Shiojiri is a city in central Nagano with a population of 67,000 (as of April 2020). As a tourist destination, it’s a place that goes under the radar, but it’s actually home to the best quality grapes for wine in Japan, and also boasts 17 wineries (as of April 2020).
Shiojiri is a place with many tourist attractions, such as the historical town of Narai-juku whose streets still echo the Edo Period, Kiso-Hirasawa lacquerware, the Hiraide ruins which are one of Japan’s three biggest ruins, Takabotchiyama which has become known for appearing in anime and Japanese drama series in recent years, the local dish “sanzokuyaki” (large fried chicken), and more.
In 1988, the city of Shiojiri began growing grapes at Shiojiri Station to promote the city’s grapes and wine. It has gone on to become famous as the only station in Japan with grape production. They grow Merlot and Niagara grapes.
The station encourages volunteers to help pick the grapes. The first picks of this year’s season began on May 29, and the efforts are being posted about on the city’s official social media accounts and website. The Merlot wine made from the grapes picked in August last year is also ready and will be posted about soon too.
Information
Shiojiri Station
Platforms 3 & 4
Shiojiri Tourism Association Official Website: https://tokimeguri.jp/
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Starting February 1, 2023, visitors to Nagano will be able to experience an unforgettable winter experience at Hoshino Resorts KAI Alps. The Kamakura Footbath will invite guests to soak their feet in a warm bath as they sit in a traditional Japanese igloo while sipping local amazake and enjoying the snowy scenery.
Soak your Feet Inside a Hot Footbath Inside a Kamakura
During February when snowfall is the heaviest, these kamakura, or igloos, can be spotted in the hotel’s courtyard. A private footbath is available inside each structure, which will keep guests from experiencing the cold wind. According to many, having a cool body and warm feet is the perfect recipe for a good night’s sleep and good health. Taste Amazake from a Local Brewery
Kurazukuri Amazake is brewed at Hokuan Brewery in Omachi, Nagano. Made exclusively from home-grown, expertly polished sake rice, the sweet beverage has a delicate flavor similar to wagashi. Why not warm your body from the inside out with this traditional drink? Enjoy the Winter Landscape Illuminated by Bamboo Lights
Around each kamakura are a sea of bamboo lanterns, popular in the area. Guests can gaze out at the cold winter landscape beneath the awesome peaks of the Japanese Alps while pondering what the spring will bring. Information
Kamakura Footbath
Running: February 1 – 28, 2023
Price: ¥2,000 (Tax Included)
Reservations: https://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/hotels/kaialps/activities/9929/*Reservations are required by noon the day before.
Time Slots: 18:00-18:45 / 19:00-19:45 / 20:00-20:45Capacity: Up to 3 guests per session
*Must be staying at the hotel.
**Bookings may be canceled due to weather. -
Shiragiku Sake Brewery will release a special sake made exclusively to mix with soda water on October 1, 2022. The beverage will be available in Okayama Prefecture. The company’s interest in creating a new sake culture led them to develop &Soda, a delicious sake made to be mixed with soda. This may be helpful for those who don’t know much about sake, or who may feel intimidated by the many different types. Being able to mix it with soda will make sake drinking feel more casual.
Sake Made Exclusively for Mixing with Soda Water, ‘&Soda’
“Many people may like to mix sake with soda water or drink it on the rocks. By doing this, however, a nice sake may lose its flavor, and the drinker might be wasting a nice sake for the sake of a more easy-drinking beverage. &Soda was made exclusively to be mixed. Using Asahi Rice, a specialty in Okayama Prefecture, and water from the brewery, we’ve created a sake that has the proper aroma and sweetness. These characteristics will come through even after being mixed! The alcohol content has been increased to 18 percent, and the package will make the product easy to find and understand,” a statement from the brewery reads. For more information on how to enjoy &Soda, please see the special website below! Information
Sake Made Exclusively for Mixing with Soda Water, ‘&Soda’
Release Date: October 1, 2022
Official Site: http://www.andsoda.jp/
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Aiming to create a new kind of drinking culture, Aika in Gunma Prefecture has started preorders for SAKE COLA, a new cola liquor, on the crowdfunding site Makuake. People love cola for its strong carbonation, sweetness, and distinctive spicy flavor. SAKE COLA has a complex, multi-layered aroma and refreshing sweetness offering a unique taste that no one has tasted before.
