Akita × Sake × photography
Akita Prefecture is placed in the northeastern part of the Japanese main island. Akita is generally known for its Namahage (a traditional event), Akita Inu (dogs), and Akita beauty. But actually, Akita is also well known as a rice producing area, and a kingdom of brewing fine Japanese sake. On this trip, we are going to visit all the best breweries in Akita, taste all 37 kinds of sake, and fulfill our appetite with many delicious local cuisines, especially great nibbles for drinks.
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Jan zhang
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Born in Guangzhou, he is a gourmet photographer, a columnist, a specialist as a “translator” from taste to vision and surely a gourmania. Specializing in presenting gourmet with amazing pictures and phases, his motto is “If you can’t get a good enough gourmet picture, it is because you eat not enough yet.”
Since 2003, he has played an active role in both photographing and writing as a lifestyle columnist for fashion magazines. Till now, he has become the columnist of Eating Wuji for Guangzhou Daily Newspaper, as well as a contributing photographer for Hennessy, Canon, and Marriott Hotel.
Eiraku Restaurant
A popular local izakaya in front of the Akita station that has one of the widest collection of sake, with high cost-performance. Especially the Kikizake set (a set of tasting any 3 kinds of Japanese sake you like), is worth more than the price you will pay. Moreover, they serve extraordinarily delicious nibbles for drinks.
- Address
- Akita-ken, Akita-shi, Nakadōri, 4 Chome−11−10
- TEL
- 018-833-1473
Resort Shirakami
Resort Shirakami is a scenic train ride on the Gono Line, which has introduced a new railway car named Buna (beech) in July, 2016. With an exterior designed as Buna, using shades of natural green color to express the warm shining sunlight surrounding the forests. The interior is made with Buna and Sugi, the same trees along this train line to provide a warm and quiet comfortable feeling. The 3rd car has a food bar named Oraho, selling many kinds of local delicacies. Enjoy both the amazing scenery and local delicacies all at the same time.
- Address
- JR East Go-no Line
- TEL
- 050-2016-1600
- Website
- https://www.jreast.co.jp/railway/joyful/shirakami.html
Iburigako
The Akita pickles, called Iburigako, meaning vegetables (mostly Daikon radish) smoked and soused, is a local specialty that you will regret if you don't try. Gako means pickles of any kind in the Akita local language, which comes from the accent of “elegant (ga) fragrance (ko)”. Yokote-shi area, the southern and inland part of Akita, is the birthplace of Iburigako, and is generally made out of Daikon radish and sometimes carrots. Recently, eating this smoked Daikon pickles with cream cheese has become a new popular nibble for drinks.
Kingdom of Akita sake Sake-Navi
A newly opened Japanese sake bar in 2016, serving sake from all 37 breweries of the Akita prefecture area. An all standing bar! More than 100 kinds of Japanese sake is here ready to be tasted. To get drinks, first go buy a ticket from the ticket machine, then pass it to the counter and exchange it for your sake and food. Sometimes Japanese sake events are held here, which would be a great chance to taste some rare kinds of sake.
Sake-Navi
- Address
- Akita-ken, Akita-shi, Ōmachi, 5 Chome−2−1
- TEL
- 018-893-6405
- Website
- http://sake-navi.akita.jp/
Akita Citizen’s Market
Cooking at home or cooking at a restaurant, whatever you are searching for you are sure to love the visit to Akita Citizen’s Market. You can find anything you need here, not only fresh fish, salted seafood (including red salmon, Ikura, Tarako), dried fish, meat, vegetables, fruits, also flowers, tea, wine, even dresses and other everyday items or presents. Besides shopping, you might also want to visit the two directly managed seafood restaurants Ichiban Sushi and Fufuan, which has a promising reputation of highly selected ingredients and great taste for years.
- Address
- Akita-ken, Akita-shi, Nakadōri, 4 Chome−7−35
- TEL
- 018-833-1855
- Website
- http://www.akitashiminichiba.com/
Yamamoto Gomei Sake Company
As a historical sake company since 1901(Meiji 34), Yamamoto Gomei is the only sake manufacturer which uses only mineral water of the Mountain Shirakami from the primary brewing step till the end. Also, not to mention the highly selected farm grown rice that are carefully polished. Their ultra-heat treatment and low temperature storage for the bottles are also an important factor to ensure freshness and quality. This sake company collects many kinds of renowned local sake from Hokkaido to Kyushu, and in the same time enlarging exports to Southeast Asia areas in recent years.
- Address
- Akita-ken, Yamamoto-gun, Happō-chō, Hachimori,269
- TEL
- 0185-77-2311
- Website
- http://www.shirataki.net/
giueme
You might be surprised to find an Italian restaurant in the countryside of Akita. Chef Sasaki came to Akita to start his own restaurant in Daisen-shi, in September of 2014, after 3-years experience in an Italian restaurant in Tokyo. As a concept of “grow locally eat locally”, he always uses the best seasonal food. Both Italian red wine and local Akita sake are ready for you choose.
- Address
- Akita-ken, Daisen-shi, Tomaki Yachizoe-100-1
- TEL
- 050-5571-7618
- Website
- http://www.giueme.com/
Tsurunoyu Hot Spring
Tsurunoyu is the most historical hot spring hotel in the Nyuto Onsen village. It goe back to the Genroku period (1688〜1704). The sign "Honijn" (meaning the headquarter during a war) still left on the roof shows that it has a profound history. Even in Japan, a country of many hot springs, the 50 meters radius how spring here is very rare. There are 4 types, white spring, black spring, Nakano spring and Ryuno spring. Especially the open-air bath of the white spring is the most famous. It is said that the name of Tsurunoyu came from an old story, that a hunter once saw a crane (tsuru) getting its wound cured in the hot spring.
- Address
- Akita-ken, Senboku-shi, Tazawako Tazawa,Sendatsuizawa, Kokuyurin 50
- TEL
- 0187-46-2139
- Website
- http://www.tsurunoyu.com/