New Sake Festival 2018 -Excellent sake from 24 Fukui Local Sake Breweries-

On March 21st, 2018, a new sake festival was held at Phoenix Plaza in Fukui City.

24 sake breweries from Fukui Prefecture and 6 restaurants and stores participated in the event. The number of the visitors had been increased. There were about 1,600 visitors came to the event last year, and about 2,000 visitors came this year. The venue was full of people enjoying the sake.

 

 

10 minutes before the event was begun, the door was opened, and visitors rushed into the venue and they lined up in front of their favorite sake booths.

 

Right before the event was started, the people in front of the sake booths seemed very excited for the event to be started. Staff members of each sake brewery were standing quietly and being ready to serve their sake. Somehow, by looking at the staff members with traditional uniforms and beautiful sake bottles lined up in front of them, I felt both solemnity and excitement.

 

 

As soon as the event was started, the sake was poured into the visitors’ cups one after another.

 

 

Some visitors had brought their own cups like the man in the photograph above. He put the belt around the cup with perfect balance, so the sake would not be spilled from the cup. I was amazed by how he has so much passion toward sake.

 

 

After the visitors had a few cups of sake, they started being more relaxed and chatty. The atmosphere of the event had been raised more and more.

 

 

Even it was very busy from beginning to end, the staff members of each sake breweries were serving sake politely and elegantly. Each sake brewery had brought a few of their recommendation, the visitors enjoyed sake tasting and asking staff some questions.

 

 

There were some snacks which go well with sake, so the visitors could also enjoy them as well. Some of them felt very nice after having some cups of sake, and then they started chatting with people around them, even with strangers.

 

I would like to visit next time as a visitor and try different kinds of sake.

 

If you have a chance, how about visiting the new sake festival in Fukui City?

 

 

T.F