▼Please support me through Ko-fi (a donation platform like Patreon)▼ ko-fi.com/letsaskshogo I have a new dream… It is to raise money to enroll in a school to become a Japanese language instructor (an official qualification)! I promise you that I will become the best Japanese teacher who not only teaches Japanese, but is also familiar with Japanese history and traditional culture. Things I want to do after I get the qualification: -Free Weekly/Monthly Japanese lessons on KZread LIVE -Online private Japanese lessons etc. ▼Who is Shogo? What is this channel about?▼ kzread.info/dash/bejne/oJx5w8-Blt3fqco.html ▼Related videos in this channel▼ -How to Do Everything Wrong at Japanese Drinking Parties | Japanese React to NAMIKIBASHI kzread.info/dash/bejne/aKV6wc6Rk8SXctY.html -5 Things You Didn't Know You Should Avoid When Drinking Saké kzread.info/dash/bejne/eop6xNd-o8ixfqw.html -Where Shinsengumi Fought Their Biggest Battle is Now an Izakaya Bar kzread.info/dash/bejne/gqp6pruklKiaeag.html ▼MY DREAM▼ kzread.info/dash/bejne/d5uj2auPj87Hl6Q.html “To make every Japan lovers’ dream come true, by making Japan a more secure, comfortable, and safer place for everyone to visit, study, and live in” I will be using the profit I gain from this channel at restaurants, hotels, and cultural facilities in Kyoto to introduce them. The more you watch the videos on this channel, Kyoto and Japan will become a more exciting place, and you can support your own and others’ dreams in the future even more. ▼Join our Membership▼ kzread.info/dron/n7DCb9ttrcw9h3vh9dfnVw.htmljoin ●Membership benefits -Limited behind-the-scene videos -Weekly Zoom call or live stream -Priority reply to comments ▼[Sub-channel] “Shogo’s Podcast”▼ kzread.info/dron/ZAe1VayWxp5NLO4Net78DA.html Please subscribe!! The perfect channel to learn about Japanese culture and history in your spare time, during your walk to school or work, and when you are cooking or doing house chores. Not only will I be covering the topics in this main channel, but also some topics that you will only be able to enjoy in the sub-channel, like answering questions I receive, and my opinions towards some of the comments. ▼Places recommended to visit in Kyoto | "Kyoto Hidden Gems" series▼ kzread.info/head/PLpIWoYf9KNFU7LIIFB0P_reDt_oMdkCOq ▼Instagram▼ instagram.com/lets_ask_shogo/ *Please ask me questions through the DM here!（⚠I do not use e-mail）

Worth mentioning these 2 whisky from Japan, Hibiki and Yamazaki

I knew nothing of it when in Japan several years ago, and tried an “all you can drink” add-on at a restaurant. Very nice on the rocks with fresh-squeezed lemon.

I once went to Yamagata and tried the all-you-can-drink izakaya bars. It was only 1000 yen (less than US$10). It's called "Senbero".

My friend loves shochu and his go to brand is iichiko. My father used to drink Sake before, but he prefers it warmed up. I kinda like the Umeboshi since it's a little on the sweeter side. I had to give up drinking a few years ago due to health reasons, but I do admit that sometimes when I see my neighbor drinking, it kinda makes my mouth water even though he mostly drinks beer. My father just passed away last Saturday, so this whole week has been tough for me and I would love to drown my sorrows in a few drinks.

@IAMNArtGirl

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for your notes on schochu and sake. This will help when looking for brands with which to experiment! I’m so sorry to hear of your father’s passing. 😢 I hope you are feeling better soon.❤

@kenbozu1

Жыл бұрын

@@IAMNArtGirl Thank you.

Aging also helps reduce the alcohol taste and smooths it out. Japanese whiskeys also have a far different taste than other whiskeys

@telegramsam

Жыл бұрын

@@cyan_oxy6734 Whiskey & bourbon get their color & much of their taste from being aged in barrels. Unaged liquors aren't whiskey because they don't go through this process. Frankly it's a kind of moonshine when you get down to it..

@lucashenry6281

Жыл бұрын

@@cyan_oxy6734 Whiskey/whisky is any distilled liquor made from a cereal grain and fermented mash. What Shogo described ARE whiskeys

The first I ever heard about Shochu was from the RPG game Legend of the Five Rings. In the game there is a region of spiritual corruption call the Shadowlands. This corruption can affect characters if they encounter it. One way is by drinking water which has been tainted by the corruption. Shochu is impervious to the corruption, so it is the favored drink of the clan that lives closest to the Shadowlands.

