Japan SAKE Journey Kashiwazaki/Nagaoka Koshinohomare Abe Yoshinogawa note 98

I took the Joetsu Shinkansen from Tokyo, transferred at Nagaoka, and arrived in Kashiwazaki on a local JR Shin-etsu Line train. It is my first time visiting this town.
About a 10-minute walk from Kashiwazaki Station, I arrived at Hara Shuzo, the brewery that produces Koshinohomare. I was surprised to find the brewery buildings were newer and larger than I had expected. The direct sales shop was lined with so many different types of sake that I was truly overwhelmed and couldn't decide. So, I asked the shop staff for help. After all, since I had come all this way, I wanted sake that I couldn't buy in Tokyo. There were sake varieties limited to Niigata Prefecture and others limited to Kashiwazaki, so I purchased the Kashiwazaki-limited Junmai Ginjo Gin no Tsubasa, which had the narrower limitation range. With this, I have achieved my 423rd sake brewery visit.

I looked for souvenirs at a shop in front of Kashiwazaki Station. My eyes were drawn to the salted fish roe, and I bought a jar just to try it. The owner said it is best to take a little bit on the tip of your chopsticks and lick it while drinking sake. Hmm, I want to go home and drink already...

I took a local train from Kashiwazaki Station back toward Nagaoka and got off at Yasuda Station, the second stop. After walking for about 15 minutes, I arrived at Abe Shuzo. They recently upgraded their facilities, so it is truly a newly built sake brewery. I usually buy their sake at Tatsumi Seishudo in Kobikicho in Tokyo, but sake bought directly from the brewery is special. Among their lineup, only the base 'Abe Black' was limited to one bottle per person, so I bought that. It seems I am weak when it comes to limited items. I successfully cleared my 424th sake brewery visit.

I was hungry, so I bought a 'Honnobi Manju' at the Yamatoya confectionery shop on the way. I thought it would be like a regular hot spring bun, but the dough was fluffy and chewy, and it was delicious... I would call this a masterpiece.

I returned to Nagaoka Station from Yasuda Station. The last time I came to Nagaoka was for the Nagaoka Fireworks five or six years ago, but I took a tour bus from Tokyo then, so this was my first time stepping onto Nagaoka Station since I visited my uncle's house in my first year of university. Of course, this is my first time since the Shinkansen station was built.

I took a bus from in front of the station and headed to Settaya. I had initially assumed that Settaya was the name of a brewery, so I fell into total confusion when searching for how to get there. Well, once I realized it was a place name, it was no big deal, but misconceptions are a scary thing...

My goal in Settaya was Yoshinogawa, which brews the famous sake Yoshinogawa. Wow, this place is huge too. It was founded in the 17th year of the Tenbun era (1548) during the Muromachi period. As expected of Echigo, a renowned sake-producing region, the volume produced by each brewery is incredible. After looking through the exhibits, I did a paid tasting flight. It felt great paired with some light snacks. With this, I have achieved my 425th sake brewery visit.

Settaya is a brewing town that also produces miso and soy sauce, and there is one other sake brewery there (Hasegawa Shuzo, which makes Echigo Sekkobai), but since I was starting to feel physically exhausted, I decided to visit the former Kina Saffron Sake Honpo, which used to brew Saffron Sake nearby. The plaster relief (kote-e) on the storehouse built by the founder, Jintaro Yoshizawa, is magnificent. I thought I would buy some Saffron Sake if they were selling it, but it seems they don't make it anymore. I really wanted to try what kind of sake it was...

I took the bus back to Nagaoka Station, and the final event in Nagaoka was, of course, an izakaya. I headed into Kappo Uosen, which I had been curious about for a while. Looking at the menu, there was a wide selection of Niigata sake. I could have drunk them one by one, but since there was a five-variety set menu, I made my choice while agonizing over it.

Once I was full and had some sake in me, feeling good, I finally looked for some Nagaoka souvenirs. My target was Chomeido's Ame Monaka. I was told where to buy it inside Nagaoka Station, and I went there full of joy, but oh my... 'Sold out'... What a shame...
As a poor substitute, I bought Yukyuzan and Mizuho Monaka as souvenirs. (They were delicious.)

How was your trip to Kashiwazaki and Settaya starting from Nagaoka? The journey visiting sake breweries continues. Please look forward to the next installment.