Yes, it is in an airport!!: The number of wineries across Japan is increasing, but we have never imagined a winery IN a major airport! Osaka Airport Winery sources grapes harvested in different parts of Japan. Their fermentation tanks are visible from both the winery’s restaurant seats and the airport luggage handling area. Just wonder if vibration caused by aircraft arriving/departing the airport every day makes a difference in the taste? We can seek for the answer at the winery restaurant by tasting a variety of wines from other wineries in Japan as well as in other countries, in addition to their original ones.
The unique winery is situated in Osaka International Airport (known as Itami Airport) that mainly serves for Japan domestic flights. Don’t be confused with Kansai International Airport (known as KIX).
Rugby World Cup 2019 official site
Match schedule: https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/match-schedule
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*** This post was reproduced from our official Facebook account post made on 08 January 2019. ***
As many know, sake is Japanese local specialty alcohol drink made from rice. It has long history over 1000 years some times associated with Shinto or local culture. The making process is much different from other alcohol drinks in other parts of the world.
The taste is close to white wine made from grapes but it is sweeter in many cases.
As per Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association, over 2000 sake producers across Japan offer over 10,000 different brands of sake. You must encounter different brands and taste each time you take sake, as same we do.
Some might seek for a learning opportunity about sake while you stay in Japan, others may be interested in a chance to try some sake brands. For such international travelers, we introduce Sake Plaza in the heart of Tokyo.
Sake Plaza is accommodated on the ground floor of Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association's building located 5 minutes from JR Shimbashi station.It means it's in very center of Tokyo.
From outside, we can find miniature telling us how to make sake in old days.
Inside, hundreds of sake bottles are displayed along a wall.
They are collected from sake breweries across Japan and they are lined up by precture of origine. Unfortunately they are only for display but not for sale, nor for tasting. Still it is insteresting to look at variation of labels and shapes of bottles.
You can also get some detail infromation about sake in English. It will be helpful to purchase sake for gift or order the alcohol drink at a restaurant.
What shouldn't be missed here is "Sake Tasting".
Ask the staff and you can try 5 different brands of sake with a small amount of cost. There the list of sake for tasting are ready in English. You can select 5 brands from the list by region or by types as you like.
Just one point to be noted is the opening hour/day. It is available only within business hours. It's close during weekend and opens only in mid-day.
So actually it's a bit hard for Japanese business people to visit it...
Spot name: Sake Plaza
Address: 1-1-21 Nishishinbasi, Minatoku, Tokyo
Opening time/day:10h00-18h00 Monday to Friday (except for new year holidays)
Website: http://www.japansake.or.jp/sake/english/about.html#Profile
Happy new year 2015 !!
At the beginning of a new year, we introduce an interesting casual bar associated with an established sake brand Hakkaisan.
“Hakkaisan Sennen kouji-ya” (八海山 千年こうじや) is accommodated in a newer shopping complex called “Coredo Muromachi.” Coredo Muromachi, consisted from 3 buildings standing next each other, is just in front of Mitsukoshi Department in Nihinbashi area. So it will be easier to find the complex.
“Hakkaisan Sennen kouji-ya” is on the ground floor of Coredo Muromachi “2.” The shop consists of 2 parts. One side of wall is a boutique providing all line-up of Hakkaisan sake brand. On the other side, you will find a bar counter with several seats.
The casual bar in the shop offers some choices to enjoy the brand's sake in different ways.
On lunch time, the bar provides lunch menu whose main dishes are “cooked with sake or related ingredient.”
My dish one day, “today’s special” menu was
salmon and ikura(salmon roe) on top of rice.
Where is sake?
The pieces of salmon has been dipped in “Sake-kasu” (lees from sake) which making food softer and sweeter taste. The pieces of salmon had sophisticated flavor and incredibly soft texture by the work of sake-kasu.
What a good work of Sake!
During bar time from 17h00, of course the bar offers sake menu, including a few sets to taste different types of Hakkaisan brand with several choices of snacks or local specialties of Niigata, the region of Hakkaisan origin.
It will be a good option to try and enjoy sake by an established brand, Hakkaisan in casual manner. Then if you like one of them, you can get a bottle at the boutique behind the bar.