Great video! My favorite is 芋焼酎お湯割り. (Sweet potato shochu in hot water.) Yes, I am an old man...

I loved how informative this video is! I've wondered for a long time what shochu was and how it compared to sake! I don't remember if I've tried shochu personally (last I time I was in Japan I was stuck inside a hotel a lot of the time due a language barrier...the hotel had a bar...the bar had a long menu, and my goal was to try everything) I get the impression (relative to shochu) that sake is like tea, in that it's more naturally processed and holds a deeper and more reverent role in Japanese culture. This video also drove me to look up what a "high ball" is...so I'm learning stuff left and right! 😁

Th best way to learn about shochu? Stumble upon the Satsuma Shochu Matsuri in Kagoshima and join the festivities. Which mostly involved a practical approach: drink a lot of shochu! And in that part of Japan mostly sweet potato (imo) shochu, which still is my favorite. It has quickly become my drink of choice in Japan. It's expecially great in winter, with hot water (oyuwari). And in warmer times it is very refreshing with either cold water or as chuhai.

I found Umeshu in asian markets at Opera when I was living near Paris, instant love.

@BelloBudo007

Жыл бұрын

It's a delightful drink. I can recommend the one with the plums in the bottom of the bottle.

Thank you Shogo! It's gonna be a party tonight with a bottle of barley shochu 🥃😁

Umeshu Plum Wine is definitely my favorite, thank you ! 🙏☯️🕉️ for the memories !!! Arigato Gozaimasu ! dhanyavaad ! Obregado ! Mercy ! Muchísimas Gracias !

I love Awamori myself which I'm actually on my way to pick up. Shochu is okay not crazy about it but I like it a heck of a lot more then Sake. Btw the few times I drink with my Karate Sensei we both order Shochu.

Interesting video Shogo! I’m glad you are teaching us new videos everyday

Awesome information Shogo thanks I didn’t know

This was very interesting, I did not know about shochu. I am going to look for some. ❤️

I had NO idea. Thank you for sharing this with the world.

I will coment this from personal experience: Shochu is a perfect middle ground for German men and women. Stereotypically German men prefer strong and/or bitter alcoholic drinks like Schnaps and Bier. German women on the other hand prefer sweet liquors and cocktails. This even divides the wine taste into who likes sweet wine and who likes dry wine. When I discovered Shochu on my trip to Japan 9 years ago, it was the first drink so far everyone can agree on. It is only as strong as normal liquor, but not as sweet, but still sweet enough. So far everyone found it agreeable and an opened bottle usually is empty very fast. But this is just personal experience from like 5 occassions.

I've tried many kinds of both and when I return I aim to try Okinawa Awamori.

@pwabd2784

Жыл бұрын

It tastes like a fast food restaurant dumpster smells. Enjoy.

I'd like to know more about plum wine too.

@LetsaskShogo

Жыл бұрын

I’m actually thinking of trying make some at home, and make a video about the process!

"sengoku era not Edo era" actually make me laugh...

@LetsaskShogo

Жыл бұрын

I suddenly decided to include it while I was filming😂

I like plum wine and saké, but I don't have the courage to try shochu, which would probably knock me over! My favorite time of year to enjoy saké is late fall and winter. I sip it warmed while sitting back in my favorite easy chair. It's nice to savor the aroma that's released by the warming.

I can really recommend: Mori Izo Shochu🍶we drink it with our Japanese family during New Year celerations. Its one of the big 3M Shochu in Japan, the other being Mao and Murao. Enjoy!

I cant remember the brand but i tried shochu a year or so ago was made from barly... It was interesting. Ill have to try others to see if im a big fan but i have had nothing to compare it to. So i could not really judge it on its own. But it was not unpleasent. Has a slight oatmeal aftertaste

This is the 1st time I heard about another alcoholic drink from Japan besides Saké. Wish I could try if I go one day

@keithtorgersen9664

Жыл бұрын

Asahi is a relatively popular Japanese beer.

I just ordered one :D

Thank you Shogo 🎉😊

Great. Now I know what kind of Sochu to buy from my local grocery store. Hawaii imports a lot of Sake and Shochu from Japan and is available at many grocery stores.

Thanks.

Thanks

if you guys get the chance to go to okinawa, they have awamori which is another alcohol. Kinda like moonshine but with rice.

my question would have to be: would it be easier to get drunk on the shochu rather than the sake? I would think that the sake having the least amount of alcohol in it would be the one that wouldn't be the one to get you drunk. Just trying to find out which one to be more careful around when I do try both of them out in Japan...

