Famous Generals--Dainippon Meisho Kagami, Chikanobu This is the last installment in our FOODEX 2025 series. Perhaps the naming of this beer was inspired by those military brews of Finland, Togo and Yamamoto beers. This one is named after one of Japan’s great unifiers, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616). Personally, we are rather partial to devolution, but we … Continue reading Ieyasu B[eer] →

Before hastily departing the JAL Business Class Lounge at Haneda Airport in order to catch an overseas flight, this bottle on the bar caught my eye. What an unusual beverage, I thought, as indeed it is. A number of things attracted my attention: the bilingual label (Japanese-Spanish), its quasi-Latin American motif, and the word kokuto, … Continue reading Sweet Encounter at Haneda Airport: KOKUTO DE LEQUIO →

We wrote about the output of this kura recently and in the distant past. Here is another example of one of their products. It was featured at FOODEX JAPAN 2025. Sensory Evaluation: This junmai ginjo has a clean and fresh nose with hints of vanilla and strawberry. It’s initially sweet on the palate, slowly turning … Continue reading Kikunotsukasa’s Shinboshi →

Another FOODEX JAPAN 2025 encounter. At FOODEX Japan 2025, they really pulled out the stops in the wine section. Just take a look at the above pictures. As it turned out, that was my last stop, so I did not have enough time to talk to all of the vintners and merchants about their products. … Continue reading Adega Mayor’s altitude, Comendador Reserva →

Another product featured at FOODEX Japan 2025. Figs are not a fruit that one associates with Japan. Egypt and Turkey are the heavy hitters with respect to them. Nevertheless, the Japanese do grow figs and are now producing a liqueur-like drink from the fruit. Figs have a number of characteristics that make them attractive—not in … Continue reading A Fig Liqueur-like Beverage from Japan: Brought to Us by Miyato Yaso Institute of Niigata →