Shop name: Hakkaisan Sennen Koujiya (八海山 千年こうじや)
Address: 1st floor Coredo Muromachi 2-3-1 Nihonbashi Muromachi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Website - Coreco Muromachi: https://mi-mo.jp/lng/eng/muromachi.html
Website- Hakkaisan Sennen Koujiya(Japanese only): http://www.sennen-koujiya.jp/shop/hakkaisan-sennenkoujiya
Sake(日本酒, nihon-shu) is the most known Japanese alcohol drink in the world obviously. Well, what kind of alcohol drink is taken the most by locals in Japan?
We believe...it's BEER. In Japan we have various choices in alcohol drinks from sake, shochu (distilled sake), beer, wine, cocktail, whiskey etc. But if you check people enjoying at izakaya, you will understand that. Beer is the most popular alcohol in Japan.
Some of you may know a few Japanese beer brands such as Kirin, Asahi, Ebisu, which can be found at Japanese restaurants around the world. Not only such major beer brands, craft beer (beer by microbrewery) has become popular more and more in Japan. Now we can find several bars and restaurants specialized in craft beer in Tokyo.
Today we introduce the newest craft beer bar among them, Craftman in Gotanda.
Although you may not be familiar with the town name, Gotanda (五反田) station is on Yamanote line between Shinagawa and Shibuya. Craftman is five minutes walk from the station.
The bar is modern and bright with wooden tables and chairs. Tens of beer taps on the wall must make beer-lover exciting.
On the beer menu, we can find around 30 kinds of Japanse craft beer across Japan. They are categorized by types such as pilsner, ale etc and referred with brewery location. For those who would like to try some different beers by small portion, the bar offers tasting set which includes own-selected 3 kinds of beer by small glass.
The reason we recommend Craftman is its food menu. In addition to the wide selections of Japanese craft beer, the bar offers unique, interesting and nice food. Actually the bar calls itself as "craft beer bistro." So it can't leave the quality and selection of food. Of course those food plates are well matched with beer and they have some Japanese taste rather than perfect Western style dishes which we often find at beer bars and restaurants.
For example, what we had there are...
Motsu-nikomi (cooked variety meat)
One of the popular izakaya menu is
arranged and cooked with craft beer here.
Then served with a few pieces of "baguette."
Wrapped pizza with yuzu (Japanese local citrus) and cheese
We could never imagine the good combination of yuzu and cheese!
The spicy fried chicken (karaage から揚げ) is also one of their specialty.
It will be nice to explore various Japanese beer while staying in Japan, if you love beer.
Restaurant name: Craftman
Address: 1st floor, 2-18-3 Nishi-Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo
Website (Japanese version): http://craftsman-craftbeerbistro.jp
3 years ago we introduced the first unit of “Genka Bar” in Gotanda.
Charging system of the bar is unique. You can purchase your drink & food at “NET price”, ONCE you have paid “entrance fee.”
Genka Bar Ginza is located in the middle of Corridor street, popuar dining area among locals. We can find a plenty of nice restaurants and bars along a street between JR Yurakucho and Shimbashi stations on west end of Ginza.
Compared with other Genka Bar units, in Gotanda and Akasaka, the Ginza unit offers upscale service, quality and atmosphere in place of higher entrance fee Yen 2500 per person.
Food and drink menu are also upscale at Genka Bar Ginza but all are net price as same with other units.
For example, you will find some premium selections of Japanese and Scotch whisky at net prices...
Highland Ardmore Yen 140
Spyeside Glen Fiddich 12years Yen 140
Spyeside Macallan 18years Yen 720
Spyeside Macallan 25years Yen 4100
Japanese Taketsuru 21years Yen 410
Japanese Yoichi 20years Yen 810
Even though you do not have an idea of net prices of those alcohol drinks, if you know the average prices at ordinary bars, you will find the prices at Genka Bar are incredible as long as you forget the amount of entrance fee.
Food is selected depending on the season and to be well matched with the premium alcohol drinks, such as cheese imported from France, skewered vegetable etc. Many of them costs less than Yen500.
While we enjoy relaxing time at the unique charging system bar, it is nothing change with other peaceful cozy bars. When we find the prices of the menu, we realize that it is an unusual place in term of food and drink prices!! It is very kind to those who love alcohol. Just be careful not to drink TOO MUCH!!
Genka Bar Ginza is located on the 2nd floor of the building.
Please find the red sign of “原価BAR” to find the entrance door.
