HOSHINOYA Tokyo, a Japanese inn in the heart of the city, will launch "Tokyo SAKE Stay," a two-day, one-night program designed to fully immerse guests in the diverse charms of Edo-Tokyo sake, from December 1, 2019 (Sunday) to February 29, 2020 (Saturday). The program offers an exploration of sake's depth and hidden allure through hands-on experiences.

HOSHINOYA Tokyo presents a new plan that reimagines the traditional ways sake was integrated into daily life in Edo, offering contemporary enjoyment.

The sake featured in this program is from Toyoshima-ya Honten, Tokyo's oldest sake shop. Toyoshima-ya Honten, with a history spanning approximately 400 years since before the Edo Shogunate's establishment, once brewed and sold "shirozake"—a beverage made from glutinous rice, rice koji, and mirin—at Kamakura-gashi, near the current location of HOSHINOYA Tokyo.

The shop is also considered a progenitor of izakaya, having started offering snacks to pair with sake in a corner of its premises. Today, Toyoshima-ya Honten continues to brew over 40 varieties of local Edo-Tokyo sake at its brewery in Higashimurayama City, using water drawn from a well.

The program begins with a welcome sake drink, followed by a sake bath in the guest room, a sake tasting seminar, and sake served with dinner. Breakfast also incorporates sake-related ingredients such as sake lees and mirin. The dinner, in particular, was specially created for this program by HOSHINOYA Tokyo's Executive Chef, Toriyuki Hamada.

For dinner, Chef Hamada, renowned for his expertise with fish, presents a deeply flavorful hot pot dish. Featuring seasonal winter delicacies like monkfish, alongside other seafood and vegetables, the dish is simmered in a dashi broth infused with sake. The accompanying sake is chosen to complement the rich flavors of the broth, which draws out the essence of the ingredients, and the special dipping sauce made with monkfish liver.

The following morning, guests will enjoy a special, health-conscious breakfast. The main dish features fish marinated in sake lees, accompanied by a dessert made with the distinctive mirin produced exclusively by Toyoshima-ya Honten, the only sake brewery in Tokyo that manufactures it.

During the stay, a sake tasting seminar will be conducted by Dmitry Bulaev, a Russian sake sommelier who was captivated by sake and achieved third place in the World Kikizake Competition. Dmitry will share his unique perspective, unbound by conventional notions of sake, offering insights into its origins, brewing methods, and the diverse appeal of sake as it continues to evolve through the ages.

In the latter half of the seminar, several types of Toyoshima-ya Honten sake will be available for tasting, with explanations on how to taste and how temperature affects the flavor.

"Tokyo SAKE Stay" offers an opportunity to savor the profound depth of sake and discover the hidden charms of Tokyo's local brews. It is an unparalleled chance to delve into the intricate world of sake.

Tokyo SAKE Stay

Period | December 1, 2019 (Sunday) – February 29, 2020 (Saturday)
Includes | Welcome drink, sake bath, sake tasting seminar, dinner (monkfish hot pot & sake), special breakfast
Capacity | 1 group per day, 1-2 guests
Eligibility | HOSHINOYA Tokyo guests
Price | ¥68,000 per person, ¥80,000 for two (excluding tax and service charge; accommodation fee separate)