On the way from Sounkyo Onsen to Asahikawa, I made a stop to purchase the Japanese sake "Kamikawa". The charismatic master brewer, Mr. Kawabata, is well-known among sake lovers at Kamikawa Daigetsu Brewery. When I visited "Sushi Okuno" in the evening, they only served Hokkaido-produced sake from Kamikawa Daigetsu Brewery (such as Kitashizuku and Sagawa Suisei). Among the products from Kamikawa Brewery, "Kamikawa" is a local specialty that can only be found in the vicinity of Kamikawa Town. You can purchase it not only at Saito Shoten, a liquor store in Kamikawa Town, but also at convenience stores in the town. At first, I couldn't find the sake sales corner, but then I noticed it was displayed prominently next to the register... I bought the most affordable 720ml bottle of Junmai sake for 1,320 yen (tax included), even though the Junmai Daiginjo with a 70% rice polishing ratio is the most expensive at 3,300 yen (tax included). It is said to be of high quality despite being a 70% polished Junmai sake. Truly a cheap and delicious sake. I purchased two bottles for my own evening drink and as a souvenir. However, if you want to purchase it in a box, an additional 200 yen is required. It was a great purchase.

I purposely stopped by a convenience store in Kamikawa Town, Hokkaido, where the Seven Eleven is located. I recently got hooked on the sake from Kamikawa Ooyuki Shuzo, the hometown of the sake. I bought some Kamikawa Ooyuki sake for myself and as gifts at the gift shop there. Since the gift shop didn't carry all the varieties, I went to a convenience store near the brewery to buy the sake that the brewery doesn't sell directly, but instead distributes to local stores to revitalize the town. I was looking for "Kamikawa," a sake made by Kamikawa Ooyuki Shuzo. The convenience store only had the junmai version of Kamikawa, and the daiginjo had to wait for next time. I bought a bottle of junmai Kamikawa and had it sent to my home. I'm looking forward to comparing the sake with a different brand name to the regular one.

On the way from Asahikawa to the Okhotsk area, we got off at the Kamikawa Sounkyo Interchange and took the National Route 39. There was a 7-Eleven at the intersection, so we stopped there because my companion wanted to drink coffee from Seven Cafe. The store was quite crowded, probably because it was right after getting off the interchange. Inside the store, they were selling a delicious-looking Junmai Daiginjo sake called "Kamikawa" from Kamikawa Shuzo. I hesitated a bit and ended up buying the "Sakekasu Karin to" next to it, but I regretted it afterwards. I will definitely buy it next time I go. Also, my companion had a cafe latte and seaweed salt lotus root chips as a snack. The lotus root chips were delicious. Oh, and Seven Cafe is consistently delicious. Thank you, "Kamikawa Store."

On 23/11/21, as a holiday treat, I purchased the "Junmai Kamikawa Shoshobori Nama" for 1200 yen (720ml: tax excluded). Winter is approaching in the Hokkaido region. Finally, this season has arrived. "Junmai Kamikawa Shoshobori Nama" is here! The Kamikawa region is known for its commitment to making sake from locally sourced rice, and the Kamikawa sake is a limited edition only available in certain areas. To get your hands on it, you have to visit either Kamikawa or Aibetsu town. It takes a little over an hour from Asahikawa city to Kamikawa town via regular roads and a toll road. Unfortunately, the Kamikawa sake is not available at the brewery's gift shop, but only at local retail stores. I hurried to the supermarket where I usually buy it every year. "Sorry, sold out," they said. Next, I tried the local agricultural cooperative. "Sorry, sold out," they said. The shipping date is usually posted on Facebook every year, but for some reason, it wasn't this year. It turns out it has been available since November 15th. I found out about it in the morning newspaper and rushed to get it. Oh no, this might be bad. The convenience store near the highway interchange had the Kamikawa sake waiting for me. "We always stock up on it every year," said the store clerk. Thank you. From now on, I will buy it here every year. After finishing household chores and taking a bath, it was midnight. It was finally time for my happy hour to begin. I opened the bottle and poured it into a glass. I took a sip. It's delicious. It goes down smoothly and has a crisp taste. This is how I describe this sake. The Shoshobori Nama has a delicate texture that adds to the experience. It has a subtle carbonation feel, characteristic of freshly bottled sake. I quietly continued to enjoy the sake. At this rate, I might return here soon (laughs).