Haraguchi Kikuyo is the organizer of "Aishu Deito," an event familiar to sake fans in the Kansai region. We interviewed her about her first encounter with sake, her three Sake Usagi stores in Osaka, what inspired her to start hosting events, and why she insists on hosting them independently without sponsors or event organizers.

I spoke to this person

Kikuyo Haraguchi, Representative of Sake Usagi

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Born in January 1979 in Okayama Prefecture, he joined Takashimaya after graduating from university and was assigned to the sales department. He then switched to the food and beverage industry, which he had long been interested in. In addition to being the owner of Sake Usagi, he is also the organizer of Aisake De Ito, an event that combines sake with live music, and is a key player in the Kansai sake scene.

 1. Inspired by a master brewer of the same generation, he entered the world of sake

—How did you first encounter sake?

Haraguchi-san: "After I quit my job and was put in charge of an okonomiyaki and teppanyaki restaurant by a bar owner I knew, the first brewery I visited was Jikon. At the time, I was in my 20s, and Onishi-san (Onishi Yuikatsu, 6th generation owner of Kiyamasa Sake Brewery) is also in his 20s. I was shocked to learn that someone so young was making sake. I thought for sure that an old man would appear (laughs). It made me realize that someone my age was working hard and that no one knew about it! That's when I started to think that sake was interesting and wanted to learn more about it."

-How did you study?

Haraguchi-san: "At the time, local sake was all the rage, so I dropped by Yamanaka Sake Shop (a famous sake specialty store in Naniwa Ward, Osaka) because I heard they stocked one-cup bottles. At first, I didn't know what to ask, so I just went there twice a week, dressed the same way so I'd stand out, hoping they'd remember my face. Eventually, people started talking to me, and they started coming to the store and inviting me to study sessions. After that, I met the brewery owner and got a tour of the brewery. I was just working like crazy."

 2. Approximately 60 kinds of fine sake are available [Nihonshu Usagi]

The restaurant offers a selection of comforting dishes with a Japanese focus. A signature dish from the restaurant's founding, the chicken meatballs and onion stew, featuring the delicious dashi stock, are priced at 550 yen. The three-course meal, consisting of cod roe marinated in sake lees, bonito sake kasu, and cheese tofu, is called the Gout Set, priced at 770 yen.

—Please tell us about Sake Rabbit.

Haraguchi-san: "At Nihonshu Usagi we have a well-balanced selection of around 60 different types of sake, including easy-to-drink varieties and varieties that are best served warm. We don't include detailed descriptions on the menu, as we want customers to ask us directly, and to choose based on inspiration rather than drinking with a full knowledge of the sake, or to choose sake from a place that has a special connection to them. We especially want the customer to be able to express the taste for themselves. Of course we'll answer if asked, but more than that, we want to convey the background of the sake and the type of person making it."

—Are most of your customers regulars?

Haraguchi-san: "We have a lot of regular customers, but since we moved here we've been getting a lot of new customers (we moved from Tanimachi 1-Chome to Sakaisuji Honmachi in 2023). These new customers aren't necessarily big sake enthusiasts, but rather just casually pop in. They come in asking if we have beer, and then they're more than welcome to try just one glass of sake before we finish."

Sake Usagi currently has three stores in Osaka.
・Sake Usagi: B2, Semba Center Building 2, 1-3 Semba Chuo, Chuo-ku, Osaka
・Sake Usagi Stand: B2, Semba Center Building 2, 1-3 Semba Chuo, Chuo-ku, Osaka
・New Sake Usagi: Chubei Kitahama Building 8th floor, 2-3-15 Kitahama, Chuo-ku, Osaka

3. Three bottles of sake available at Sake Usagi

Kuromatsu Kenbishi barrel sake 1 go (880 yen)
Kenbishi Sake Brewery (Hyogo Prefecture)

The refreshing aroma of Yoshino cedar and the rich flavor of rice fill your mouth. We recommend drinking it warm.
Haraguchi-san: "Our specialty is barrel sake. We transfer it to Yoshino cedar barrels in our store and serve it for 20 days."

Miyoshi Black Junmai Ginjo / 90ml 660 yen (left)
Abunotsuru Brewery (Yamaguchi Prefecture), alcohol content 16%, rice polishing ratio 50%

This sake is made from 100% Yamadanishiki rice and is unfiltered and unpasteurized. You can enjoy its refreshing taste, which is a harmonious blend of gorgeous aroma, umami, and just the right amount of sweetness. Mr. Haraguchi says, "The brewery was once closed, but now the young sixth generation has revived it."

Tomiyoshi Kimoto Tamae Junmai Sake / 90ml 550 yen (right)
Umezu Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. (Tottori Prefecture), alcohol content 14%, rice polishing ratio 80%

The kimoto brewing method is the same as in the Edo period. The name "Furei" comes from the cheering "hurray, hurray."
Haraguchi-san: "The brewing year was 29. The flavor of this sake, which has been thoroughly aged at room temperature, is best enjoyed warm."

