Thanks! Looks like K & L in Hollywood has Akabu Shuzo junmai ginjo in stock.
2 Likes
yes the regular junmai ginjo is widely available, but HiTime in Costa Mesa should be getting the Kohaku, or at least they had it last year. the American release probably takes a little bit of time; hopefully they get it by the world series. Kohaku is mellower, slightly lower alcohol, and a touch of gentle sweet muscat. it’s meant for easy drinking on fall nights; great with kamo rosu or anago bozushi, imo. if you can’t get Kohaku in time, the normal junmai ginjo is still a pretty good drink. better than Hakkaisan Dodgers above.
3 Likes
Hi-Time and K&L delivers if you’re not close.
1 Like
No.
recent notable sips and pairings in Japan
Shinshu Kirei muroka nama genshu, hitogokochi, junmai ginjo. At an izakaya, served with ankimo and anko rice pot. Soft texture, mellow slightly sweet with a lingering umami that went great with ankimo. So easy to drink and not as sweet as some may normally pair with ankimo in say otsumami, but this makes for a smooth pairing near the ending rice pot. My introduction to them in 2020 was with the miyamanishiki but also with ankimo (on a toasted rice cracker), interestingly.
Shiraito-shuzo’s haneki festival opening ceremony namazake (I believe there may be 2 other types sold exclusively at the brewery on Feb 21-22). Shiraito is a popular brewery in Itoshima, Fukuoka that uses haneki shibori, an old school sake pressing method with a pole and stone weight to make the main mash. You may know them from their very popular Tanaka 65 or their collaborations with other breweries (Tanaka 65 x Senkin is a good one, but they recently did the 7 lucky gods collaborations in 2025 as I mentioned up the thread). Yamadanishiki local from Itoshima. 13%, like their extremely drinkable Tanaka 65.13.
At Funakoshi in Fukuoka, where the chef is from Kikuzushi and uses basically products from just Fukuoka/Kyushu. Served alongside a gently grilled tachiuo, whose silver skin is maybe reminiscent of the bottle’s label? Transparent, gentle, straight, not flashy, but quietly delicious. Like the opening courses at Funakoshi, reflecting the chef’s kaiseki training.
Kurosaki’s own private sake by Niizawa (makers of Hakurakusei, Atago no Mutsu, and various ultra-premium highly polished brews). Omachi. Warmed, and served in a rustic vessel for a flight of magurozuke. I love everything about this pairing, especially with the new batch of rice with the akazu present as the rice is warm. Tategaishi for jabara otorozuke, due to its delicate composition, and then hontegaishi for akamizuke, as the rice has cooled slightly and the neta is less delicate. The “san” of the akamizuke has a complex elegant slight sourness, the true taste of good honmaguro, that doesn’t linger but its presence is known. Beautifully calibrated match with the shari and the warmed omachi sake and Kurosaki’s stylish balance of old school vs. new school.
(Yes, the flight is otorozuke, then akamizuke, then chutorozuke)
Aramasa No. 6 S-Type 2025 Barrel Aged Essence. I think this season is called “Q.E.D.” in latin, referencing a phrase meaning it has been demonstrated. This has background to the changes starting with 2023, so 2025 was the end of a trilogy of sorts. And for “demonstratum,” maybe a cheeky reference to that in the demon face, or that could just be a continuation of their 666/demonic imagery based on their “no.6” trilogy.
This one almost tasted like wine, different than the normal No.6. S-Type is my favorite of the No.6 lineup usually, balancing a sour slight tropical sweetness that’s really more about the attack. Aramasa gets misunderstood especially in pairings, but here it was done nicely, with the barrel aging gave the No.6 a relaxed presence and lingering taste that went well with some opening otsumami. It complemented the juicy tako, sliced thinly and with a rare center (an improvement from previous versions), that grew in umami as it was chewed. And it stood up to the sweet umami depth of the famous steamed kinki in broth and chives.
Kachikoma shiboridate namazake, gohyakumangoku, junmai. Beautiful fresh-squeezed opener, lively with a slight effervessence and refreshing touch of bitterness. I liked this to start as I sat down and had some yaki sawara sashimi, its slightly charred skin being a nice match.
Hanamura namazake, dewasansan, junmaiginjo. Delicious stuff, a Juyondai little brother naturally, that went well with a bunch of izakaya dishes. I like dewasansan’s floral fruitiness with the meltingly tender fried daikon with yuzu zest. And then some ikura on fresh yuba.
Banshu Ikkon aiyama junmaiginjo. At Sushi Sanshin, served alongside some simmered komochi yariika. Aiyama produced a full body structure and crisp sweetness, which was very nice alongside the sweet simmering liquid. The dish’s direction was about the way the chunky daikon (grated slowly over onioroshi to keep it sweeter and bleed less water) contrasted in texture to the spear squid’s mochi-like eggs. And crisp sweetness of daikon vs. full bodied braised sweetness and slight chew of squid.
