Hello and welcome to Shuro-Shu-Shu-Shu.
I’m just a guy in his late 50s who loves a good drink, and today I’d like to share how I—quite unexpectedly and late in the game—fell head over heels for the world of Japanese sake.
1. “I avoided it because it hit too hard” – My younger days
In my younger years, I was strictly a shochu and wine person.
As for sake? I actually stayed away from it. To me, sake was that drink that makes your knees buckle out of nowhere. I’d only have a small glass next to a plate of sashimi, and that was more than enough.
2. The encounter that changed everything: A local sake bar
Then one day, a dedicated sake bar opened up in my neighborhood.
I thought, “Well, maybe just one glass…” and stepped inside. I was greeted by a wall of labels I had never even heard of. What I appreciated most was their system—you could order small 100ml servings.
The first glass I tried there was… well, a complete shock.
3. The shock of the first glass: Remembering “Gakki Masamune refRain”
The moment it touched my tongue, I went into a minor state of panic (in a good way!).
“The aroma is incredible!” “It’s sweet… but it has such a clean finish?”
It was nothing like the “sake” I had in my head. I remember thinking, “Wait, is this actually sake?!”
4. Tumbling headfirst into the “Sake沼” (The Pit)
From there, it was the usual pattern.
“I want to try others.” “What goes well with food?” “What if I try it warm?”
Before I knew it, I had completely fallen into the Sake-numa (the “pit” or “swamp” of obsession). And I wasn’t looking for a way out.
5. What I want to share moving forward
On this blog, I’ll be sharing my journey from the perspective of a “late-bloomer sake fan.”
I’ll be talking about local brews (jizake), seasonal releases, unique labels, and my honest, purely subjective impressions of every glass I drink.
I hope you’ll join me on this relaxed journey through the world of sake.
Translated from: 酒路酒々シュ – 最初にハマった日本酒エピソード
