Wajo Waraku | Vol. 6: Not every day, but at least once a week, enjoy sake at Mitsuya Saketen.
Not every day. Once a week, enjoy some sake!
Nestled between Kichijoji and Ogikubo
Mitsuya Saketen, in a town of quiet charm
The second floor of Mitsuya Saketen is a free space called "Yūkuukan" (Play Space), used on weekdays for classes such as flower arrangement, calligraphy, and English conversation.
Photos and text by Wajō Waraku
Sake Brewery Tasting and Sale Event, October 24th (Sat)!
We also hold a monthly sake class here, with manga artist Sei Takase as our instructor.
After talks on the history and production process of sake, we have a lively reception with brewery representatives.
Furthermore, several times a year, we host tasting and sales events in the "Yūkuukan" space, featuring breweries presenting their "gems to be enjoyed now," alongside local delicacies.
The next event is on Saturday, October 24th. Tasting while hearing from the brewers themselves is a special experience, and you might just discover something new.
What kind of food pairs well with this sake? Sushi? Beef?
One afternoon
“Can you speak English?”
Here they come! A pair of customers from France. They were conversing in French, not English, and seemed to have no grasp of Japanese. I responded, dredging up memories of my student days, using a somewhat literary style of English.
Please consider the following exchange as a conversation in English, or rather, through English.
“I’d like to buy some sake as a souvenir.”
“Would you like to try a tasting, then?”
Here, they sampled a Junmai Daiginjo and a Junmai-shu. Their favorite was the slightly fragrant, clean-tasting type.
“What kind of food pairs well with this sake? Sushi? Beef?”
“How long does it keep after opening?”
“What is the taste of aged sake like?”
I answered their excellent barrage of questions as politely as I could.
After about an hour, my efforts (perhaps?) paid off, and they purchased several bottles of sake.
Their final question.
“Do Japanese people drink sake every day?”
“...No.”
Everyone, not every day. Once a week, enjoy some sake!
It will surely be a relaxing experience. It goes without saying that I resolved to improve my English conversation skills that day and soothed the fatigue of the intense battle with sake.
Please take your time to choose your favorite bottle at our shop, where even stray cats can feel at home.
Mitsuya Saketen
2-28-15 Nishi-Shinjuku, Suginami-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-3334-7447
Fax. 03-3334-7448
www.sake-mituya.com
3-minute walk from the South Exit of Nishi-Ogikubo Station on the JR Chuo Line