Went to Kawagoe and retuned with Kagamiyama happily

I heard they were holding a spring festival in Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture. So, friends and I went there for a walk and sightseeing.

We met around at noon at Honkawagoe Station. First, we wanted to eat something for lunch, and one of us made a phone call to a restaurant Furin, where we often eat sushi and drink Kagamiyama sake, the sake brewed in Kawagoe. Unfortunately and as I expected, their seats were fully reserved. The restaurant seems to have a lot of customers at festival time.

On a shopping street close to the station, we found a sushi restaurant and entered it. Since they carried neither Kagamiyama sake nor Coedo beer, we did not drink any alcoholic beverages there, and just ate sushi and went out. When we went out of the restaurant, there was a sprinkling of rain on the street. We went northwards along the shopping street, and saw the commercial compound of Kurari ahead on the right, where defunct Kagamiyama Shuzo brewery (different brewery from current Koedo Kagamiyama Shuzo) used to be making sake. On the premises of this compound, a festival float called Iemitsu no Dashi was exhibited.

(Kawagoe Spring Festival -- video shot on May 5, 2011)

We entered a building of Kurari and I bought some sweets for a souvenir. Then, I drank Coedo beer and Kagamiyama sake at the drinking stand.

I want to drink Coedo beer and Kagamiyama sake whenever I visit Kawagoe City except for when I am driving a car. First, I had white beer made from wheat, and then Kagamiyama sake. Three of us tasted sake of this brand but each had a different type so that we could share and taste three types. One friend ordered Bizen-Omachi Tokubetsu Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu, the next friend ordered Tobindori Daiginjo Muroka Nama Genshu Shizukuzake, and I ordered Yamadanishiki Junmai Ginjo Muroka Nama Genshu.

(Kagamiyama sake tasting)

The daiginjo sake tasted like milk and had a very beautiful flavor, while my junmai gijo sake was a little cloudy and slightly bitter (this bitterness may have derived from the Yamadanishiki rice used). And I liked the Omachi tokubetu junmai sake. This sake had a vivid and well-balanced taste and left a strong impression.

After getting out of Kurari, it was still raining and did not seem to stop raining soon. We walked for a while, but finally entered a coffee shop and had some coffee to wait until it would stop raining. I ordered a cup of Mandheling coffee, which has a pale brown color, but it tasted thicker than it appears, having plenty of body. After we chattered for a while, the rain seemed to have become light.

So, we got out of the coffee shop, and soon the rain became strong. I didn't know why, but we were not very lucky about the weather on this day.

Anyway, I encountered that super nice sake, Kagamiyama Bizen-Omachi Tokubetsu Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu, and could buy a bottle of it. So, I was very happy.