We love chuhais, the ubiquitous, thirst quenching drink served at any watering hole or found in a can at any conbini (convenience store) in Japan. The word chuhai is a combination of shochu-highball – get it? They have yet to get their day in the limelight here in...
Sake Gumi is our monthly sake subscription service with 150 members throughout California. Join today! I’ve always been intrigued by genshus. They are fresh, brash, and bold. They are as close as you can get to what comes right out of the press...
When Yoko told me that this month's Sake Gumi theme was genshu sakes, I was so excited. This was a prime opportunity to develop some new cocktails! Since genshu sakes are tank strength, they have not been diluted (most sakes are diluted with water to bring down the ABV) –...
Soba Ichi recently changed their hours to expand into nightfall, essentially turning the noodle shop into an izakaya. We're so excited – an izakaya in Oakland! Last June, Soba Ichi opened as the Bay Area's...
It's hard to believe we've been putting on Japan Beer Fest (JBF) with The Trappist for six years now – and even harder to imagine that this year was the...
Overlooking Lake Biwa from Mt. Shizugatake Sake Gumi is our monthly sake subscription service with 150 members throughout California. Join today! Kayoko and I tend to travel to places in Japan that produce foods and drinks we really like. One of those is sake from Kita Brewery. What...
Shigaraki is home to one of "six old kilns" of Japan, considered sacred and historical. Here you'll find ceramics made with prized red Shigaraki clay, known for its rich adobe hue and incredible heat insulation. We carry many products made with this special clay, including our...
Tomita Brewery is a sake brewery on the northern tip of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture. They make Shichi Hon Yari sakes, which this month, is featured as part of Sake Gumi. We also always have their junmai on our...
The first time we met Mayuko Kita, of Kita Sake Brewery, was in Fremont at a sake trade show. An uninspiring setting (sorry Fremont trade shows) for such an inspiring person we would meet. This sake trade show was like...
From Hokkaido all the way down to Okinawa, we are highlighting the riches of each prefecture with our new Explore Japan map. Simply click on the map to view related products and blog posts relevant to each prefecture. We have loads of articles...
When I started to do some research on Shiga Prefecture, I quickly found out that the birthplace of tanuki statues is Shigaraki (a town on the southern tip of Shiga). I was intrigued because Shigaraki was also where our donabes come from – it turns out that it is the...
I have lived in Tokyo in the past for about 10 years of my life, but I admit my knowledge of Japanese geography is really limited. Limited not only to Tokyo proper, but more specifically to Western Tokyo, where pretty much everyone...
For Valentine's Day this year, Yoko and I wanted to give a token of our appreciation towards a local organization that we believe is doing great work in the Bay Area. We decided on the Be A Mentor program, a non-for-profit, 501(c)3 that matches adult mentors with at-risk...
TATENOKAWA PHOENIX SAKEEnjoy this bold, bright, medium-bodied daiginjo while spinning an LP by Phoenix, the Grammy award-winning French pop duo. That's because Phoenix (who are sake lovers) collaborated with Tatenokawa Brewery's Masashi Togami to make this lush daiginjo with hints of...
We have affordable, thoughtful gifts for your loved ones this Valentine's Day! Browse the collection.
We're all about hygge (pronounced hooga) here this season, a Danish term describing coziness and contentment. There's nothing that reflects hygge to us like a deep soak in an outdoor onsen in the mountains of Japan. We've brought in several products to celebrate the onsen lifestyle so...
Heavenly Soap Co. is a San Francisco company making all natural, vegan, palm oil-free soaps. Use these gentle, all-natural soaps on your face, hands, or body. ACTIVATED CHARCOAL SOAPMade with activated bamboo charcoal,...
We're super excited to announce our Sixth Annual Japan Beer Fest with The Trappist! Are you all ready for this?! This year, we're celebrating sansho, a tingling Japanese pepper featured in several drinks and ingredients from Japan. The star of this year's Japan Beer Fest will be the very special Ruben's...
Check out the newest prints by Studio Arhoj! Dress up the kids room or the living room with these playful prints that will fit perfectly into standard 8x10 inch frames. Choose from Owl with Moon,
Sansho are tiny pods that grow on small trees or bushes – there is a citrusy zest at first, but use sparingly or else your tongue will go numb! In Japan, you'll most commonly see sansho sprinkled over grilled eel dishes or yakitori. We also carry several sansho...
