Super Sake Saturation

Tuesday morning we woke up early..... no reference to pensioners allowed.... don't want to upset my Dad. We had a hearty bacon, egg and sausage breakfast, with some really good, Maki coffee, and headed off early to Fushimi. Kyoto's famous sake precinct. We thought we would pop into the National Museum on our way past, … Continue reading Super Sake Saturation

Looking for the Master

As a follower of Japanese culture, if you have never seen Midnight Diner on Netflix, you need to stop reading this blog for a moment and queue it up. It is one of Nihonshu Girl’s and my favourite television shows - ever. It is set in a diner in the backstreets of Shinjuku which opens … Continue reading Looking for the Master

Five Things in Japan I am Most Looking Forward To

Sitting on the plane, about two and half hours from Tokyo, I am contemplating what I am most looking forward to, and what I have missed most since the last time I was there. Sake, sake, sake…. Sake is super cheap in Japan, around a third the cost of what we pay in Australia. The … Continue reading Five Things in Japan I am Most Looking Forward To

楽しみですよ。(Tanoshimidesuyo) or I am looking forward to it……

Super Sake Boy and Nihonshu Girl walking under a red tori gate in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

In three weeks, and about 5 days, Super Sake Boy and I are heading back to Japan. This trip is going to be a little different. We are going without children, and only for a week. Our intention is to make it a week of memorable sake and food, lots of historical stuff and quite … Continue reading 楽しみですよ。(Tanoshimidesuyo) or I am looking forward to it……

Sake Matsuri…..Seriously Super Sake Fun

Front cover of booklet from Sake Matsuri in Melbourne

So, Super Sake Boy was put in charge of writing this blog, but he has been dragging his feet and this event was too awesome not to write about. So, I, Nihonshu Girl, aka Blossomkitty, will attempt to do this event justice. My memory is somewhat faded and perhaps slightly hampered by the fifty-ish sakes … Continue reading Sake Matsuri…..Seriously Super Sake Fun

Five Crazy Days in Tokyo…… part 3

The only thing driving me out the door on our third day in Tokyo was coffee. We found a very cool little cafe, but sadly their coffee machine was broken. The owner, was however, making drip filter coffee, which is very popular in Japan. It takes an extrodinary amount of time to make, and is … Continue reading Five Crazy Days in Tokyo…… part 3

Thatched Rooves and Earthen Floors

Our last day in Takayama, we decided to visit the Hida Folk Village. We had toyed with the idea of visiting Shirakawa-go, a very picturesque and historical mountain village in the Northern Alps. However, there is no way to access the village without booking a formal tour, and it is a reasonable distance to travel. … Continue reading Thatched Rooves and Earthen Floors

The Old Town

Many of the buildings in Takayama’s Old Town have been preserved from the Edo Period (1600-1868). It is like walking through a historical drama movie set. Only it is beautifully maintained and many of the buildings are working sake breweries, so it was a little like Disneyland for Super Sake Boy and I. When we … Continue reading The Old Town

Up in to the Northern Alps

Sunday morning we had to say goodbye to Kyoto, again. It is always a heart-wrenching goodbye, on many levels. This was the first time that I didn’t cry. Maybe because Super Sake Boy and I booked in to stay with Maki again when we return in October for the Jidai Matsuri (Historic Festival) on our … Continue reading Up in to the Northern Alps

Sake, Shrines and Shopping…..

Despite what the children think, we have had opportunity to drink sake, but little time to explore it any further. Today we headed out early-ish to check out the Gekkeikan Sake Brewery Museum. Fushimi, in Kyoto is an area where sake has been brewed for hundreds of years, as the quality of the water is … Continue reading Sake, Shrines and Shopping…..