Sake Trend December 2025 Newsletter
San Jose Japan Town Sound Bath
Sonic Flow
in Akiyama Wellness Center in San Jose Japan Town
December 6th Saturday 7PM
Collaborating with Jeff Sera - Reiki Master
Dive into the exhilarating world of Sonic Flow! Get ready for an unforgettable experience!
First-Ever Sound Bath x SakeTrend Collaboration
What to Bring:
Blanket and cushinos - you'll be lying on a yoga mat for about 2 hours, so make yourself cozy
Your phone set to Do Not Disturb
An open heart and closed eyes for 1.5-2 hours of deep calm, meditation, and inner peace
https://www.reikiorigins.com/sonic-flow
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Sake Trend is thrilled to invite you to an incredible Sake Tasting event on
December 13th and 14th, Saturday and Sunday, from 2PM to 5 PM!
A huge thank you to Japantenna for organizing this epic sake experience
Get ready for a relaxed and enjoyable tasting session
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December 13th Menu (Featuring Suzuki Marketing's Sake)
Oh-Shu-no-Ryu Blue Dragon Tokubetsu Junmai
Gold Medal in International Wine Competition in Hawaii in 2022
Silver Medal in International Wine Competition in San Francisco in 2021.
This sake is brewed with Kamono-o rice — an ancient table rice variety — polished to 60%. The resulting sake has a bold, more umami-rich flavor. Good for Warm Sake
Baseball Sake Junmai Daiginjo
This is a baseball-themed sake made from 100% "Gingin-ga" rice grown in Oshu City. Enjoy it as the perfect companion while watching a baseball game.
Junmai Ginjo (Pitcher)
A sake with a crisp, fruity aroma. Iwate Meijo (the Brewer) is located in hometown of famous baseball player - Shohei Ohtani
Both Blue dragon and Base ball Junmai Daiginjo sake are Iwate Geographic Indication certified.
This sake, made with wine yeast, has a distinct, fruit-forward wine-like aroma. Its flavor opens with a luscious sweetness reminiscent of ice wine.
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December 14th Menu
Our Sake Tasting menu includes the
Kagura Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu,
proudly hailing from Kyoto! This unpasteurized gem comes from Kagura, the oldest sake brewery in Kyoto since1726. I just had a fantastic video chat with Matsui-san about this sake, which features the beloved anime character, Kaguya-sama.
The artwork is by Mai Yoneyama, a renowned Japanese illustrator whose dynamic style and popular contributions have captivated fans worldwide.Some of her work are
for the official RADIO EVA.
Bonus: with every purchase of 6 bottles of Kagura, I’ve got exclusive Not-for-Sale posters to giveaway—first come, first served! See the poster below and i will bring them during the sake tasting events.
Next up is Kanto No Hana Junmai Daiginjo!
This sake has been a staple in the US market for over a year, but we just got an exciting new batch from Japan! Created by Hijiri Shuzo in Shibukawa, Gunma, Kanto No Hana honors the title “Splender of Kanto,” bestowed by Tokugawa Ieyasu. Using table rice Hitomebore polished to a remarkable35%, it’s an elegant yet food-friendly Junmai Daiginjo that beautifully harmonizes smoothness with savory depth.
And let’s not forget Otokoyama Kitano Inaho Sparkling!
Crafted with pristine spring water from Hokkaido, this historic brewery has been earning accolades since1977. Otokoyama was the first sake ever to win a Monde Selection award and continues to impress with gold medals across competitions. This sparkling sake dazzles with gentle sweetness and fine bubbles, offering a refreshing finish that earned it the Grand Gold Prize at the Wine Glass Delicious Sake Awards2022. Come join us for this unforgettable experience!
We’re excited to unveil our Holiday gift special!
