A hexagonal, dark wood-paneled counter at Sake Studio Tokyo is lined with bottles тАФ and anticipation.
Miniature jars are laid out before me as IтАЩm about to (re)familiarize myself with the aromas they contain. I take a whiff of a grapefruit candy and then curiously find it tickling my nose as I sip sake from elegant wine glasses. Questions and proclamations from those at the counter grow bolder (тАЬHow can the rice be the same but the flavor so different?тАЭ) as I gulp down the free refills on offer.
IтАЩm at a converted Showa Era (1926-89) tobacco shop in TokyoтАЩs Kanda neighborhood for a brand-new tasting experience, part of a wave of growing interest in JapanтАЩs national drink. As the number of overseas visitors to Japan continues to skyrocket, the countryтАЩs cuisine is in the spotlight, and sake-focused experiences are very much in demand.
