At the legendary Yamakan Sake Store, run by a president known for having a vast network, I visited to purchase "Oroku," a local sake from Shimane. They are very selective about which shops they wholesale to, ensuring proper management of their sake. The store offers a wide range of sake varieties, and I was able to purchase 180ml for 500 yen. I also bought my favorite sake in Shimane, "Jujo Asahi," which was available as a chilled version. Additionally, I purchased "Shoseki," which was the lightest among the three. All the sakes I bought were reasonably priced and available for purchase by weight. When I tried them at home, I found that Oroku, a junmai ginjo, had a more robust flavor than expected. Jujo Asahi, as a chilled version, was delicious. Shoseki, on the other hand, was the most refreshing among the three. The selection of sakes at this store is excellent, and the staff are attentive and willing to help you choose based on your preferences. If you're unsure, don't hesitate to ask the staff for recommendations.

I finally visited the restaurant I've been wanting to go to for a while. I arrived earlier than my reservation time and first checked out the shop selling sake. The storage room on the third floor, divided by room temperature, felt like a dream just by entering. I could stay there all night (laughs). I tried some sake for takeout while shopping and then headed to the restaurant at my reservation time. I was happy that they could keep the sake I bought in their fridge. The care and appreciation for sake was evident. Of course, all the dishes served were perfectly matched with sake. Sake was the star and the food was the perfect supporting actor. As the perfect drama unfolded, the pleasant intoxication set in. This restaurant is for those who love sake, appreciate sake, and can connect through sake.

I came to buy a souvenir sake at the best sake department store in Osaka (^ω^) I really wanted to do a paid tasting, but it's by reservation only (о´∀`о) I was able to do a free tasting instead (^ω^) I called ahead to confirm the stock of the sake I was looking for (^ω^) It's the sake that made me fall in love with Japanese sake (^-^) Fushimi, Kyoto's Fujioka Shuzo's Aosora Junmai sake (^｡^) I actually wanted the aged sake, but they only had Junmai (^ ^) While they were wrapping it for me, I got to taste their recommendation and see the temperature-controlled warehouse (^｡^) Yamanaka Sake Store 06-6631-3959 Osaka, Naniwa-ku, Osaka-shi, Shikitsu-nishi 1-10-19.

It's my first visit to the shop where you can enjoy delicious Japanese sake, Yamachusakunoten. The interior is based on Japanese style, and you can feel the attention to detail in the tableware. Since I'm not familiar with Japanese sake, I was recommended a choice based on my preferred flavor profile. Even those who don't know much about Japanese sake can enjoy drinking here with peace of mind. The food mainly consists of Japanese dishes that pair well with sake. The appetizer for the day was a simmered dish of Chinese cabbage and pork belly with yuzu flavor, which was more like a substantial dish than just an appetizer. The richness of the pork belly soaked well into the Chinese cabbage, and the dashi with a strong yuzu flavor was incredibly delicious. The minced fish dish was also elegant and paired well with Japanese sake. I forgot the name, but I had a simmered dish similar to Awaodori chicken with a thickened broth that was also very delicious. This is a recommended place for those who love Japanese sake and Japanese cuisine, with a calm atmosphere that embodies the essence of "wa" (Japanese style). I definitely want to visit again.

If you are going to Osaka, my wife found an interesting sake shop online and we decided to visit it. The shop is on the second floor, and when you go up to the third floor, there are three rooms. The first room is a low-temperature room for sake aging, filled with high-quality sake. Moving further back, there is a room for storing sake that has been aged once, and it feels cold in there. Going even further back, there is a room set at -5 degrees, which can give you a headache if you stay there for too long. From here, it will be about the paid tasting experience. Normally, reservations are required, but since my wife didn't make one, we were planning to just do a free tasting and buy some sake to take home. However, by chance, they were able to accommodate us for a paid tasting, which was very lucky. The first sake they served us was "Gofu-Ju-Yu" from Akita Prefecture, gently simmered with dashi and served at 42 degrees. The first impression was excellent. I also tried a sip of the same sake at room temperature, and the taste change was so significant when it was warmed up. They pair sake with dishes and serve them together, which requires a great knowledge of sake and culinary skills. Not everyone may fully appreciate the experience of a paid tasting, but it offers a high-level experience. I have included some of the sake we tasted, both paid and free, and they were all excellent. Lastly, I would like to express my gratitude to President Yamanaka and Mr. Shizue who accompanied us.

