Kikizake-dokoro Showakura

“Kikizake-dokoro Showakura” is located in KOEDO KURARI which is the Kawagoe Industrial Tourism Center. Here you can drink the local sake from Saitama Prefecture and you can buy the sake that you enjoyed.
It is a highly recommended spot for people who love “Japanese sake” or people who are intertested in sake.

Saita prefecture ranks among the top 5 prefectures that produce sake. Here, you can try all the sake from the sake breweries at the tasting corner for a fee.
Because there are many kinds of sake to enjoy from, it is also a popular tourist spot and the stores get very busy.

This facility was originally a sake brewery but it has been renovated. Now, people enjoy the atmosphere of the warehouse inside the building.

This is the “comparison section” where if you put 500 yen, you will receive three coins. Then you get a paper cup and choose the Japanese sake you would like.
The number of coins you need differs depending on which “sake” you choose. There are some sake that you can drink with one coin, there are also ones that you can drink with two or three coins.
You can try out rare and valuable sake and high quality sake with 3 or more coins.

Insert the paper cup you took out earlier. Once you have put the number of coins needed for the sake you want, press the button.
This time I have tried three types of Japanese sake that require one coin each. I wrote a simple review of what I thought about the flavors and comparison of each sake so if you are interested please use them as an example. Sake can be classified into four types based on its characteristics such as flavor and aroma, so you can use this as a reference when choosing your “sake.”

・Fruity Type
It has a strong aroma and a clear, fresh taste.

・Aged Type
It has a characteristic of a rich aroma and a unique, strong taste.

・Light Type
The scent is very clear and light. It has a refreshing, soothing taste.

・Umakuchi Type
It usually has a gentle aroma with a rich taste.

The first “Sake” I tried was called “帝松 MIKADOMATSU.”(second from the right) Under the 4 types of Sake this may be considered a fruity type of sake. I really liked the label and the palm tree on it. Also reading the explanation for the sake, it sounded as though it was very light and easy to drink so I chose this one. As it said in the explanation it was fruity and had a sweetness to it.It was very easy to drink and I think it is perfect for the first cup of sake to have.

For the second cup I chose “天仁 TENJIN.” (Second from the right)This one is also a fruity type of sake. It has a very clear and refreshing taste but it has more depth to the flavor than the first cup.
It is nice to drink. It is interesting how they are both the same fruity type but there is so much difference in flavor. This is the fun part of comparing and drinking these sake.

Finally, I had the shop’s original sake “小江戸 KOEDO”
This one again is a fruity type of sake. I wanted to try this one as it was the shop’s original sake. Usually, Japanese sake is made by alcoholic fermentation of rice and rice malt. However, “小江戸 KOEDO” has a white wine included so the taste is slightly closer to white wine. It has a sweetness to it that makes it very light on the palette and easy to drink. This is a sake that you can drink even when you are not so fond of sake.
After comparing the drinks, I found out that I enjoy the fruity type of sake that is easy to drink. It’s fun to discover what you like too.

In addition to sake, you can also use the coins to buy some snacks as well. The popular snacks are rice crackers ‘おせんべい” and cream cheese that goes well with the sake. Other than snacks, they also sell ice cream which you can buy with the coins.Ice cream can be nice as a palette cleanser after drinking.

Other than Japanese sake you can also drink plum sake as well. This is also purchasable with the coins.
“Umeshu 梅酒” is an alcoholic beverage made by soaking the green plums in sugar and distilled liquor. This is a drink that is popular with Japanese women. Although it is sweet and easy to drink, it has quite a high alcohol percentage so please be careful not to drink too much. Umeshu can be drunk in many ways unlike Japanese sake. It can be drunk straight, with water or hot water, you can also add soda water but it is served straight here.

If there is a drink that you really liked you can buy it at the shop.
Of course, you can buy Japanese sake without trying the comparison of drinking. How about one for a souvenir?Inside KOEDO KURARI、 there are restautants and sovenir shops.
At the restaurant they serve Japanese food and produce used in Kawagoe. The restaurant’s recommended dishes include Kawagoe’s branded pork Sangenton and “beniimo gozen” which is a Kawagoe specialty made with sweet potatoes.
At the souvenir shop, there are many items that you can only buy at this shop which are perfect for a souvenir from Kawagoe such as their local beer “COEDO beer.”
From Sweet potatoes to produce that have been made in Kawagoe, sweets and alcoholic beverages to small goods, there are so many choices.
It is a tourist spot where you can enjoy many other things other than comparing drinks so it is enjoyable for people who don’t drink as well. The facility has renovated the sake brewery that was built in the Taisei and Showa Era and has been registered as a cultural property of Japan so if you have a chance to come here, we highly recommend you to visit the atmospheric, historical facility of Kawagoe.

Kiki Sake Shop Showa Kura
1-10-1 Shintomi-cho, Kawagoe-shi, Saitama
TEL: 049-229-6110
Business hours: 11:00-19:00
https://www.machikawa.co.jp/sake

Kawagoe City Industrial Tourism Center KOEDO KURARI
1-10-1 Shintomi-cho, Kawagoe-shi, Saitama　
tel.049-228-0855
https://www.machikawa.co.jp/concept