Bar name: Genka Bar Ginza (原価BAR GINZA)
Address: 2nd floor, 26th Paul Star building 7-2-14 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Official website (Japanese): http://www.genkabar.jp
Menu for the Ginza unit :http://www.genkabar.jp/ginza_menu.html
Japanese traditional type of alcohol, SAKE, must be an item that many of international travelers wish to try in Japan. Sake is made from rice and the flavour can be more or less similar to white wine made from grapes.
In Japanese, the Japanese traditional rice wine is called "Nihonshu"(日本酒, Japanese sake), while the word "sake" represents all sorts of alcohol drink regardless of the origin, Japanese or other countries.
Some of you may have had "Shochu" (焼酎) already. Shochu is also a traditional Japanese alcohol drink mainly produced in Kyushu region. It is distilled alcohol drink made from either of sweet potato, wheat or rice, having higher percentage of alcohol compared with Sake or Nihonshu.
Where we recommend to go to taste several types of Sake easily and surprisingly at very reasonable cost is Meishu Center (名酒センター) in Hamamatsucho (浜松町). It will be a good idea to drop by the center after visiting two major tourist spots in the area, Tokyo Tower and Zojoji-temple which are 10-15 minutes walk from the station.
Meishu Center offers over 100 brands of Sake across Japan, proposing an opportunity to enjoy Sake easily. At the small bar style boutique, we can taste each of these brands at minimum Yen200 per tasting glass and some of brands are also available by bottle for purchase.
Here the system of Meishu Center as following.
First, after entering the bourituque, find your place with 3 clear tasting glass on a standing counter or high table. It might be crowded between 19h00 - 20h00 on weekday.
Then from two refrigeated cases in the shop, select bottles you would like to try and BRING them to your place by own.
Ask a staff walking around the room. He or she will pour the sake into glass for you and will tell you a price for settelement.
When 3 kinds of SAKE are ordered at a time, your charge amount will be reducted by Yen 100.
If you have no idea which brand to choose, to be very kind, Nihonshu Center puts a tag not only in Japanese but also in English. Even if we do not know well these brand names, some information on a tag, such as origin prefecture (where you visited for example), types of sake, alcohol % or acidity will be helpful to find your favourite one.
Ttypes of Sake is categorized by whether alcohol is artificially added or not and the level of rice polishing. To know more detail about Sake, it will be better to check an amazing website by an English-native Sake specialist, John. He well gather contents in the field on his website. Click here.
Some kinds of snack selected to enjoy with sake are also provided at very reasonable cost from Yen50 (not Yen500!) for a small pack of rice cracker. Take one or two plates as you like and ask a staff for payment.
We chose a plate of sashimi konjac (fresh konjac potato, like cool jelly).
What we have to keep in mind to visit Meishu Center is...
as Sake has so good flavour and prices are very reasonable,
Be careful not to drink too much!!
Shop name: Meishu Center (名酒センター)
Address: 2-3-29 Hamamatsucho, Mitato-ku, Tokyo
Official Homepage: http://nihonshu.com/
Surely you know the name of the most famous Ukiyoe woodprint artist, Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾北斎). During this summer, at Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum(三菱一号館美術館) in Tokyo, one of the biggest Ukiyoe art exhibition "Floating World" has been taken place. Especially until 11th August 2013, under the theme "Tourism" over 180 Ukiyoe and other art works are presented. Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige (歌川広重) are the two major artists for the collection, of course. One of the greatest Ukiyoe art collector, Mr. Saito has contributed to the exhibition with almost all of these works brought from his private collection and his private museum in Kawasaki.
One of the largest features of the second period is the seriese of "36 views of Mt. Fuji"(冨嶽三十六景) by Katsushika Hokusai as well as "53 stations of Tokaido"(東海道五十三次) by Utagawa Hiroshige. With these great collections, we could find wonderful scenes of Mt. Fuji which will be registered as UNESCO World Culture Heritage soon.
If you are interested in Ukiyoe art and have a plan to visit Tokyo this summer, don't miss the chance!! After the second period of the Ukiyone exhibition "Tourism", it will be followed by the third period with the theme "From Edo to Tokyo" taken palce between 13 August to 8 September 2013.
Celebrating the great exhibition, Cafe 1894 attached to the museum offers interesting drink called "Mt. Fuji Float".
This is it!! Mt. Fuji Float
Inspired from the work "Red Fuji" by Hokusai
It has 3 layers of jelly and
we can enjoy the drink by adding "ramune"(ラムネ) soda
with the Red Fuji label into the glass.
In addition, the cafe provides special lunch menu
for the Ukiyoe exhibition as following.