Good morning! Yesterday, I found a wonderful liquor store in Naniwa Ward, called Yamana Sake Store. When I entered the entrance on the 2nd floor, I noticed about 20 types of sake in the refrigerator. I thought it was a bit limited, but then the staff mentioned there is also a 3rd floor. I went up the stairs and found that each room on the 3rd floor had its own refrigerator filled with a large amount of sake. It felt like a warehouse! There was even a room with a lower temperature setting. There were so many brands to choose from, it would take about 2 hours to look through them all. This time, I want to buy Zansou Hourai, Ouroku, Jyukyokujitsu, and Namazake Dobu. It's enough to get through the early summer holidays! There is a large parking lot in front of the store, so I would like to park there and come back to browse leisurely.

I asked around if there was a shop that could pinpoint snacks that go well with sake, or sake that goes well with snacks, and I was recommended this place. It's a restaurant run by a liquor store, with a chef who is like a sake sommelier, knowing the perfect pairings with dishes. They offer an omakase mini-course with sake pairings, which I tried. I think it was around 2500 yen per person. I won't go into details about the contents, but the value for money is great. If you love sake, I highly recommend giving this place a try. I will definitely be visiting again.

I went to a paid tasting event for the first time. I occasionally buy alcohol but finding time is difficult, so this was my first tasting experience. I tried 4 different types of alcohol, with 2 of them served at room temperature and the other 2 served warm, making a total of 6 different kinds of alcohol. The alcohol included Kiku Zui Junmai Ginjo, Ouroku Jodo, Kyokochiku Daichi, and Kaishun oke'09 Daichi and oke served warm. The food pairing included homemade oil sardines, grilled mackerel with miso, and homemade karasumi. I enjoyed tasting and comparing the different flavors of the alcohol, especially how they changed when served warm. The pairing of the alcohol with the food was also interesting as it brought out different flavors. It was a relaxing and enjoyable experience, with pleasant conversations with the staff. Even though I went alone, I didn't feel bored and had a great time. The oil sardines with tomato sauce and onions paired well with Ouroku's Jodo, while the grilled mackerel went perfectly with Kyokochiku Daichi. The karasumi was best enjoyed with the warm oke and Jodo. It was truly a delightful experience.

★★★Furari Trip by Kazuhiko Ota★★★ Must-visit amazing shop with a great selection of sake that perfectly complements the dishes! Established in 1970. 2nd floor: Sake bar "Yamanaka Sake Store" with a sunken hearth table in the back. 3rd floor: Huge sake storage with 1000 types of sake and temperature control for 3 different types. 4th floor: Izakaya "Kashu Maraku Yamanaka." There is also a directly managed store "Kashu Maraku Sakafune" just a 3-minute walk away.

A high-end liquor store. The selection in the warehouse on the third floor is impressive. I have visited a few times and introduced it to my friends who love sake. In the spring, I brought an important client and requested a higher quality course than usual, but it was disappointing. The sake was not special, and the side dishes honestly felt sloppy. The presentation was too ordinary, almost like something you could buy at the supermarket next door. The simmered dish was nothing special either. The client has a discerning eye, so the evaluation was harsh. I understand that it may be difficult at this price, but Mayu and I both consider it a special place, so we hope they will improve.

Our restaurant, known for storing rare sake, was located on the outskirts of Daikoku Town, making it difficult to visit. However, a friend recently invited me to go. We met at the location at 7:00 PM. As we approached the restaurant, the number of shops and people decreased, and I began to doubt if there was really a restaurant in such a place. But then, I saw a sign. I wasn't sure where to enter, but a staff member directed us to the 4th floor via an elevator. Even on the 4th floor, I couldn't find the entrance (it seemed like a different affiliated store). However, the inside of the restaurant had a cozy and hidden atmosphere, with the kitchen in full view. I like this kind of ambiance. Today, we left it to the chef's choice, starting with soba salt. It was hand-made, at a level of a skilled amateur. After a short wait, the sake was served (I forgot the name). The sashimi platter and the unique bora fish were interesting. Next, we had simmered octopus and warm sake. We could choose from about 20 different types of sake cups. Then, we enjoyed yellowtail teriyaki with cold sake. Unfortunately, they didn't change the cup. We also had clam sake-steamed dish with Yamagata sake. They still didn't change the cup. I don't remember much after that. Honestly, the food was at a mid-range level of a traditional Japanese restaurant (so it was quite good for an izakaya). The sake was indeed rare, but it felt diluted (like generally sold sake). However, as a sake specialty store, it was at a sufficient level. The atmosphere of the restaurant was good, but they need to improve how they serve the sake. It's not a bad restaurant, but my high expectations led to a slightly critical score.