In creating SAKE COLA, the company attempted to keep the authentic sweetness of sake. To this end, they decided to work with Rokkasen, a long-established sake brewery in Yamagata. Rokkasen’s authentic rice-based shochu Goujoppari is brewed in the cold like sake and distilled like a ginjo sake. It has a beautiful citrus aroma and tastes similar in sweetness despite having zero sugar. Using Goujoppari as a base, malted rice is used to produce a mild, natural sweetness, and the spices added to the drink meld with the citrus scent to create a flavor defying imagination. The flavor and aroma of SAKE COLA spread in the mouth, with the spices and herbs lingering on the tongue. The spices were mixed by Hayashi Oki, who studied in Alsace, France before working as a pastry chef at one of Tokyo’s top patisseries. Mace, the key spice, is characterized by its sweet and somewhat pungent aroma. It’s used to recreate the caramelized taste that is found in most cola. Along with that, tonka beans, containing the natural sweeteners Vanillin and Coumarin, were blended into the mix to create a soft, lingering flavor. Customers are sure to enjoy it from the first sip to the last. SAKE COLA can be enjoyed at any time. It’s perfect for enjoying as an aperitif, and it can also be enjoyed with a meal, like beer or wine. Like whiskey, it can also be enjoyed while relaxing after a meal. At Christmas time, it can be added to warm red wine or served as an affogato with ice cream and a splash of liqueur. How would you like to try this unique creation? Information
The Japanese Craft Sake Cola
Preorder: https://www.makuake.com/project/sakecola/Details: https://xtrend.nikkei.com/atcl/contents/18/00619/00009/
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Celebrating the 10th anniversary of her major label debut, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is having a busy year. The artist will perform at this year’s Coachella, one of the largest music festivals in the United States, and released her first full-length album in three years ‘Candy Racer’ in October 2021. On January 16, Kyary embarked on the largest tour of her career, ‘Kyary Pamyu Pamyu 10th ANNIVERSARY JAPAN TOUR 2022 CANDY WAVE,’ which will see the singer performing 30 shows across Japan. In conjunction with the nationwide tour, the “LOCAL POWER JAPAN Project” was launched to energize Japan through the appeal of regional towns and cities, and has been attracting major attention. After concluding her performance in Kumamoto on March 6, Kyary is now collaborating with a local business in the area.
In the center of Yamato, a city in Kumamoto, lies the Tsujun Bridge, an important cultural property. The local Tsujun Brewery derived its name from this landmark and has been in business for 252 years. A special collaboration logo has transformed the breweries logo into an homage to Kyary’s 2014 third original album, Pika Pika Fantajin. Commemorative T-shirts featuring the new logo are also on sale! A special beverage inspired by Kyary is also available. Despite coming from a brewery, this amazake is alcohol-free! While the beverage is branded with Kyary’s likeness, this particular Ama-no-Tamuzake Hotarumaru is a big seller for the brewery. Made from Kumamoto rice and purified at a nearby shrine, this sweet beverage is sure to lift your spirits, just like Kyary’s music. This drink is also more nutritious than other alcohol, containing no sugar or additives, and can be enjoyed by children. Each purchase also comes with an original shopping bag, making it the perfect souvenir! Information
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu & LOCAL POWER JAPAN Project x Kumamoto Tsujun Collaboration Sake
Where to Buy:
Tuzyun Sake Online Shop
On Sale until April 6 at 23:59https://shop.tuzyun.com/smartphone/list.html?category_code=ct47
Yamato Sake Retailers and other Kumamoto Prefecture Sake Retailers
Available: March 14 – April 6, 2022Collaboration T-shirt
Where to Buy:
LOCAL POWER JAPAN Project Online Shop
https://store-localpowerjapan.com/
On Sale until March 17 at 23:59Official Site: https://localpowerjapan.com
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Sake Boys, a VTuber project that reimagines alcoholic beverages as cute virtual personalities, held a team competition on February 25, 2022. Information about the new male trainees has also been released! Those who did well during the competition will be recognized as fully-fledged Sake Boys.
