Gin fan alert: you’d want to make a beeline for Tokyo’s biggest gin festival happening on the second weekend in June. With a picturesque canal-side location along Tennozu Isle, the festival offers tastings of around 200 craft gins from Japan and abroad, as well as a cocktail bar, merchandise (pick up the event’s signature tee – ‘We're all connected by Juniper’), and plenty of food to balance the drinking. Nips come in 10ml pours for ¥100, and if you find a gin that you fancy, you can purchase it at the onsite bottleshop – there are about 150 varieties of gin up for sale.
The Gin Festival is organised by Craftgin.jp, a Tokyo-based group dedicated to promoting craft gin, celebrating it, uncovering rare and unique varieties, and educating the market. They’ve invited many of the makers to attend the festival, so if it’s a rare chance to meet with them directly, hear the story behind their product, and ask them any questions you have.
Oh, it’s also World Gin Day on Saturday June 8 – not that you need another excuse to indulge.