After leaving Ichimi Zen, I came to the vicinity of Daikoku-cho and purchased some sake at this sake-themed park-like shop to take home. There were various tasting options available, but since I was driving, I had to resist. I climbed the stairs to the second floor and obtained permission from the staff to take photos inside the shop before heading to the sake warehouse on the third floor (you can borrow warm clothing if you wish). The warehouse had three rooms with set temperatures of about 12°C at the entrance, about 5°C in the middle, and -5°C at the end. At first, I thought it was pleasantly cool, but as I struggled to choose which sake to buy, the cold started to sap my body heat and gradually affected my consciousness (being a bit dramatic here). The staff came to my rescue and, after I shared my preference for "junmai, dry, fire-touched, robust" sake and my budget, they selected a few bottles for me. Among them, I chose two for a tasting comparison in 720ml bottles. The first was Shiraoi Junmai Tokubetsu Karakuchi (tax included ¥1375) from Aichi Prefecture, which was extra dry with a slight acidity but plenty of rice umami. The second was Takaraken Junmai Sake Chokarakuchi (tax included ¥1375) from Hiroshima Prefecture, which was also extra dry, with a refreshing and slightly fruity ginjo aroma. I look forward to visiting again and thank you for your assistance.

This year, I stayed in Osaka without going back to my hometown, so I decided to try the sake and appetizer set from Yamanaka Sake Store that I had always wanted to try. It cost 11,000 yen for a one-liter bottle of sake, zodiac cup, and appetizer set, but the cup was sold out, so I got a 500 yen discount. The set was almost like Osechi (traditional Japanese New Year's food), with a variety of dishes that went well with the sake. The quality was much better than the frozen Osechi I usually eat. The sake that came with it was called "Kado no Hana Hatodove" from Kure. I happened to have a bottle of Tadashu Junmai Daiginjo 45% from the same Yamanaka store, so I opened it and thoroughly enjoyed it. Sake appetizers made by liquor stores are always a good choice.

Even though it's a mourning period, the years go by. Due to the snow caused by the cold wave and concerns about the coronavirus, I decided not to visit my husband's parents' home in Kanto for the New Year. So, I hastily made a reservation for a New Year's meal from Yamanaka Sake Shop. My late mother was a devout Buddhist, but she preferred to spend New Year's as usual rather than being somber and melancholic, so I wanted to honor her wishes. I knew that they offered a set with one serving of New Year's dishes and a one-liter bottle of sake, but I had never tried it before because I thought, one serving with a whole bottle of sake? (ﾟωﾟ) and you have to pick it up yourself. By the way, my late mother was a complete lightweight when it came to alcohol. This time, various factors came together, and I purchased it for the first time. The New Year's dishes were all delicious and lived up to the name of Yamanaka. The sake was Hana Hatoko special Junmai, and Kure's Oto no To sake. The sake I enjoyed from New Year's Day was a separate purchase of Tajima Junmai Ginjo (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o))). I'm a bit tipsy, so I won't comment on each dish individually, but the grilled fugu was incredibly delicious ♬ New Year's dishes are perfect for enjoying with a small group as a sake accompaniment. One serving of New Year's dishes + one-liter bottle (Hana Hatoko) 10,500 yen (7,500 yen worth of New Year's dishes and a 3,000 yen worth of one-liter bottle) Tajima Junmai Daiginjo 6,600 yen.

I visited the well-known Yamanaka Sake Store in Osaka to stock up on sake for the New Year. I stopped by in the morning because I heard they have a limited selection of sake available on Saturdays. There were about six different options, all of which looked good. I purchased two jars of stir-fried oysters in soy sauce and sesame oil, and a light shrimp chili dish. I was surprised to find a bottle of Tanshu Junmai Daiginjo sake, so I also bought that along with Nana-honsay and Aizu Musume. The shrimp chili was delicious with plenty of shrimp, and the leftover sauce was great with an omelet. The oysters paired really well with the sake. I started with Nana-honsay, which also went well with the food. I usually frequent the nearby Daidoko and Mr. Yamanaka's stores, but I realized the importance of visiting the main store once in a while.