Teams
Kuro Team[From Left: Kuro (Kensho Ono), Alfie (Ryo Muraoka), Rico (Daiki Kobayashi)] Kuro, a cat who happens to be the God of Alcohol, leads this team. The feline always does things by the book, but the other members hope to improve their skills by taking on tons of new challenges! Shiro Team (From Left: Yasaka (Sonosuke Hattori), Draft (Daisuke Mannami), Shiro (Toru Itoga), Shaoxing (Mizuki Chiba)] Fellow God of Alcohol Shiro tends to do whatever he wants, and this team isn’t exactly what you’d call ‘cohesive.’ This group sticks together for the sake of music, as they often are in charge of music projects and singing videos. Chacha Team [Left: Cassieh (Akira Orihara), Trights (Masaru Ino), Soubi (Norihito Hase), Chacha (Yu Mizushima)] Led by God of Alcohol Chacha, this group is made up entirely of geniuses. With lovely voices, these boys are in charge of talk radio. Sake Boys includes characters inspired by alcohol from around the world. These are the perfect VTubers to watch while enjoying a drink, and will keep you from feeling lonely or sad if you’re at home drinking alone! Personifying these characters has been a joy for this talented cast and aims to bring joy to those still having trouble with the current state of the world. On the Sake Boys YouTube channel, viewers can enjoy the many unique talents of these 11 members, including singing, chatting, quiz shows, and cooking. As the name would suggest, they also explain the intricacies of brewing! Be sure to check it out! © Imagineer Co., Ltd. Information
Sake Boys ‘Heavenly Tasting Challenge’
Official YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0aN-lCr_sF1o3Zs-D4en8Q
Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/sakedanshi_chOfficial Site: https://sakedanshi.jp/
Schedule
March 4 – Cha-Cha Team Round 1 Assignment Due
March 8 – Kuro Team Round 1 Assignment Due
March 11 – Shiro Team Round 1 Assignment Due
March 13 – Exam
March 15 – Cha-Cha Team Round 2 Assignment Due
March 18 – Kuro Team Round 2 Assignment Due
March 22 – Shiro Team Round 2 Assignment Due
March 25 – Announcement of Exam Results
March 29 – Announcement of Heavenly Tasting Challenge Results
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UNITED ARROWS has released its first craft beer in collaboration with Be Easy Brewing, located in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture. The brew is available at the UNITED ARROWS BOTTLE SHOP, which sells select alcoholic beverages from both Japan and abroad. ‘Apple Pie Ala Mode’ went on sale starting January 2 at the UA BAR on the first floor of the UNITED ARROWS Harajuku flagship store, H BEAUTY AND YOUTH, and the California General Store.
Be Easy Brewing offers a selection of unique and constantly changing beers using ingredients found in Aomori like apples, strawberries and Tsugaru rice. From IPAs to wheat ales, the company is always experimenting with different styles. This strange collaboration was born after UNITED ARROWS expressed a fascination with the high quality and incredible taste of Be Easy Brewing’s beers. ‘Apple Pie Ala Mode’ is a Berliner Weisse with a slightly sour taste combining apple juice, cinnamon, and vanilla. Information
Apple Pie Ala Mode
Price: ¥770 (Tax Included)
Size: 350ml
ABV: 5.5%
Where to Buy: UA BAR（UNITED ARROWS Bar Harajuku 1F), H BEAUTY AND YOUTH, California General Store※The UA BAR will serve the beer on draft for a limited time.
※There will be no lottery for in-store sales. The beer will be available to purchase starting January 2, 2022.
※Available while supplies last.