Sake no jin (Niigata Sake Fair)
For all you sake fanatic out there in Japan, you’ll be happy to know that there will be a sake fair this coming March on the 15th and 16th. This annual fair includes well over 100 sake brewers from across the Niigata region. As you might have heard, Niigata region is well known for their good quality rice and rice wine.
Like a wine tasting fair, everyone above the age of 20 is welcome to join the sake fair and in tasting the various sakes blends from the Niigata region. Admissions for viewing is free however, if you want to go on a sake tasting spree, you would need to exchange 1000yen for a cup whereby you could go from stand to stand tasting their alcoholic wares. There will be performances scheduled to entertain guests and specialty food from Niigata will also be available.
How to get there come 15th March?
By train from Tokyo
Niigata Station can be reached from Tokyo Station in about two hours by Toki trains along the Joetsu Shinkansen. The one way journey costs around 10,000 yen and is fully covered by the Japan Rail Pass and JR East Pass.
The JR East “View” travel agency also offers special roundtrip packages for the Sake no jin event from Tokyo. They are available either for a daytrip (only 12,000 yen) or a two-day excursion packaged with hotel accommodation (from 21,500 yen).
By bus from Tokyo
There are hourly highway bus connections and an overnight bus between Tokyo (Ikebukuro Station) and Niigata. The one way trip takes about 5.5 hours and costs 5250 yen. A round trip ticket is available for 9450 yen.
From Niigata Station to Toki Messe
The Toki Messe convention center can be reached from Niigata Station by bus (about 10 minutes, 200 yen), by taxi (about 5 minutes, approx. 700 yen) or on foot (two kilometers, about 30 minutes).
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February 27th, 2008 at 8:50 am
If you get a chance to experience this I say go for it. I hit up the shochu fair in Fukuoka a little while ago and it was just 300 Yen if you prepaid for your ticket, 500 Yen at the door, and I didn’t taste the same shochu twice. It’s definitely worth the money and the drunken afternoon.