Trying the Japanese local food and specialties
is one of the great pleasures of traveling around Japan
Most foreigners come with the JR rail pass
but if you forgot to buy that ,
or just traveling around Tokyo for a few days,
There is this.
The JR TOKYO Wide Rail Pass
So this time with this pass,
we're going to one of my favorite places
Echigo Yuzawa station where were just going to
drink some SAKE, at the source.
The 80 minute ride gave me time to look back at
previous episodes of the importance of rice in Japan and
Sake brewery tour at Japanese most wellknown maker
DASSAI
Sake is Japan's national drink
used in religious ceremonies,
opening a business,
at weddings or celebrations.
at new year, when even kids take a sip
Niigata prefecture is known to have Japan's best rice
That means excellent Sake, too
The Tokyo Wide Pass allows limited ride on Joestu Shinkansen
Perfect for Skiing, onsen, and like today,
sake tasting
We're here. Echigo Yuzawa
We don't have to go far from the station
In fact, we don't have to leave it!
It's loaded with local food and gifts,
just a minute from the platform
And right in the middle of his place,
Sake museum, PONSHUKAN
At the entrance is where we find
is the sake tasting vending machine
It's possible to over do it here
Five cups, for 500 yen
That's why
Let's get started
For 500 yen, you get a cup
and 5 coins
Now you're ready
Now you have to find a SAKE to start with
There are over 120 different kinds SAKE on the wall
I start with this one.
Local SAKE from Echigo Yuzawa
Pretty good
It's nice to get the first one out of the way
If you need some hints,
There is a board with the top 10 famous Sake here
Next to the machine number written in pink,
So it's easy to find
You'll never drink alone here.
Ponshukan is a place you can talk to people
Compare notes on Sake, if you're a conosieur
which I am today
The number 1 sake here is this one
Echigo Tsurukame
Place the cup on the circle under the nozzle
Insert your coing,
Press the button, and voila!
A healthy pour of Japanese Sake
Mellow aroma
Echigo Tsurukame is smooth with a hint of cedar
the wood barrel it stored it
It's good to be able to read the label.
On the top is the name
Kaze yawaraka
and type: Jun Maishu in English
It even has extra info
Slightly dry and available in the shop
It's also from Sado Island on the Sea of JAPAN
On the bottom, is the logo with Nihoshu-Do
or Sake Meter value
Plus is dry
and minus is sweet.
This one is slightly dry
Also the sando, or the acidity level
is another way to measure the sweetness or dryness
Higher the number, higher the acidity, the drier it is.
Smells good. Pleasant.
A smooth sipping sake
If I keep going, I'll end up like that guy outside
I still have 3 more coins
and 117 more machines to try
This is cowboy Yamahai
Drier, more accidic than the last sake
Let the rodeo begin
There are so many brands to try here
One can spend an entire week just sipping sake.
to try them all
I went high
and low
When you reached your limit, return your cup
and work your way to the shop
Pick up a bottle that you like
or try something new
No sake has the same taste
Pick up a Tokyo wide pass and journey out to EchigoYuzawa
For an advernture on a pallet
that would bring your sake knowledge to a new height
or leave you grounded like that guy
Kanpai
Next time we head to the Tokyo Museum of Sewage