With a name that loosely translates to ‘Love Sake Date’, Aishu Deito is a fun and accessible sake festival that brings together small, independent breweries from across Japan, popular sake-loving restaurants from the Kansai region, and live music. This vibrant event is now in its 19th edition since debuting in 2008.
The concept is simple: each sake brewery teams up with a restaurant to serve a curated food and drink pairing. This creative approach makes it fun and easy to dive into the world of sake, even if you aren’t familiar with this quintessential Japanese rice brew. This year, you can eat and drink your way through 20 of these pairings, with a total of 40 different breweries and restaurants to discover.
Among the featured breweries are Abunotsuru from Yamaguchi, Sagara from Tochigi, Kuramoto from Nara, Ikezuki from Shimane, and Kikumori from Iwate, just to name a few. While you make your way through the sake and food selections, the atmosphere comes alive with entertainment from local artists Hoff Dylan and ET-King, as well as DJs Nobujin and Hirohisa Kamiya.
Advance tickets are ¥3,900, or ¥4,300 on the day, and they include a sake glass and souvenir. Note that all food and drink purchases at the event are cash only, and entry is restricted to adults aged 20 and older.