Sake tasting in Kabukicho: eight sakes with Japanese snacks

Sake tastes different at each temperature, and you'll discover why in an hour.

A sake tasting experience in Kabukicho featuring eight carefully selected sakes paired with traditional Japanese snacks, plus amazake to finish. The tasting begins with lighter, lower-alcohol sakes and progresses to more distinctive flavors and aromas. A live guide in English or Japanese leads the experience; minimum age is 20. All fees and taxes are included.

The Experience

You'll taste eight sakes sourced from across Japan, each one chosen to show you something different. The tasting starts with simplicity—sakes around 15-16% alcohol that let you ease into the experience—then moves toward sakes with more distinctive aromas and deeper flavors. The progression matters: it's how you actually learn what sake can do, rather than jumping into the complex stuff and missing the point.

Between tastings, traditional Japanese snacks arrive. They're not an afterthought; the pairing is the whole idea. You'll taste how sake changes with food, how temperature shifts what you notice in the glass, and why the same sake tastes different when it's warm versus chilled. By the end, you finish with amazake—a sweet fermented rice drink that's technically a dessert but tastes like something between a drink and comfort food.

The experience runs about an hour in Kabukicho, with a guide speaking English or Japanese. Public transportation stops nearby if you're coming from elsewhere in Tokyo. You need to be at least 20 to participate; that's the legal minimum for alcohol in Japan.

What’s included

• Eight carefully selected sakes sourced from across Japan.
• traditional Japanese snacks paired throughout the tasting.
• amazake (sweet fermented rice drink) to finish.
• live guide in English or Japanese.
• all fees and taxes.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditions

Operated by Bancre Inc.

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to understand how sake actually tastes at different temperatures and with different foods, rather than just trying a few glasses. The progression from light to complex sakes and the food pairings are what make the difference between a tasting and a real learning experience.

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Top questions

What are the eight sakes I'll be tasting?

The eight sakes are carefully selected from across Japan and change based on the season and what pairs well with the snacks on the day you visit. The operator sources highly-rated sakes that are exclusively available in Japan, so you won't find them in most other countries.

How does the tasting progress through the hour?

You start with lighter sakes—typically 15-16% alcohol—that have simpler, more approachable flavors. From there, you gradually move to sakes with more distinctive aromas and richer depth, so your palate builds naturally instead of being overwhelmed at the start.

What kind of snacks come with the tasting?

Traditional Japanese snacks are paired throughout the tasting to show how sake complements different foods. The snacks change the way each sake tastes, letting you explore how temperature and food affect what you notice in the glass.

Is amazake alcoholic?

Amazake is a sweet fermented rice drink made from koji, and while it's technically fermented, it contains little to no alcohol. It's enjoyed in Japan as a dessert and is sometimes called "drinkable IV" for its health benefits and delightful taste.

Do I need to know anything about sake before I arrive?

No prior knowledge is needed. The experience is designed for both newcomers to sake and people who already enjoy it. The guide will walk you through each tasting and explain what you're experiencing as you go.

How do I get to Kabukicho for this tasting?

Public transportation options are available nearby, so you can reach the location by train or bus from anywhere in Tokyo. You'll need to arrange your own transport to the meeting point; the operator does not provide hotel pickup.