Purchase 3 bottles or more ($150 or more)
and receive a breathtaking Kimono Dress for your Sake Bottle completely free! Each dress is a unique masterpiece crafted by a skilled Japanese artist, using exquisite fabrics from vintage kimonos – although the designs are varied, selection is random. What a charming way to enhance your Sake journey! Supplies are limited, so it's first come, first served. Check out the photo below!
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Fundraiser for Yuai-Kai and JAMsj
Sake Lecture by Sake Trend
✨ Raise a Glass for History — “Kampai for Christmas” at JAMsj!Join us for a festive afternoon of sake tasting & learning at the JAMsj × Sake Trend Holiday Fundraiser on
Saturday Dec 13 (door opens 2:30pm) 3-4:30pm
Akiyama Wellness Center
110 Jackson St., San Jose, CA 95112
• 🍶 Taste 5–6 premium sakes
• 📚 Learn “Sake 101” with Sake Sommelier
• 🎁 Curated bottles available for purchase — perfect holiday gifts
• 💝 Proceeds support JAMsj, YAK, — open to ages 21+.Grab your spot:
Let’s cheers to community, culture, and connection — see you there! 🥂
https://www.jamsj.org/upcoming-events
Sake Trend’s mission is to support the local community. We believe sake brings people together. While we are a small, micro business, our mission is big: to foster connection and community through the shared experience of sake.
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The world’s only Sake Holiday box — now with brand-new sake in a festive, fun-filled box!
🎁 12 full-size 720ml bottles!
The World’s ONLY Sake Advent Calendar returns once again — bigger and better than ever!
Pre-order now!
Shipping will begin as soon as the Advent sets are ready.
Further details including more photos will be shared as we go along — stay tuned!
Here’s what’s new for 2025:
12 full-size bottles!
Unpasteurized (Namazake) sake — please refrigerate upon arrival
A self-paced adventure that can begin or continue through January
Perfect for gifting during the holidays
And here’s what hasn’t changed:
Detailed tasting notes and brewery background
Kickoff party on December 6th
Behind-the-scenes brewery tour with one brewery
Facebook group to share tasting notes and connect with other participants
We sent out the first batch a little later than last year due to delays on the supplier side. We appreciate your patience and understanding.
We will continue to provide timely updates on the shipping status by email. If you are planning to be away on vacation and need your sake delivered within a specific time window, please let us know in advance. Otherwise, we will proceed with shipping according to the schedule shared in our email updates.
Thank you again for your continued support.
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Huge THANK YOU!!!
We recently had the privilege of speaking with Matsui-san, the artisan behind Kagura sake from Kyoto.
If you look closely at the elegant bottle, you’ll notice delicate gold lines along the neck — flowing like river veins. Matsui-san explained that this motif represents Kintsugi: 金継ぎ, the Japanese art of Gold Joinery.
Kintsugi is more than craftsmanship.
It is a philosophy — a gentle reminder that nothing is ever truly broken. In Japanese culture, objects are treated with the same respect as people. Every object has a story. Every crack, every scar, every repair is part of its life.
When a cherished plate breaks, we do not discard it.
We carefully gather each piece, mend it with lacquer, and trace the cracks with gold.
The fracture becomes a feature,
the history becomes beauty,
and the once-broken object becomes even more precious.
This is the spirit of wabi-sabi — finding beauty in imperfection, in time, in the quiet strength of healing.
And in many ways, this philosophy reflects the journey of sake itself.
The sake world is small.
We experience ups and downs, moments of challenge and moments of joy.
But like Kintsugi, every step — even the difficult ones — becomes part of our story.
Each connection, each shared cup, each warm encounter adds another golden line that holds us together.
And because of you, we continue to stand here — with history behind us and warmth in our hearts.
Thank you for supporting us, believing in us, and walking this path with us.
Your presence makes our cracks shine gold.
Your kindness gives meaning to our work.
Your joy keeps our spirit alive.
May we continue to grow together, beautifully, gracefully —
just like Kintsugi.
Kanpai, with gratitude and love.