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老舗Shinise(Long-establishedstore)JapaneseSakebcedaADiverseDrink:DiscovertheComplexityofJapan’sNationalBeverageYamanashiMeijo(HokutoCity,YamanashiPrefecture)aThesakehereismadewithwaterthathasbeenselectedasoneofJapan’s100“ExquisiteandWell-ConservedWaters”thatdatebackabout300yearstotheEdoperiod.Samplesake,andlearnaboutitsmanytypes.SakeisbrewedalloverJapan.However,someofthemostfamousproducersarebasedinareaswithsignificantsnowfall,whichprovidesabundantfreshwaterforbothmakingthesakeandgrowingtherice,acrucialingredient.Thetypeofriceusedandhowitismilled,thefreshnessofthewater,andtheskillofthebrewer—allgivesakeasurprisinglywiderangeofflavors,fromsweettodryandstrongtodelicate.Oneofthebestwaystofindyourfavoritesaketaste,aswellastolearnaboutthedifferenttypesofsakeandhowtheyaremade,istovisitasakagura(sakebrewery).CountlessbreweriesareaccessibleinregionsnotfarfromTokyo—particularlyinNiigataPrefecture,whichboaststhemostbreweriesinthenation.Breweriesgenerallyofferfreetourswithachancetosampledifferenttypesofsake,andatsome,informationinEnglishisevenprovided.Ifyoushoulddecidetopickupsomesakeforyourself,ndoutfromthebrewerwhattypesoffoodcanbestbeenjoyedwithit.SakegoeswellwithJapanesefood,ofcourse,butalsowithsomeWesternfood.Butremember,youwillenjoythepairingmoreifyoudrinksakeoftherighttypeandatthepropertemperature.8★…Visitorscanbuynationalaward-winningJapanesesake