[Meito Ward] Yagi Saketen is a Liquor Store with Variety of Craft Beer and Natural Wine!

​"Yagi Saketen"is located in a quiet residential area near Kamiyashiro JCT in Meito Ward, Nagoya City. In addition to a variety of alcoholic beverages such as sake, shochu, wine, craft beer, and natural wine, this liquor store offers a wide range of seasonings and rice.

Yagi Saketen originally opened in 1970 under the name Yagi Shoten. Since then, it has been passed down to the second generation, Mr. and Mrs. Masanori Yagi, and has been loved by locals for over 50 years.

This time, we asked Mr. Yagi about the appeal of the store and recommended sake.

Masanori Yagi, the second generation owner of Yagi Saketen

Utilizing the Building at the Time of Opening
The Space is Recreated by DIY

The interior of Yagi Saketen is lined with brightly colored sake bottles and is lit by warm light bulbs. Coupled with the wooden furniture and ornamental plants growing in the center, the space is full of warmth.

The retro furniture placed here and there in the store was collected by Mr. Yagi as a hobby. After taking over the shop from his predecessor, he says that it took about 15 years of DIY to create the current atmosphere, such as laying concrete on the floor, painting the walls, and adding furniture.

Surrounded by furniture that makes you feel nostalgic, you feel as if you are back at hometown.

In addition, picture books and free papers are also placed in the store. This is so that non-drinkers and children who come with their parents can enjoy themselves. Consideration and ingenuity for customers can be seen everywhere.

And it's not just alcohol, it's also a big attraction that there are many types of seasonings. From soy sauce and oil to ponzu sauce, spices, canned foods, snacks, and more, there are many foods that you will want to buy while drinking.

The lineup of seasonings is carefully selected by Mr. Yagi, who actually uses them and thinks they are delicious.

Aiming to Become a Liquor Store like a Select Shop
We are Particular about What to Sell

Yagi Saketen not only sells in stores, but also wholesales to restaurants and orders to private homes. Therefore, there are many different types of alcohol available. In addition to standard canned beer, chu-hi (shochu highballs), commercial alcohol, Japanese sake and shochu consumed at home, they carry a wide range of products, including craft beer and natural wine.

Liquor lined up on one side of the shelf. The characteristics of the wine are written in an easy-to-understand manner.

The products lined up in the shop are all items that Mr. Yagi can recommend with confidence. Craft beer and natural wine, which they are particularly focused on, are carefully selected with a focus on the craft beer and the quality and taste of the brewers. “While listening to the voices and requests of our customers, I would like to eventually turn it into something like a sake select shop,” says Mr. Yagi.

Craft beer, natural wine, and Japanese sake are lined up in the refrigerated case.

They started handling craft beer about 10 years ago, and are currently doing business with 90 companies. About 10 types of beer arrive in a week, and the refrigerated case is packed with about 100 types of beer from top to bottom. (Types and numbers of beers may vary depending on the season)

They also receive 3 to 4 types of beer a month from UCHU BREWING, which is very popular nationwide. You can check out information on newly arrived craft beers on Yagi Saketen 's Instagram.

"I only buy what I want to drink and what I want my customers to drink!" says Mr. Yagi.

He also says, "I would like you to pick up the sake in the refrigerator and carefully choose it. In particular, the natural wines are different brands in the front and back rows, so I would like you to enjoy choosing sake like a treasure hunt."

Even if you don't know much about sake, Yagi-san will recommend a product for you if you tell him what you like and what you think of the taste, so feel free to ask.

Recommended Alcoholic Drinks by Yagi Saketen

From the products lined up in the shop, we asked them to choose the recommended liquor from the genre of craft beer, natural wine, gin, and sake.

Recommended Craft Beer

Himitsu (secret) Beer

This is a brewery that just opened in 2022 in Ise City, Mie Prefecture. It was opened by two classmates from Ise. Each of them is from Ise Kadoya Beer and Yorokko Beer, and they are experts in craft beer.

It is a rare beer with a low production volume because it is made slowly and carefully using local ingredients. The name of Himitsu Beer is based on our hope that good rumors will spread only to those who are important to us, saying, “This is a secret, but I will tell you!” because it is really good.

Totopia Brewery

This is a brewery of ATOWA LLC, which operates "BEER PUB BRICK LANE"and "used like new beer" in Nagoya. In 2022, it opened in Nagakute City.

They aim to create craft beers that can expand into the world, centering on three types: "New England IPA (Hazy IPA)," which uses a large amount of hops and is characterized by its fruity and cloudy appearance; "Fruited Sour Ale," which has a refreshingly sour taste; and "Barrel Aged Beer," which is aged in wooden barrels used to hold wine or whiskey.

Recommended Natural Wine

Fattoria AL FIORE

Natural wine produced by Italian restaurant representative Hirotaka Meguro and former architectural designer Reina Sakaguchi in Miyagi Prefecture. The winery uses the gymnasium of an elementary school that has been closed, and is filled with the thoughts of many people.

The left is a slightly dry white wine, and the right is a dry rosé sparkling. It is also recommended as a gift for your loved ones or for anniversaries.

Natan Wine Brewery

Natural wine made in Tokushima by a female brewer from Nara Prefecture. The motto is to bring out the flavor of the ingredients together with environmental resources such as temperature and gas without relying on additives, and you can enjoy the taste of the raw ingredients without filtering. The stylish and sophisticated label is also attractive.

Recommended Gin

HOLON GIN

Craft gin has become a boom in recent years. Using oriental herbs and spices, it is a sake that is close to the time to prepare the mind and body. In order to bring out the goodness of the mouthfeel, the alcohol content is low as a gin. It is recommended not only for meals, but also for chill time to heal the fatigue of the day.

Recommended Sake

As for the sake, we asked them to choose “refreshing” and “dry” ones according to my taste.

・Ippongi Arabashiri Haruno Junmai Sake (photo: left)

Sake brewed in Katsuyama City, Fukui Prefecture, using fertile soil and pure, ultra-soft water. Freshly squeezed Ippongi Dry Junmai Sake is bottled as it was born without filtering, adding water, or heating. The alcohol content is a little high at 18%, but it has a sweet and refreshing aroma, a vivid and distinct flavor, and a lingering aftertaste.

・Kagatobi Ai Freshly Squeezed Nama Sake (photo: center)

Kagatobi is the representative brand of Fukumitsuya, a sake brewery with the longest history in Kanazawa. A luxurious junmai daiginjo that uses only Yamada Nishiki, the highest quality sake rice cultivated under contract. Said to be the best of Kagatobi's seasonal sakes, it is characterized by its freshness, refined aroma, and unique taste that is unique to freshly brewed sake.

・Kariho Junmai Ginjo raw sake Haru kawasemi (photo: right)

The label is designed with a kingfisher that lives near the waterside of Karihogura, a sake brewery founded in 1913 (Taisho 2) in Akita Prefecture. Squeeze new “kawasemi label” sake in a sakafune and bottle it as it is. It features a fresh and vivid flavor, and is a seasonal and limited quantity product.

Find your Favorite Sake at Yagi Saketen
Which Offers a Wide Variety of Alcoholic Beverages!

Yagi Saketen is a local liquor store with roots in the Meito Ward area. Recently, many young people have come to the store after seeing it on Instagram, and craft beer and natural wine are becoming popular.

If you are unfamiliar with sake, we recommend choosing by its label. You can tell Mr. Yagi what you like and let him choose, so why not try finding your favorite sake?