 4. "Aishu Deito" is an event that everyone can enjoy on an equal footing

—What made you decide to host a sake event?

Haraguchi-san: "When you go to a sake study group, at first everyone tastes the sake with a serious look on their face. But as they start to drink more sake, the older guys who were initially talking about the yeast and the rice somehow start to get along. Seeing this, I thought it would be great to have an event that only has a second half, without this 'first' part. While talking about knowledge is necessary for professionals, it's also good to have an event that is open to the general public. My initial idea was to hold an event that can be enjoyed by brewers, sellers, and drinkers on an equal footing."

—When was the first Aishudeito event held?

Haraguchi-san: "I held the first event when I became independent in 2008. The title wasn't yet 'Aizake de Ito', but 'Nomeren no ka 2008', a play on the name of a martial arts event at the time. I borrowed the space of a restaurant I had previously been in charge of, and six or seven breweries, including Ikinomi and Shichihonyari, participated, and 130 people gathered through word of mouth. From the following year, the name was changed to 'Aizake de Ito', and since I had made connections with restaurants in my second year of independence, I started to have restaurants and breweries team up. The key to the live event Moto joined the event for the third time. The venue was changed to the former Namura Shipyard site (Suminoe Ward, Osaka City), and the number of stores and breweries increased to around 20, with attendance exceeding 600 people. It was almost entirely through word of mouth and tickets were sold entirely by hand. The following year, the event was held at Ajinomoto Universe (a live hall in Sennichimae, Osaka, which will close in July 2025), which no longer exists, and which had just ceased operations as a cabaret venue and become an event space. The venue was chosen with the intention of incorporating music and creating an atmosphere that was not present at sake events at the time, and in 2012, the event moved to Zepp Namba, where it has since grown to attract over 1000 people.

—How did you get through the coronavirus pandemic?

Haraguchi: "In 2020, we couldn't hold any events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which was really disappointing. My biggest wish was to continue sharing fun things, so the sad news was incredibly disappointing. I wanted to do something while crying, so this is the sake cup I'm using now (with the message 'Plenty of love and sake') with an illustration of the Anywhere Door on it, so I wanted people to toast to 'Aisu de Ito' anywhere, in their homes or their own places. That year I also did a six-hour Instagram Live. In 2021 I held a sake sales event on the first basement floor of Shinsaibashi Parco, and in 2022 I ran 'Monthly Aisu de Ito' for five months at the same location, with a different brewer coming each month. That's how we were able to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2023."

—That's impressive energy, even while running an izakaya!

Haraguchi-san: "I just love communicating with people at festivals and such, and I want to make it my life's work to make sake more accessible and a part of everyday life. That's been my goal ever since I started the shop, but I haven't achieved it yet."

-But things have changed a lot compared to the past. It seems like there are more and more young sake fans.

Haraguchi: "That's certainly true, but we're also quite a generation older now. For example, many people don't know the origin of the title 'Aishu de Ito' (laughs). For the past few years, our challenge has been how to communicate with younger people in their 20s and 30s, and how to move forward with a new generation. The reason we don't have any sponsors or event organizers is so that we can prioritize what we want to do. My main job is being the proprietress of an izakaya, after all, and I don't think of events as a business. That's why people follow me, and if we were to switch to a business style, I would hate for those who used to come even if it was for a volunteer to come, to leave. The events are merely one way of promoting sake, or rather, I'm just doing what I want to do. But there are many rewards in return. People have become aware of the names of our izakayas, and my network has grown significantly. I hope to continue holding events with that attitude.

I've been able to continue thanks to the people around me, including sake breweries, restaurants, liquor stores, the dance floor staff, the stage staff, and especially Nishida Yoshitaka (owner of the bar "Osake Sunny Osaka" in Higashi-Shinsaibashi), who serves as the vice captain of the event and is in charge of music and promotions in general. We've been working together since the third year to create Aizake De Ito, and without him, I don't think Aizake De Ito would be what it is today. I'm truly grateful."

 5. Towards the 20th anniversary of "Aisu Deito"

—Do you have any plans for the future?

Haraguchi-san: "We're already working towards the next Aizake Deito. 2026 will be our 19th year, and we're thinking about what we should do for our 20th year in 2027, including holding some kind of commemorative event."

—We look forward to seeing your continued success. Thank you for your time today.

Haraguchi, affectionately known as Kiku-chan, is the owner of an izakaya, the organizer of a sake event that draws over 1000 people each time, and the mother of two children. She must be so busy she wishes she had three children. Her smile, which instantly turns everyone she meets into a fan, belies her powerful activities, but at the root of them lies a single-minded desire to spread the word about sake.

Writer/Sake Master Eriko Fujita
Expand your world to a sake specialty store in Osaka and encounter a variety of sake and sake breweries. Favorite sakes are Akishika, Ohgi, and others.
Other than drinking, my hobbies include collecting minerals and raising swallowtail butterflies.