2. What is good sake?Certai...

By Kosuke KujiWhile many consumers don’t know the term ‘vegan,’ many vegan restaurants are now starting to open in Tokyo in recent years. I was sensitive to the term Vegan since I coordinated the sake Nanbu Bijin to be certified as vegan. However, I was surprised to learn a restaurant inside the “Ki...

By Yuji MatsumotoWhen we get into December, restaurants start becoming busy with year-end parties and Christmas parties, and we should start preparation from the beginning of November. During this time, wines and champagnes are consumed a lot and even served by restaurants, and it is disappointing t...

By Kosuke KujiWe discussed Nanbu Bijin obtaining the first vegan certification in the world for Japanese sake. Many Japanese nationals don’t know the term vegan, so naturally, vegan restaurants were not widely known in Japan. However, many foreigners visiting Japan ahead of this year’s Rugby World C...

By Yuji MatsumotoThe other day I had the opportunity to go to Las Vegas due to business, but couldn't believe that the day high was 45 degrees C (113 degF). With hot winds and scorching heat that may seem to melt the asphalt, I lost my appetite and found myself in an unhealthy predicament to spend a...

By Kosuke KujiNanbu Bijin is the first sake product in the world to receive the “Vegan” certification in January 2019, certified by The Vegan Society based in England and NPO Vege Project Japan.The original ingredients of Japanese sake are rice, malted rice, and water, common knowledge among those s...

Taste difference of different Sakes certainly originates from labels displaying rice polish or sake categories, but even more it is strongly influenced by the sake making process using koji mold etc or the water quality. That starts from rice selection, rice milling, soak time, steamed rice, koji mo...

By Kosuke KujiA documentary film featuring three female Japanese sake brewers, “KAMPAI! For the Love of Sake” kicked off in Tokyo in April 2019. Three female sake brewers star in this documentary film: Miho Imada, CEO and Master Sake Brewer of Imada Sake Brewery Co., Ltd., producing “Fukucho” in Hir...

By Kosuke KujiLos Angeles-based Mirai Konishi produced “KANPAI – For the Love of Sake” from crowdfunding, released in 2015. After a world premiere at the San Sebastian International Film Festival, the film was also screened at the Tokyo International Film Festival, Hawaii International Film Festival...