Syuhou

If you're not a speaker of Nihongo, you will be handed a guideline of how things work in this place. It doesn't exactly scream fun. They are clear that they only speak Japanese. I always learn a few phrases whenever I travel and these went a long way. But the people here are willing to do some l...egwork to give you a good experience; translating apps and sake flavor diagrams come into play. I was squeezed in between two parties and I got the sense that I was the only person here who didn't speak Japanese, and the only person here who spoke English. As the evening warmed up, some efforts were made to communicate and I made some friends with the guys next to me, and all of the sake recommended to me was excellent. There are some extremely expensive sakes here but I was asked at the outset what I was comfortable paying and I found my bill to be extremely reasonable. I came haven eaten elsewhere but the food looked very good; I wish I had eaten here instead. If you love sake I really recommend this place. Extend yourself a little bit and people will extend themselves to you. I was touched by having the spontaneous opportunity to be photographed with the owners at the end of the evening, and I believe they were very grateful that I sought them out. A wonderful travel experience, highly recommended.

Visited April 2017

A husband and wife team run this gem, which is a real find for sake lovers. I lost count of how many varieties of sake they have on hand. You can order a single glass or a "flight" of three different brands (at several different price and quality levels). It's not cheap but you will taste some of th...e best sake that Japan has to offer (Miyagi is a good place to start). The food is great, too, from sashimi to grilled pork. The service is great but their English is a bit limited, so get your Google translator running. When in doubt, point to whatever interesting your neighbour is sampling. This is a bit tricky to find at night, inside a nondescript building. Perhaps ask your hotel staff to help with directions or take a taxi. Their phone number is 0829-44-2747. Also check their website.

Visited November 2015