The future of sake – in department stores?

Small but innovative sake chain Mirai Saketen is teaming up with Asahi Shuzō, makers of Kubota, to open a sake bar and shop inside the PARCO department store in Shibuya. The Mirai Saketen/KUBOTA SAKE BAR opens in the Chaos Kitchen restaurant floor on 22 November 2019.

The NicoNico News article describes Mirai Saketen as a “sake start-up”. Their first shop opened in July 2017 in Kichijōji, Tokyo, in an attempt to embody their belief that “sake is cool”. This formed the concept and story for their new-style “sake select shop”, and they have since added two more shops in Ebisu and Nihonbashi (temporary) offering elegant paired food and allowing customers to easily and casually choose the sake they want.

The new shop and bar at PARCO Shibuya will be their fourth, opening in the underground main restaurant floor as the department store reopens after renovation in November 2019. The bar will serve sake by the glass and offer the YUMMY SAKE AI system that recommends specific sake to people who don’t know it well enough to choose one. The space will also be used for events and training, all to emphasise the “coolness” of sake and make it more approachable.

The sake shop will sell not only Kubota, but also Tenryohai, Wakaze, Yamagata Masamune, Mutsu Hassen, Ninja and more, and stock limited edition sake from participating breweries as well as exclusive products from Kawago Saketen, a sake retail venture headed by Hina Kawago (former Nogizaka 46 singer), so there’s even more to discover.

Links

• Original article (Japanese, NicoNico News, 28 September 2019)
• Mirai Saketen (Japanese)
• Mirai Saketen (English)
• Asahi Shuzō, makers of Kubota (Japanese)
• Asahi Shuzō, makers of Kubota (English)
• Tenryohai (Japanese)
• Wakaze (Japanese)
• Wakaze (English)
• Yamagata Masamune (Japanese)
• Mutsu Hassen (Japanese)
• Mutsu Hassen (English)
• Seko Shuzō (Japanese)
• Kawago Saketen (Japanese)