Before coming to Japan there were many things I didn’t know about Sake. Firstly, I hadn’t heard the expression nihonshu before, which is the actual, Japanese word for what the rest of the world calls sake. Sake, in Japanese, is just the general term for alcohol. On the few occasions that I have had sake before moving to Tokyo, I would’ve had it warm. However, in Japan, I’ve found that it is mostly consumed chilled or at room temperature. I had no idea about the serving etiquette either, which includes that you should never pour your own cup of sake. Furthermore, I’ve discovered many different types of sake, amongst them sparkling sake which is, in my opinion, the perfect summer drink.

I have to admit though that, even whilst I enjoy drinking it, I am no expert. I still mainly choose sake by the design of the bottle’s label, which says it all. There is one aspect of drinking sake that I’ve nearly enjoyed the most. It is the custom that when you order sake, a tray or basket full of different sake cups of all colours, shapes and sizes is brought to your table for you to choose from. I liked this custom so much that I started my own collection of sake cups, a work in progress.