There are a lot of amazing things to eat in Tokyo. However, the best things are those that you can only eat when you visit that location yourself. That being said, part of Japanese culture is the vast variety of locally brewed sake that can only be found in the region of production. Although there are a lot of great local sake to choose from, Sakae (榮) from Jojima Town stands out from the rest.
Jojima Town is located within Kurume City in Fukuoka Prefecture. The area is peppered with sake breweries, with a history extending back 400 years.
If you wander through the town, you will catch a whiff of the mellow sweet scent of sake, see the white walls from long ago, and spot a sake brewery with roof tiles made from oxidised silver which is a traditional craft of the area. The town is home to sake, silver, rice fields, old Japanese houses and small shops. Everything you would hope to find in a picturesque Japanese countryside village can all be found right here.
People, food, fashion, offices, car engines and club music - all the colors of a bustling city which perfectly describes Fukuoka City. If you take a car or highway bus an hour out of the fast-paced city, out where the expansive skies make you feel small, the quiet almost seems like a lie, and time seems to pass a lot slower, you will find the town of Jojima.
At first it seems like a ghost town, but if you find yourself in an area with a surprising amount of life, you will find a sake shop with a dark blue flag with the name 榮 (Sakae) printed on it, fluttering gently in the wind.
People who have been a part of their hometown for a long time made this local sake brewed from the top quality rice of Yamada Nishiki. This carefully selected rice has over 400 years of history in the making of sake, painstakingly made into Junmai Sake.
Local people specifically make this sake for local consumption, holding a special event every year at the end of January.
Local sake, oden, cake made with sake. The hopes and dreams of the locals are expressed through the sake, a sake where you can really feel the passion of the Japanese people.
Try this rice if you want to experience Japan. I want you to experience Japan throughout your whole body, not just with food but also with drinks.
You can buy Jojima sake all the way up to the beginning of fall!
