Origin Sake 2016

Kojima, Kurashiki, Okayama-Shi, Japan

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Location: Himeji Station, Hyogo Prefecture

Located within the shopping arcade beside the east exit of Himeji station, Kokoromi is a slick and modern standing only bar boasting around 400 different varieties of sake from all across Hyogo prefecture. Luckily, navigating such a vast selection is aided by a simple touch-screen ordering system that allows you to search by either the style of the sake, the region, or by entering the name of the brewery. If that still isn't easy enough, the walls of Kokoromi are also lined by numbered bottles of all the sake that they are currently stocking, so it's also possible just to simply order depending on what label takes your fancy.

The name kokoromi means "to try" in Japanese, and the availability of such a wide selection at such a reasonable price is the key to what makes this establishment so appealing. Drinks are served in relatively small servings of about 50ml, but prices start from as low as 200 yen for the lower grades, up until around 500 yen for more premium varieties. Furthermore, each serving comes with its own information card detailing the specification of the sake. Available in both English and Japanese, these allow you to compare the different styles of sake easier, and provide a nice little memento with which to remember any brands that might have stood out from your visit.