Sake World's new venture, "My Sake World," is an experiential facility where visitors can create their own original sake blend.
A variety of sake genres, including ginjo sake, junmai sake, unpasteurized sake, and aged sake, are carefully selected from all over Japan, and visitors can enjoy tasting while learning about the history and characteristics of each sake, and then create their own "my sake" with their favorite combination. This is a way to convey the appeal of sake in a different way than usual.

The innovative sake space [My Sake World Oike Bettei] has been fully booked since its opening on January 2025, 1. It has also been featured in various media outlets.
In response to this positive reaction, and with the desire to let more people know about it, the first pop-up event, "Assemblage SAKE," was decided upon.

Experience sake brewing in an open space

The venue for the first memorable event was the Hanshin Umeda Main Branch in Osaka Prefecture. It was held in a community space in the liquor section on the first basement floor of the store, located in the center of Osaka Umeda, one of the Kansai region's leading terminals. The event offered a sake brewing experience in a seminar format.

The bar counter-style space, surrounded by a variety of Japanese and Western alcoholic beverages, has an open and relaxed atmosphere that is the polar opposite of the calm atmosphere of My Sake World Oike Bettei. The instructor who acts as the guide also leads the customers in a somewhat casual manner.

The service provided was the same as before, with some exceptions, such as the type of sake used in the blend (from 12 to 6). On the table where Western liquor would usually be lined up, there were rows of familiar test tubes and Erlenmeyer flasks.

Can't get through by salmon?

Among the many department store basements, Hanshin Umeda Main Branch has a wide variety of food. The same goes for the liquor section, which is a liquor world with a wide selection of sake from all over the world.

Among them, Sake World's [Assemblage SAKE] stood out. Not only the words "original sake making experience seminar" but also the contrast between the "experimental equipment" lined up on the table was eye-catching. After seeing the seminar venue, many customers stopped in front of the booth and asked the staff for details.

This event requires prior reservation, but walk-ins are also possible on the day. Some people decided to participate after seeing the seminar in action.
The mix of the original community space and the decorations prepared for the day, such as the lecturer, blending equipment, and promotional posters, created an assemblage that could only be created in this space. It was an attractive space that alcohol lovers "can't pass by without drinking."

Possibility of a traveling edition

The pop-up event [Assemblage SAKE] is more compact than usual, featuring a variety of sake for blending.
Looking at it from another perspective, it could also be called a "simplified version," but it has also led to comments such as "it saved me having to think hard when choosing the alcohol to use in the blend."

As mentioned at the beginning, [Assemblage SAKE] was held less than a month after the opening of [My Sake World Oike Bettei]. Despite this, quite a few people were already aware of the store’s existence.
Some people said they came because it was being held in Osaka (Umeda). Kyoto and Osaka are about 30 minutes by train, but they still felt a sense of distance. Since they are neighbors, it is likely that residents of other big cities, including Tokyo, have the same impression.

What they all had in common was the sight of them enjoying making their own sake, with smiles occasionally breaking out, along with the impression that "this is fun!"
Many of the customers who stopped by the booth were from overseas. Although only the Japanese version was available at this event, there may be demand for the English version that was recently implemented at [My Sake World Oike Bettei].

As an aside, this seminar will be held for three days from February 2th to 15th, but on the following day, the 17th, there will also be an event where staff from Hanshin Umeda Main Store will serve their own sake using recipes they created during their My Sake World experience.
The process of sharing the bottled experiences of the staff with the taste buds of customers is an added value that only My Sake World can provide, where the communication tool of SAKE can be embodied in the memories of "my sake."

My Sake World aims to provide the same exciting experience at its Kyoto store as well as other locations across Japan, so that more people can learn about the charm and depth of sake.