Another prime example of the many cool things that can happen Japan: a sake festival. Awesome festival foods, fun people all around, and next-to-nothing cost of sake.
Sake Brewery
We stopped by a sake brewery, on the way to the main sake festival. Outside were tents selling food, or offering free sake sampling. Behind the tents, was a garage area with huge blue tanks of sake. They had a small bottling display where they were bottling sake on the spot, while also handing out free samples. So fresh!
Joujima Sake Festival
We took a free 20 minute shuttle ride to the Joujima Sake Festival. Upon entering the festival gates we quickly purchased a 500 yen (aka $5) “drink ticket”. This ticket to heaven was a standard-size sake cup with a listing, allowing two sample cups from each of three sake booths.
Drink listing
The atmosphere of the festival was so nice and friendly. People randomly chatting with each other, sharing sake, and surprise sake barrels randomly popping up offering free samples. There were also drink stalls that charged, but everything was pretty cheap. I was keen on getting this cool wooden cup as my take home souvenir, 200 yen ($2) only, and came with sake filled to the brim.
At Joujima Sake Festival
As the festival began to close finished around 4:30, we headed for the shuttle. It was a pretty long line but when you’re happy you don’t notice and will always find a means to pass time. Like sing-alongs, and when it happens in Japan people can always pin point the Gaijins straight away. Except me. I’m a ninja. I camouflage well into the crowds. Everyone thinks I’m Japanese with superb English until they actually hear me speak Japanese. Then they’re just confused…but that’s another story best saved for another day.
Higashida Shiten Dinner
Top the day off with a wonderful grilled pork dinner in Kurume. This tiny restaurant served the best grilled pork I’ve ever tasted in my life. They open at 5 and give a 90 minute eating time…it’s best to get there when it opens because a long line does line gather.
BC Roll in Japan 