A gateway to experiencing Japan that even famous actresses fall in love with

The Niigata Food and Sake Festival special event was held on October 8th, the day before the event. In addition to a talk show with those involved, a "surrounding interview" was also held for the media on a special stage set up at the venue called "Snack Niigata."
The person who made the effort to "surround" him was actress Tomoko Yamaguchi. In fact, Yamaguchi is a big fan of Niigata and has visited the city many times before.

He is also a big fan of sake, and says that his recommended drinking situation is "drinking it in the morning under an open blue sky," as this is how it "permeates your cells."
To the questions read out by Endo Tomoya of Nerneed, who is planning the event, Endo replied, "I want the younger generation to know the good things of the old days," and to the traditional industries that will be showcasing these things, "Show yourself proudly and show the true essence of your products. That will really resonate with people." His words in response to the questions were completely natural, perhaps because he is always conscious of the "happiness of the Earth."

Momentum building at the talk show

After a short break, a special event was held. In addition to Endo, 2024 Miss SAKE Japan Minami Yuri acted as MC, and Yamaguchi also joined in, with people involved in the event taking turns appearing.

First, Hiroshi Kitamura, Managing Director of Kintetsu Department Store, which operates Abeno Harukas, gave a speech. This event is a continuation of the one held last year under the name "Niigata Sake no Jin OSAKA," but he offered advice on "food," which was the driving force behind the name change. Endo responded with "the best version for the second year," calling it the "Niigata Food and Sake Festival."

Next, Yasushi Ta from the Regional Development Division appeared from Sado Island, which Yamaguchi said reminds him of Polynesia. Incidentally, after the event, Yamaguchi traveled to Turkey before heading to Sado Island.

Furthermore, Glow Art's Mizuochi Yukie brought a rice polishing machine and served freshly polished Uonuma Koshihikari "Yukiwa" rice at the booth. Her husband Kazuya occasionally supported her and presented Yamaguchi with a tenugui hand towel with a rice terrace design.

And finally, we have Uemura Momoyo, the mama at Snack Niigata.
In his hometown, he is the owner of a sake bar called "Ponzake Girl," and he shared an anecdote about how fans flocked to him from as far away as Osaka last time he appeared on stage, and everyone tasted a "certain sake" that Endo introduced before his appearance.

The program introduces the charms of Niigata from various angles, and just listening to it will make you want to experience it.

In particular, the last one we drank, "A Certain Sake," is something that Sake World must try!
Convinced of this, the author headed to the "scene" later.

Nomiakas Haleakas at Harukas

It was the afternoon of October 12th, and the clocks had moved forward a little.
As it was the middle day of a three-day weekend, the venue was packed with people, and I once again set foot inside Abeno Harukas. This Niigata-focused event, which is rare in the Kansai region, was attracting a lot of attention.

Pushing my way through the crowds, I arrived at Snack Niigata. In stark contrast to the previous day, customers were seen sipping Niigata's finest sake and enjoying food carefully selected by Endo-san for the occasion, all seated at the counter.

Many people have trouble with pairings, but this writer had only one goal in mind: the aforementioned "certain sake," Koshi no Hare Akasu.

When you think of Echigo in Niigata, many different brands come to mind, but this sake is actually a blend of sake from the 29 breweries that were exhibiting at the event. It is being offered exclusively at snack bars.

"I didn't know alcohol could be blended," said Yamaguchi with interest during the tasting, and I couldn't help but be surprised when I learned of their existence, saying, "Niigata does blending too!"

I wonder what it tastes like... Let's eat... Gulp... Hmm, this is so Niigata!
Just to clarify, I'm not kidding. It was just the first thing I said after drinking.

Niigata sake is known for its crisp, dry taste, and is often described as the kingdom of light, dry sake. By blending the fine sake produced there, the flavor of the rice is more directly conveyed to the palate.

This is something that Assemblage Club may not be able to produce. This is not to say that Assemblage Club is inferior, but the distinctive feature of this brand is that it is made by blending sake produced by Kyoto breweries. In other words, it can be said to be a bottle that gives off a more "Kyoto" feel.

Blended sake is characterized by its complex and delicate flavors, which are the result of the chemical changes that occur when various brands overlap and fuse together, but when made in the same region, depending on the combination, a single sake with concentrated characteristics can be created. Perhaps blending can bring out something from the depths that more closely evokes the unique identity of the region.

At the special event, Yamaguchi said, "Tradition is a continuation of innovation," and the innovation that blended sake brings may have the potential to be one of the stimuli that will ensure the perpetuation of sake brewing.

With these thoughts in mind, I had a lively conversation about sake with Mama Momoyo, whom I met again. Even though it was only the second time, her smooth communication, like the beauty of pairing with fine sake, is no wonder that fans have come all the way to Osaka to attend.

While basking in the afterglow of Echigo no Seimei's innovative spirit, I also enjoyed the rich flavors of the "Echigo no Kobai" and "Echigo Tsurukame" that I ordered at the same time. At the same time, I was reminded that these are only possible with the right "base."

By the way, the event was more successful than expected, and even though there was only one day left until the event, several brands of sake were sold out. I wonder if they managed to make it through the final day without any problems...?

I love you

As Endo said, "The second year is the best version," the "Great Festival of Food and Sake" was filled with not only sake, but also a variety of local delicacies, including deep-fried tofu, dried foods, ramen, sushi, and "Yukiwa," rice polished with the same rice polishing machine that was also introduced at the special event.

Along with the many other visitors, I was also distracted by the variety of food on offer. After much deliberation, I ended up purchasing a few items and eating them when I got home. They were delicious! It was an opportunity to open a door a little further into Niigata, a country I only knew superficially.

There was a diverse group of people with knowledge of sake. Many visitors stopped to chat at each brewery, further highlighting its "kingdom" nature.

Among them is Aoi Shuzo, which we previously introduced on Sake World.

Aoi Sake Brewery's Masayuki Doi

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However, only about one-third of the 90 sake breweries that will be exhibiting this time as of November 2025 are participating. If you go to the venue, you can enjoy it three times as much, so I can't wait for the "ultimate third year version."
Niigata sake is gaining worldwide attention, as evidenced by Hakkaisan's partnership with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The food that complements it, including the tableware, still has a lot to offer.

As someone from Hyogo, I was able to understand why Yamaguchi, who is originally from Tochigi, was so captivated by the story. I love you, I love you!