4 Likes
Koshi No Kanbai - Kinmuku. Tried this off-menu sake at Morihiro per the sommelier’s recommendation. I loved how dry and austere it was for a junmai daiginjo. I felt like a man - no fruit for me.
1 Like
The 19. century called, it wants its time traveller back
Would you mind me asking where you went? Looking to pick up some sake and ceramics when I’m in Tokyo! Going to go to Pond Galley but no idea where to go for sake!
Also relatively new to sake, but a lot of experience drinking, especially grower Champagnes. Any non-US available brands I should look out for that aren’t allocated (if I find Aramasa, Ubusuna, etc of course I’ll pick those up but I assume they are annoying to get like Colin or Selosse)
Thanks!
2 Likes
Sure, I posted a rundown of my trip here: Trip Report: Japan (Tokyo, Fukuoka, Osaka), January/February 2026 . Only part of the sake (I had maybe 45-50 this time but posted 25). Some I did not take pictures of because photos were not allowed at the meal or I simply forgot or was too in the moment / drunk to care.
Shopping for sake and ceramics in Tokyo, there are lots of options of course. By ceramics i”m assuming you mean sake vessels, not just artistic / decorative pottery? For sake, I don’t want to send you all over the city to chase one specific brewer, but I can offer some convenient options near areas you may likely find yourself as a tourist. I’ll send you a DM later.
Re: non-US available breweries or specific sakes, yes there are definitely some…when it comes to what is or isn’t sold or served here, I don’t want to get into that specifically because it can be a sensitive issue. I can just tell you things I like to buy when I’m abroad, most of which tends to not have official US distribution. If you want Aramasa, yes some can be available, but No. 6 is only sold on the 6th of the month and basically you must be a good repeat customer, and it is getting increasingly difficult for tourists to buy because of various issues. Ubusuna is available but generally goes within a day or two of release, unless we’re talking introduction only type shops. But there is still so much good sake outside of just the popular Aramasa and Ubusuna that you might like. In the same way that there is a lot of good and interesting champagne outside of Selosse, Collin, Prevost, etc as good as those are.
If you really want to drink those brands, you can quite easily drink them in restaurants, but buying bottles for home will be more difficult.
what I drink the most!
4 Likes
Thanks! Appreciate all the help!
Recent bottles
Morishima 25+ Silver Modern Classic. Ibaraki. Omachi, junmai daiginjo. Clarity, a touch of floral notes, and elegant bitterness and restraint. Very good - would be fantastic with some richer seafood. I like what Morishima is doing and I want to support them because they lost nearly everything in 2011. Their symbolic Oya stone is also a material I really liked seeing at Frank Lloyd-Wright places in Japan.
Oya stone at the Yodoko Guest House in Ashiya, Hyogo. We visited after eating at Sushi Sanshin in Osaka last month.
I thought my Tamba-yaki vessel looked a little bit reminiscent, so I went with that instead of a wine glass.
Abe Fomalhaut 2024. Niigata. Kijoshu, sweet sake from the Star series. Quite sweet up front, like musk melon, fragrant Bartlett pear, and some muscat grape. But the sweetness didn’t linger too long on the palate, as a bit of acidity at the back end kept it relatively refreshing. I could actually drink a fair amount of this despite it being a dessert/after-dinner sake. Quailty, though I do prefer the Fomalhaut Spark for extra fresh impression and I have a slight preference for other of the Abe Star Series.
as far as kijoshu sakes, I really like Yoshidagura-u’s Ishikawamon kijoshu (I recycled the bottle before taking a picture). It’s so elegant and you wouldn’t necessarily even guess it’s a kijoshu. The sweetness is so well controlled and sophisticated. Ishikawamon itself is a fantastic drinking sake, as is its sister sake by Yoshidagura-u, Hyakumangoku no Shiro (you wouldn’t think they’re “yamahai”). Now, there is a “kijoshu” version of the Hyakumangoku no Shiro called “Layered,” because the term kijoshu might make one think it’s sweeter. The Hyakumangoku no Shiro is the first of Yoshidagura-u’s Layered series, which debuted in recent months.
I’ve yet to try the Layered version. There is also a Layered version of Kinchaku, a rare and historic rice varietal. Just 11% alcohol, and knowing Yoshidagura-u’s fine restrained acidity and sweetness, this seems like it would be a delight.
I’ve also recently liked Gakki Masamune’s refRain kijoshu and really enjoyed the elegance of Senkin’s “Grand Nature” (a kijoshu mix of “Organic Nature”), above.
5 Likes
both sake cups are stunning and beautiful.
1 Like
Thanks. I rotate drinking out of wine glasses (Josephinen white wine glasses) for fragrance or ceramics or kiriko for the feeling / thematic or sometimes geographic synergy.
Some sakes taste / smell better in wine glasses and some are better out of ceramics, but I don’t get too academic about it. Recently I’ve been drinking out of ceramics and I’m building my collection.
4 Likes