From the location of the filming all over the country…the local brands are all over the place! Honjamaka’s Hidehiko Ishizuka talks about the sake he loves

I am actually a big sake lover.

Hello, everyone. Recently, white-eyes have been visiting my yard near Meguro Street. White-eye on Meguro Street. I finally don’t know what’s so interesting about puns. This is Hidehiko Ishizuka.

This time, I would like to introduce my favorite sake.

Why sake? As part of my job, I often go on location throughout Japan and go to izakaya (Japanese style pubs) with my staff in the evening. When I open the drink menu at the restaurant I visit, I see many items on the list, including beer, shochu, sake, whiskey, and wine.

While beer and whiskey are often labeled with brands that are well-known to everyone, sake is where the owner’s passion really shines through. Sake is often labeled with information about where it comes from and what it tastes like, such as “Aomori Prefecture’s local sake,” or “Super dry sake,” etc.

For me, I want to familiarize myself with the region as much as possible by drinking sake from the locality where I will be on location the next day as well.

Each region has its own “brewery” for sake, with different sake rice and different brewing methods. What kind of sake will be served? I can’t stop being excited every time. Another reason I like sake is that I can drink it without chewing the rice. What’s that?

Now, the first sake I would like to introduce is “Koshino Katora. It is made by Morohashi Sake Brewery Co. in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture, and since meeting him, I have become a total sake lover. I was invited to visit the brewery on location for a TV program, and that night I was treated to dinner by the president, Mr. Morohashi. I remember that this was the first time in my life that I was served “Nodoguro” (sea bream).

The Keitora was refreshingly dry and slowly permeated my body. There is a wide variety of sake available, so each and every one of you should be able to find the perfect match for your taste buds. This is truly a sake matching app!

Sake to be introduced

Next is “KAMO-SHIJIN KUHEIJI. It is made by Banjo Jozo in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture. I visited this brewery on business.

The toji, with his long gray hair tied up in a knot, is similar to the image of the “god of sake,” although I have never met him. He said, “Only wine has a premium, but I want people to know more about sake.

The “brewer’s kuheiji” is now used in three-star restaurants in France. It has a nice aroma and a pleasant sourness when you take a sip. It was so delicious that I moved from tasting to drinking. It is a friend that opened a new door to Japanese sake, which is pleasant in every way.

The third was “Kuroryu. It is a serious brewery that has adhered to the philosophy of “making good sake” since its establishment in 1804.

First, a sip. It has a mild taste with no harshness. Mr. Kuroryu never knocks on the door roughly. He greets you with a smile and sits down beside you, and before you know it, you are sitting shoulder to shoulder with him. And it is the sake that makes you want to see him again.

The last sake is “Jyushidai,” which is called “the ultimate sake” or “fantastic sake” because of its rarity. It is made by Takagi Sake Brewery Co. in Murayama City, Yamagata Prefecture. This sake is friendly to those who are new to sake, just like a cell phone store clerk. It has a fruity aroma, gorgeous sweetness, and a bright pull.

There are many more of our friends’ sake that we would like to introduce, but that is all for this time.

Sake is the best matchmaker, deepening your bond with the land.

From the April 10, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY