SAKE blog

JAPAN CRAFT SAKE COMPANY, represented by Hidetoshi Nakata(Former Japan national soccer player）held the Japanese food culture festival “CRAFT SAKE WEEK 2024 at ROPPONGI HILLS” for 12 days from April 18 (Thu) to 29 (Mon), 2024, at the Roppongi Hills Arena (Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo).

This year’s event will be the longest ever, lasting for 12 days, and will feature 120 sake breweries carefully selected from all over Japan, as well as 15 restaurants, including famous restaurants that are difficult to make reservations for. During the event, guests were able to enjoy sake from each brewery, including special sake only available on that day, along with original menus created by top chefs exclusively for this event.

CRAFT SAKE WEEK” was started by Hidetoshi Nakata, the organizer of the event, after he traveled around Japan and met many producers of sake, agriculture, and crafts, and while experiencing Japan’s proud culture and technology, he strongly felt the depth and potential of Japanese sake in particular. In 2016, he started the company. The program focuses on selected Japanese sake from all over Japan, and conveys the appeal of sake and the food culture that is closely related to sake. To date, the event has been held not only in Roppongi, Tokyo, but also in Hakata, Sendai, and other regional cities, attracting a total of 800,000 visitors.

A record number of 120 sake breweries will be lined up for the event. The 120 sake breweries were carefully selected for this event after more than 100 tastings by Hidetoshi Nakata, sake experts, top chefs, and others. Each day of the event will have a different sake theme, and each theme will be limited to 10 sake breweries per day, so that visitors can always discover something new and find the sake that best suits their tastes. The sake breweries themselves will serve sake at the event and communicate directly with participants, creating an opportunity to not only enjoy sake and learn how to pair it with food, but also to experience the appeal of sake to the fullest. On the final day of the event, a dream team including sake legend “Jyushiyo” will gather. This was the perfect opportunity to learn about the current state of the sake industry by bringing together the young and the legendary who are leading the industry.

Schedule>>>

18th April  Theme: Good luck! Hokuriku Region

19th April Theme: Sparkling sake

20th April Theme: Eastern Star Day

21st April Theme:Western Star Day

22nd April Theme:Kyushu vs. Kansai Day

23rd April Theme:Chugoku/Shikoku Day

24th April Theme: Tokai Day

25th April Theme: Kanto Day

26th April Theme: Juicy & Fresh Day

27th April Theme: Sakenomy All Star’s Day

28th April Theme: Day of team Juyondai Brewery

https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000005.000044190.html

Author: Yutaro Kobayashi

President & CEO, Kobayashi Junzo Shoten Co., Ltd.

Based in Osaka, I lead Kobayashi Junzo Shoten, a sake wholesaler founded in 1890. Through the cultural richness of Japanese sake, my mission is to connect people and bring smiles to dining tables around the world.

While technology continues to make the world feel smaller, the stories and traditions behind sake brewing can easily fade into the background. I see my role as a bridge—sharing the passion of brewers, opening doors for new audiences, and delivering sake in a way that feels more approachable and relatable.

I enjoy visiting sake breweries, learning about new rice varieties and brewing techniques, and spending time with toji (master brewers) and kurabito (brewery workers) to experience the spirit of sake-making firsthand. On this blog, I’ll share those encounters, my personal insights, and tips to help you enjoy sake even more.

Thank you for reading, and I look forward to connecting with you.