Congrats on the new baby

I really developed a taste for sweet potato Shochu.

The shochu made from sugar sounds really interesting, kind of like rum. Wish I could find some.

I've had warm sake.its so delicious.

Great explanation. I'd be interested in knowing some of your/your crew's fave brands & varieties of both drinks. Just letting you know: the TO in "tonic" is pronounced "TAH" (not "TOE").

I like smoky, peaty whiskies from Islay in Scotland, like Laphroaig, Bruchladdich and Ardbeg. Is there any Shochu that would be reminiscent of them perhaps? Let's just say that I prefer my drinks smoky and with plenty of kick over drinks that are fruity or sweet.

@victorbeebe8372

Жыл бұрын

Sorry can't remember the name of distillery but there is one Japanese distillery that copies a Scottish whiskey everyway possible. Even location of distillery. Can be found on internet.

i also had one with perilla...

I love high ball!

ive also enjoyed highball...

The real question: What is the best cup to enjoy them neat? I personally think either ISO glass, Glencarin glass, or if you are cheap and can find one, Daiso's "Kunshu" glass.

@LetsaskShogo

Жыл бұрын

👍👍👍

iichiko i think it was, very nice...

Google tells me mirin is Japanese rice wine, and similar to sake, but is it consumed by itself? If it's just a cooking ingredient, that would explain why it wasn't included in your list of Japanese alcohol.

@LetsaskShogo

Жыл бұрын

Mirin is just a cooking ingredient that includes saké in it😊

Just a Video idea, could you showcase your Katanas/Wakizashi along with the price you paid for them?

I recommend White Hoppy beer/shochu

Suntory Distillery whisky is awesome

Hello Shogo! Do you have a recommendation for brown sugar or sweet potato shochu? Those sound most interesting. Thank you!

We love drinking yam/potato shochu with random Ojisan.

spend more and skip the sweet sake - the drier more traditional sake is amazing. definitely understand why its a spiritual experience

hello Shogo

I hope you read this brother, Great video on Shoshu and Sake, but I have a question or request, what did villagers and samurai eat back in the 1300-1400'ds ? Thank you very much for reading this, 🙇🏻‍♂️

I have my Shochu like my Oji-san, on the rocks with ginger ale if its evening or seven up if its morning as the delivery system

Are Rice Beers too modern for mention? Since you mentioned Umeshu (Plum Wine).

Hi, there was a small stall on the left hand side of the steep lane towards kiyomizu dera temple. I cant remember if it was a sake or yam shochu. It has a delicious coconut taste. After more than a decade, i cant get it out of my mind still. Do you know where can i find this drink? I will be in kyoto next month😂

The title is confusing because shochu is shochu and Japanese whiskey is Japanese whiskey.

Hii

is there a "nihon bashi" restaurant in japan too? i wonder

This is interesting, so Peruvian pisco / chicha / yonque / masato would be shochu too?

Is Shochu something like Soju? I drink Soju quite often, maybe more than I should 🥴 and I've had Haku "rice vodka" (just tastes like vodka but richer I guess - cool bottle) but never shochu it's self, I've even had amazake

@Pressplay_Media_EU

Жыл бұрын

and I've had Umeshu (recently) never been to japan yet, but we have a chain of specialty liquor shops in our city that carry cool shXt

Hey Shogo I got a question that’s been really bugging me… how on earth do you guys define beauty? What’s considered less attractive or appealing in Japan? I remember watching another Japanese KZreadr mention to avoid certain types of people in Japan based on physical appearance. But how does Japan gage physical appearance?

I want I want to try sake

ChuHi best for summer🎉

I take it that Shochu is also not aged like Whiskey is. The color and flavors of our liquor comes from the wood barrels we use for ageing.

Would you concider awamori (Okinawan) to be shochu , or diffrent ?

Huh. I had not only heard the Edo Period 'origins' of shochu, but that the name was derived from the word Scotch.

How do you drink Shochu with hot water?

Shogo, be careful with this Super Typhoon heading your way!

if Japanese really want to preserve their culture they should make it easily available to the point of common people could enjoy it (make a cheaper version of it). a can of beer are less than a dollar, and I could buy soju, vodka, amer starting from 3 dollar come on, it has a lot of potential

Hey can you tell me what that phrase is you say, in Japanese, right after the intro

Are European angels bigger than Japanese gods? In the Middle Ages, people wondered how many angels could fit on the pointy end of a needle, and the result was 22, the end of a needle is almost as big as a grain of rice

Hey

its said that it is named like "way to tokio"...