Starter - 5 assorted starters
with some vegetables harvested in Edo or Tokyo.
The cup for cold corn soup is also "made in Tokyo"
with Edo-kiriko (江戸切子) glass cutting technique.
It makes us feeling cool from eyes in hot summer.
Duck on rice, as main dish
Another choice of main dish is "conger eel" (穴子, anago).
You might notice unique decoration of the cafe called "Cafe 1894". The building exterior and cafe interior are modeled from the former building which had been the place in Meiji era since year 1894. Especially the cafe decoration is replication from the bank office in that era.
We guess at the place we have the lunch..., can you imagine?! 100 years ago, wads of money must have been piled up there!! How fantastic it is if we could imagine that!!
Related posts: Another spots related Ukiyoe
http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2013/01/illy-cafe-with-ukiyoe-nihombashi-tokyo.html
http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2013/03/hokusai-japanese-restaurant-in-tokyo-disneyland.html
Cafe name: Cafe 1894, Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum (三菱一号館美術館)
Address: 2-6-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum: http://mimt.jp
Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum "Floating World" exhibition official:
http://mimt.jp/ukiyoe/
Cafe official site: http://www.mimt.jp/english/cafe1894/
Many of you, especially those in Europe, may know Italian espresso brand "espresamente illy". The coffee brand operates several coffee shops in Tokyo and some other major cities of Japan.
As same with other units of espressamente illy, it provides authentic Italian espresso and other various coffee drinks and some Italian food like panini sandwiches and dolce(italian dessert). All the units are in modern design in red tone from the brand logo.
One thing, espressamente illy Nihombashi, Tokyo is different from other illy coffee shops is a big wall is decorated with art graphic panel of UKIYOE (浮世絵), Japanese traditional art.
While you have a cup of Italian coffee, you can also enjoy viewing the Japanese traditional art works... like this.
Three Ukiyoe art work graphics are successfully replicated by a Japanese major print-technology company from collections of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, U.S.A.
* Under the Wave off Kanagawa, from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji
by Katsushika Hokusai (「富獄三十六景」神奈川沖浪裏 葛飾北斎)
* Nihonbashi: Morning Scene, from the series Fifty-three Stations of the Tôkaidô Road
by Ando Hiroshige (「東海道五十三次」日本橋朝之景 安藤広重)
* Reflective Love, from the series Anthology of Poems: The Love Section
by Kitagawa Utamaro (「歌撰恋之部」物思恋 喜多川歌麿)
All these works are major iconic works by these Ukiyoe masters in the Edo period. It is also interesting to know a scene of Nihombashi, where the cafe is located, in early 19th century or 200 years ago from the work by Ando Hiroshige.
Cafe name: espressament illy Nihombashi
Address: Nihombashi Fuji bld. 1st floor, 2-5-13 Nihombashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Website in Japanese: http://espressamenteilly.jp
View Larger MapAnnual meeting of the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and World Bank Group will be held in Tokyo during next week from 9th October.
At Marunouchi (丸の内) business district adjacent to the meeting venue, some promotion and events are offred to welcome guests coming for the meetings. Some of them are not exclusive for the meeting attendees but open to all people and tourists.
One of these promotions called "Sake Bar" is Sake tasting opportunity at "Cafe ease" in Marunouchi Building. At the cafe, during the promotion event between 9th to 14th October 2012, Sake selections from all 47 prefectures of Japan are listed and offered each at Yen 500 by a glass. They include established brands such as Ichinokura from Miyagi, Suehiro Gensai from Fukushima, Kusudama from Gifu prefectures. Some Japanese dishes in Izakaya style will be also ready to be enjoyed together with the Sake collection again each at Yen 500.
Especially on Saturday 13th October, live music performance of "shamisen" (Japanese stringed instrument) will be provided twice a day, from 16h00 and 20h00.
If you stay in Tokyo during the event, don't miss the chance to taste fine Sake collection at such a reasonable price in modern cafe. Marunouchi Building is just in front of JR Tokyo station and is not far from Ginza and Imperial Palce.
Promotion details:
Japan All In Sake Bar At Marunouchi Cafe "ease"
Address: 1st (Ground) floor Marunouchi Building, 2-4-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Date: 8th to 14th October 2012
Time: 16h00 - 24h00
Official site (Japanese) : http://www.marunouchi.com/common/JP/shop/detail.cgi?SH_MSH_code=1046
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