Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on March 2014

Navigating sake can be overwhelming, especially for non-Japanese speakers. There are many hurdles to bringing that experience home. Labels, while beautiful and stylized, can be impossible to read. Even if they are legible, there are different ranks, regions and seasonal offerings to decipher. That’s why a nihonshu shop where the staff speak English fluently can be a real lifesaver.

Oboro Saketen in Shimbashi, is named after the Japanese word for “hazy.” “The kura (sake breweries) are like the sun, and sakaya shops are like a hazy moon,” says owner Jun Okuma, explaining his relationship with the manufacturers. The Tokyo native has used his communication skills to partner with labels such as Taka, Jikon, Shichihonyari and Furosen, which aficionados will recognize.

Okuma says at home he often finds himself cooking steamed vegetables with sesame-based seasonings that pair well with a delicate Yamawa from Miyagi. He recommends the full-body Furosen from Shiga, made with natural yeast, for heartier dishes like duck or lamb.

Oboro Saketen holds monthly tastings organized around themes. The most recent was a selection of unpasteurized varieties of nihonshu from Jikon in Mie, each made with a different variety of rice. There are also around five open bottles on hand at the store for samplings. On our visit, we tasted several including an unpasteurized, unfiltered junmaiginjo from Jikon, which had lavender notes and was very rich, and a junmai daginjo from Daina in Tochigi that was aged a year, rounding out its flavor and softening its aroma. We finished with a Shichihonyari aged in sherry barrels, imparting dry tannins and the delicate aroma of sherry. Throughout tastings, Okuma generously imparts information on yeast, filtering, aging, rice varietals and what makes each kura unique.

Prior to opening his own shop, Okuma worked as a buyer for a large retailer, which explains his strong network of both brewers and clients. Shimbashi is filled with izakaya that cater to business people in the area, and Oboro supplies many of these casual drinking pubs. This is what makes it such an all-inclusive experience. You can stop by, taste through some sake from the impressive cellar, order a half-case or case to be sent to your home and then have Okuma recommend a local izakaya to enjoy some with your evening meal.

Oboro. 5-29-2 Shinbashi, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-6809-2334. Mon-Fri 11am-8pm, Sat noon-5pm, closed Sun and hols. www.oborosaketen.com