Savoring traditional Japanese Sake culture at SAKE SHOP FUKUMITSUYA (福光屋) in Tokyo Midtown.

I visited Tokyo Midtown in Roppongi to look for souvenirs to give to my family. And I decided to buy some gifts at a traditional Japanese sake specialty store located on the basement floor of the gallery.

Fukumitsuya is the oldest traditional sake brewery, established in 1625 in Kanazawa, Japan (the central city of Ishikawa Prefecture). Traditional Japanese rice fermentation techniques and craftsmanship have been passed down from generation to generation, and through this, the cultural value of rice and fermentation in Japan is being spread around the world.

SAKE SHOP Fukumitsuya Tokyo Midtown is a sake shop directly operated by Fukumitsuya. The store offers sake tastings so that visitors can taste a variety of sake and choose the product that suits them.

In addition to Junmai sake, the store also offers a wide range of products, including traditional Japanese fermented foods and cosmetics, allowing visitors to experience Japan’s traditional rice fermentation culture and lifestyle.

Here you can find high-quality ceramic and glass traditional sake cups (Ochoko, お猪口) designed to help you enjoy Fukumitsuya sake even more deeply.

Looking at the various sake-related containers and accessories, you may even feel like taking up sake as a hobby.

There are many products that combine traditional Japanese design with a modern sensibility, enriching the taste of sake even further.

Sake and related products with traditional beauty embody the essence of Japanese sake culture and are also suitable as gifts.

There is also a traditional teapot (Tokkuri, 徳利) used to pour and warm sake.

There are also a variety of desserts recommended as snacks or accompaniments to sake.

Japanese pepper broad beans(山椒そら豆), A combination of spicy broad beans sprinkled with fragrant Japanese pepper and sweet, fragrant roasted soybeans. Recommended as a snack or to go with alcohol(Left)

sea urchin beans(うに豆), This bean snack is made by deep-frying broad beans until crispy and sprinkling them with sea urchin. The exquisite sweet and salty taste goes perfectly with alcohol(Right)

A snack made with boiled scallops (ほたて旨煮) and Noto oysters (能登かき). It boasts a flavor that goes well with sake(Left)
kelp, す昆布 Well-seasoned and delicious kelp, a classic snack(Right)

pickles from sake brewery(酒蔵のなら漬), A pickle made by marinating Japanese pumpkin in sake lees from Fukumitsuya. After marinating in sake lees with plenty of pumpkin, it is taken out of the barrel and aged to allow the umami flavor of the sake lees to fully infuse.

Umesa miso soup monaka(ウメサみそ汁もなか), This is a traditional Japanese, easy-to-make, instant miso soup. It contains a combination of miso, kelp, and green onions inside a crispy monaka (rice cracker) shell. Simply add hot water to create a fragrant and smooth miso soup.

You can see a display case of Junmai sake in various capacities from 180ml to 1,800ml. Junmai sake refers to sake brewed only with pure rice (純米) without adding alcohol or sugar.

KAGATOBI Junmai Daiginjo O
Kissho
Won the gold medal in the Junmai Daiginjo sake category at the 2022 Kura Master Sake Competition in France. Brewed using the highest grade sake rice “Yamada Nishiki” that has been polished to 40%. Carefully fermented using traditional techniques without dilution. Fresh Daiginjo flavor, elegant and refined flavor, delicious umami.

1.8L 11,000 yen (tax not included 10,000 yen) 720ml 5,500 yen (tax not included 5,000 yen)
Paulownia box 1.8L 11,000 yen (tax not included 10,000 yen), 720ml 5,500 yen (tax not included 5,000 yen)

A variety of snacks to go with sake and drinks kept refrigerated for freshness

sake lees cream, Smooth cream cheese marinated in Fukumitsuya’s Junmai Ginjo sake lees, Umesa tofu miso pickles, Smoked sandfish, Tsuriyaka smoked oysters, etc
And we also see the wonderful Alcohol pairing snack, Fugu no Ko Nukazuke(ふぐの子糠漬け)
This delicacy is made by pickling fugu ovaries in plenty of salt and sugar for three years. It has a complex and rich flavor. It is a specialty of Ishikawa Prefecture.

There are also beauty products that utilize natural ingredients extracted from rice and the fermentation process.

There are also Japanese Pure Rice Honmirin (純米本味醂), an authentic fermented seasoning made only with pure rice and malt in a traditional way, which adds deep savory flavor and sweetness to dishes.

You can also see Koji Amazake (こうじ甘酒), a non-alcoholic, additive-free, sweet traditional Japanese fermented beverage made from koji mold and rice.