Premium sake stores in Kyoto are surprisingly few. I highly recommend the sake in that requires refrigeration. This is called namazake, or fresh sake. Namazake is often unpasteurized and should not contain jozo alcohol (distilled brewing alcohol). Namazake is fresh and often surprisingly fruity in flavor and bouquet. Young Japanese often don’t like sake because they haven’t had the good, modern stuff: namazake. When you come to Kyoto, be sure to give it a try! Here are the places in Kyoto that I know of that offer a good selection of excellent and tasty sake and shochu. (If you are staying at even an expensive ryokan, it is highly likely that they will have a horrible offering of sake to go with dinner. Feel free to bring your own.)
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Tsunoko 津之喜
(Nishiki Market)
Tsunoki has more than 200 years of history and the English speaking 8th generation owner, Teruo Fujii is friendly and a bit of an self-styled renaissance man. In addition to running an historic patronized by locals for two centuries, he is a local rock star, aspiring novelist, accomplished calligrapher and web-savvy blogger.
He stocks a broad range of excellent sake from around Japan, many from Kyoto (Fushimi) and shochu and umeshu. There is also a complete selection of Japanese whiskey which is very sought after by foreign visitors these days.
Be sure to ask the proprietor for his recommendations, based on where you are from and what you look like. For example, Texans tend to be recommended The Black Bull Sake.
KyotoFoodie: We reviewed Tsunoki on KyotoFoodie last summer in this article. Check out the interview, photos, extensive Kyoto sake information and tips for selecting a good sake friendly ryokan.
location: Tsunoki is in the historic Nishiki Food Market, it about midway through but a little closer to the east end. Nishiki Market is just a few minutes walk from either the Shijo-Karasuma intersection or the Shijo-Kawaramachi intersection.
tel: 075-221-2441
address: Nakagyo-ku Nishiki Ichiba Tominokoji Higashi-iru 194 (京都市中京区錦市場富小路東入ル194)
Map: OpenKyoto/KyotoFoodie Map – Tsunoki
Sake-no-Yamamoto 酒のやまもと
(Sanjo-Kawabata neighborhood)
Sake-no-Yamamoto is conveniently located near the Sanjo Station/Sanjo Bridge and is a new store. It has a very extensive offering of premium local Kyoto sake as well as sake from excellent breweries across the country. Sake-no-Yamamoto offers the most extensive line-up of premium umeshu and other domestically produced traditional Japanese fruit liqueur that I have ever seen. A very good selection of shochu is also offered.
location: Sake-no-Yamamoto is on the east side of Kawabata Street, about halfway between Sanjo and Oike Streets and is about a one minute walk from Sanjo Station.
tel: 075-761-0124
address: Sakyo-ku, Kawabata-dori Sanjo-agaru Horin-ji Monzen-cho 36-3 (左京区川端通り三条上ル法林寺門前町36-3)
Map: OpenKyoto/KyotoFoodie Map – Sake-no-Yamamoto
Kunitaya 國田屋
(Kawaramachi-Marutamachi neighborhood)
You absolutely have to love Kunitaya — they are open until 1 am!! And, they stock an extensive line up of Furosen brand sake from Uehara Sake Brewery, mostly nama genshu (fresh, unpasteurized sake). Check the refrigerated cases for Furosen. Kunitaya is a friendly, family owned store and that also has a decent selection of reasonably priced rice and fresh fruit. They even stock Fighting Cock Kentucky bourbon whiskey.
location: Kunitaya is located just a minute or so walk north of the Kawaramachi-Marutamachi intersection, on the west side of the street.
The Kawaramachi-Marutamachi intersection is near the south-east corner of Gosho, the Imperial Palace grounds and just west of Keihan Jingu Marutamachi Station.
tel: 075-231-9675
address: Kawaramachi Marutamachi Agaru, Demizu-cho (河原町丸太町上ル出水町)
Map: OpenKyoto/KyotoFoodie Map – Kunitaya
Ukai Shoten 鵜飼商店
(Nishijin area)
Ukai Shoten is located in Nishijin, the historic weaving district. Nishijin is somewhat inconvenient and behind the times. Good restaurants are in short supply, and good sake is even shorter. Ukai Shoten is a small, family owned sake liqour store that stocks a great lineup of sake. This is my kind of place, the only sake they carry is namazake! You can also find unusual foodie things here like mirin kasu. (Sake kasu is the lees left over after pressing sake. Kasu is used for many marinades, flavorings in soups in Japan. The lees of mirin, sweet cooking sake, is very difficult to find and is great for marinading fish before grilling!) Ukai Shoten has been in business since 1905, so they ought to know all about great sake!
location: Ukai Shoten is located on Omiya-dori street a few hundred meters south of the intersection with Kuramaguchi-dori street. Or, about half way between Kitaoji-dori street to the north and Imadegawa-dori street to the south. Ukai Shoten is located on the west side of the street.
tel: 075-441-3885
address: Kyoto-shi, Kamigyo-ku, Omiya-dori, Teranouchi-agaru, 3 Chome (京都市上京区大宮通寺之内上る三丁目)
Map: OpenKyoto/KyotoFoodie Map – Ukai Shoten
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