"Kyushu Sake Brewery Opening 2025" was held for five days from March 3th (Wed) to March 19rd (Sun) in the large roofed space in front of JR Hakata Station. When we visited for our coverage on March 3th (Wed), the sun was shining, but it felt chilly if you stayed still. Despite it being a weekday, the event venue was bustling with many groups. Welcome spring in Fukuoka with flowers and sake! Here is our report on the event.

A festival venue appears in front of Hakata Station

The venue had 17 sake brewery booths arranged in a U-shape, and six restaurants and venue information booths at the very back from the entrance. At the gourmet booth, "Nagahama no Hiroshi" from Nagahama Yatai Street was on hand to serve motsunabe. As darkness fell and the cold sky drew near, a hot pot was a blessing. Prices start at 6 yen, and one portion was more than enough. There were also fried foods, steamed oysters, and other foods perfect for drinking.

A total of 42 breweries, mainly from Kyushu, from all over the country will be featured each day!

For the first drink, I decided to try the recommendation of Yamaguchi-san from Sumiyoshi Sake Hakata, who helped me out with this interview. I enjoyed the seasonal limited edition Fuji Sake Brewery from Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture, in an original Imari ware sake cup with a Kyushu Sake Brewery Opening x Sanyo Shinkansen Front Opening 1th Anniversary Collaboration Design. The sake cup is light and easy to hold. Furthermore, the Imari ware enhances the flavor of the sake more than a plastic cup.

Izumo Fuji: Junmai Daiginjo En no Mai Unfiltered Raw Sake 700 yen Shirasu Kujira: Deep-fried Thai Kama 500 yen

When you drink it with fried Thai fish fillet from the best value for money "Kushiage Kakuuchi Shirasu Kujira", the fruity and modern sweetness of the sake seems to dance in your mouth. It is a sake that truly deserves the name "Enishi no Mai".

"Izumo Fuji" is made with the great desire to brew the best local sake in Japan, which is loved in the land of Izumo like Mount Fuji. When I spoke to Managing Director Imaoka, I could sense the sincerity of the brewers, who are particular about hand-making, as well as their kindness.

Next we visited Tokaku Sake Brewery in Taku City, Saga Prefecture. It is a small, elite sake brewery with only 5-6 people, including family members. They brew many modern sakes, including the classic brand "THE ORIGIN." It is a brand that can be enjoyed by women and those who do not usually drink sake. They participate every time and prepared 60 bottles for the event.
I had the event-only Junmai Nama Spring Sun Limited Origarami for 600 yen. The fresh taste and umami flavor of Japanese sake make it the perfect drink for cherry blossom viewing.

I chose "Rice and Agave" from the craft sake section. President Okazumi is originally from Fukuoka Prefecture, so I feel close to him. He came to Fukuoka from Oga City, Akita Prefecture, but he spoke with a smile and no sign of fatigue. "The most popular is 'Hanafu.' It uses hops and has a gorgeous aroma of lychee, muscat, and citrus," he said. It looks a little yellowish and doesn't look much different from sake. When I tried it, I experienced a new taste of sake, with the umami of sake and the acidity and aroma of the secondary ingredients, which I couldn't get with Western alcohol. Chocolate samples were distributed at the event, and the craft sake was a perfect match. It also seemed to go well with Japanese sweets such as matcha.

The event-exclusive sake "Rice and Grapes Oak Barrel Storage" is "a fusion of wine and sake made from rice, koji, and grapes." Expectations are high for the innovation of craft sake, a new form of sake.

I also want to check out Fukuda Sake Brewery in Hirado, Nagasaki Prefecture, which I had heard about from Kido, the manager of Sumiyoshi Shuhan Hakata Station. Hirado is close to the sea and has a wonderful view. I had been there before, so I had a great conversation with President Fukuda. He told me about two recommended brands. The first is Fukumi Omachi Namasake Naokkumi (seasonal and event-only), which has the name Omachi, a type of rice. The other is Fukuda Kimoto Oak Barrel Storage (event-only), which uses homemade Yamada Nishiki rice. I tried the 2 yen sake mentioned below. The flavor of the oak barrel is unique and rich. When I looked down, I noticed an old-fashioned sake warmer in front of the booth. It is a rare item that you won't find anywhere else, and it was apparently donated from a liquor store that used to be at Omura Motorboat Racecourse. It is made of copper and uses charcoal as fuel, so there is no doubt that the taste is different.

Buy your favorites as souvenirs and drink them at home

As you exit the main venue of the event, you'll find a tent from Sumiyoshi Sake Hanbai, where you can purchase the sake you've tried at the venue. Customers are constantly coming in and out, and the sake sells like hotcakes. By the second day, many of the sakes were sold out.

The sake brewery opening at Hakata Station, a representative entrance to Kyushu, was efficient and I would like to visit again next year. At the corner-drinking table, I heard voices of "See you next year" and "Let's drink together again" for a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.

Kyushu Sake Brewery Opening
[Sponsor] JR HAKATA CITY [Co-sponsor] Hakata Station Merchants Association

Writer: Shiva
Living in Fukuoka Prefecture / Nursery teacher, Web creator expert, IT instructor
After working as a local blog manager and company newsletter correspondent, she became a freelance writer. Her e-book "When I stopped worrying about my children, both myself and my children became independent" was ranked #1 in the Amazon Kindle career category. Her favorite alcoholic beverages are modern but still have the rich flavor of rice. Her hobbies are drinking at home, playing games, being active with her favorite idols, reading, and traveling.