Entonces, shochu es aguardiente hecho en Japón

sichifukujin?

i tried to get that seven gods sake but not easy in austria

The two most deadly things in Japan are Habu Sake and Chu Hai 😂

Shōchu is not a “japanese whiskey”, better to call it a “japanese vodka”... Awamori is much closer to the bill, but even then that is essentially an “aged Sake” but made more like rice wine in other countries..

@barfyman-wn3id

Жыл бұрын

Shochu is shochu.

@AdamOwenBrowning

Жыл бұрын

it's kind of like trying to call a wakizashi a "short japanese saber" it is what it is, trying to find an english equivalent word doesn't work

@tokenstandpoint93

Жыл бұрын

I love Awamori! Wish more was sold in the US.

@chrissonnenschein6634

Жыл бұрын

@@tokenstandpoint93 Yes me too. not just US, but anywhere mate.... in theory, you can get all the right ingredients in US to make it.... only the aging bit is the real issue. love the stuff.

@tokenstandpoint93

Жыл бұрын

@@chrissonnenschein6634 I'm fortunate enough to live in New York City and have the ability to try various foods and drinks most haven't heard of (or at least heard of yet). That said even Awamori is hard to buy here.

i once drank umeshu and felt guilty instantly cos it was so sweet and i never consume anything much at night and that felt like sugar overdose..... wait is that why people get beer belly?

Wakamurasaki no Kimi Shiso Shochu

I love anime and booze. Never had shochu befor but plenty of sake

I've only heard of sakè from bleach

its not roasted?

Japanese Plum Gekkeikan is the only alcoholic beverage I drink. I will drink nothing else. Period .

= D

Only 21k views for this video hmm

Is it rude to refuse an alcohol drink someone offering in Japan?

Here's hoping the typhoon does not cause you and your family any concerns!

25%? i wouldn't really call that high alcohol content

@KebaRPG

Жыл бұрын

East Asians genetically have a lower alcohol tolerance compared to Central and Northern Europeans

Japanese people are always shocked I drink my shochu straight idk why

Non puoi paragonare il sakè con il vino. Barbaro

shochu is drier

Shochu is definitely not a whisky, it is a spirit, a type of distilled liquor like whiskey, rum, tequila, and what have you. It should not be called a Japanese whiskey...Hibiki and Yamazaki for example are a Japanese whiskey.

Wouldnt really call that whiskey

Shochu isn’t whisky

Sake considerated like a god's dreank....but in medleast the green thee is THE GODLY GIFT 2 HUMAINS(NENGEN)we dreank from dusk till down...it's rooted in our culture very very deeply....etc

The difference? How about a similarity? Both shochu and saké are wildly inferior to bourbon. But that's just my opinion.

@barfyman-wn3id

Жыл бұрын

You haven't had quality then

@sejembalm

Жыл бұрын

@@barfyman-wn3id Perhaps not. Japanese whisky (can't call it Scotch if made outside of Scotland) has a great reputation of being terrific and winning many awards. Such as Hakushu 12 Year Old Single Malt, Nikka Yoichi, Yamazaki, etc. being exceptional. Never really liked Scotch all that much, myself. Tastes like Irish whiskey filtered through a house that burned down. There are plenty of award-winning non-Scotch Japanese whiskies such as Nikka Coffey Grain, Suntory Toki, Nikka From the Barrel, and so on.

Shochu is NOT Japanese whiskey... How is it possible to get them confused in this day and age when Japanese whiskey is highly sought after in the entire world???

Calling Shochu "Japanese Whiskey" simply ridiculous. Typical example of a guy who knows about Jaoan bit doesn't understand anything about spirits. Better skip doing such a video if you don't have a clue about what you're talking about

@kaikaichen

Жыл бұрын

Would it be slightly more accurate to call it Japanese vodka instead?

@MrFrescocotone

Жыл бұрын

@@kaikaichen While shochu and vodka may seem like similar spirits, there are several differences between them. The first main difference is the number and types of distillation required for each spirit. Shochu usually undergoes distillation mostly only once in a pot still while vodka undergoes multiple rounds of distillation in a column still. The second main difference involves filtration. Vodka production requires filtration with birch charcoal. On the other hand, shochu production does not require a specific filtration method and some distilleries even make non-filtered shochu. This results in different flavor characteristics. Shochu retains the distinct flavor of its raw materials whereas vodka purposely lacks such flavor. Lastly, while most shochu sold within Japan has an abv of around 25-35%, vodka usually contains 40% abv.