is one of the great pleasures of traveling around Japan

Most foreigners come with the JR rail pass

but if you forgot to buy that ,

or just traveling around Tokyo for a few days,

There is this.

The JR TOKYO Wide Rail Pass

So this time with this pass,

we're going to one of my favorite places

Echigo Yuzawa station where were just going to

drink some SAKE, at the source.

The 80 minute ride gave me time to look back at

previous episodes of the importance of rice in Japan and

Sake brewery tour at Japanese most wellknown maker

DASSAI

Sake is Japan's national drink

used in religious ceremonies,

opening a business,

at weddings or celebrations.

at new year, when even kids take a sip

Niigata prefecture is known to have Japan's best rice

That means excellent Sake, too

The Tokyo Wide Pass allows limited ride on Joestu Shinkansen

Perfect for Skiing, onsen, and like today,

sake tasting

We're here. Echigo Yuzawa

We don't have to go far from the station

In fact, we don't have to leave it!

It's loaded with local food and gifts,

just a minute from the platform

And right in the middle of his place,

Sake museum, PONSHUKAN

At the entrance is where we find

is the sake tasting vending machine

It's possible to over do it here

Five cups, for 500 yen

That's why

Let's get started

For 500 yen, you get a cup

and 5 coins

Now you're ready

Now you have to find a SAKE to start with

There are over 120 different kinds SAKE on the wall

I start with this one.

Local SAKE from Echigo Yuzawa

Pretty good

It's nice to get the first one out of the way

If you need some hints,

There is a board with the top 10 famous Sake here

Next to the machine number written in pink,

So it's easy to find

You'll never drink alone here.

Ponshukan is a place you can talk to people

Compare notes on Sake, if you're a conosieur

which I am today

The number 1 sake here is this one

Echigo Tsurukame

Place the cup on the circle under the nozzle

Insert your coing,

Press the button, and voila!

A healthy pour of Japanese Sake

Mellow aroma

Echigo Tsurukame is smooth with a hint of cedar

the wood barrel it stored it

It's good to be able to read the label.

On the top is the name

Kaze yawaraka

and type: Jun Maishu in English

It even has extra info

Slightly dry and available in the shop

It's also from Sado Island on the Sea of JAPAN

On the bottom, is the logo with Nihoshu-Do

or Sake Meter value

Plus is dry

and minus is sweet.

This one is slightly dry

Also the sando, or the acidity level

is another way to measure the sweetness or dryness

Higher the number, higher the acidity, the drier it is.

Smells good. Pleasant.

A smooth sipping sake

If I keep going, I'll end up like that guy outside

I still have 3 more coins

and 117 more machines to try

This is cowboy Yamahai

Drier, more accidic than the last sake

Let the rodeo begin

There are so many brands to try here

One can spend an entire week just sipping sake.

to try them all

I went high

and low

When you reached your limit, return your cup

and work your way to the shop

Pick up a bottle that you like

or try something new

No sake has the same taste

Pick up a Tokyo wide pass and journey out to EchigoYuzawa

For an advernture on a pallet

that would bring your sake knowledge to a new height

or leave you grounded like that guy

Kanpai

Next time we head to the Tokyo Museum of Sewage