Faced with declining consumption of sake, breweries and retailers are coming up with new events and services and promoting pairings of the drink with new foods to attract fresh customers.
Kurand Sake Market, a bar that opened in Tokyo's Ikebukuro shopping district in March, enables customers to taste any sake from more than 100 different brands produced across Japan for ¥3,240 per person.
The bar soon became popular and its 40 seats available for reservation are booked through the next month. The remaining 30 seats fill up soon after it opens at 5 p.m.