13th KAKUUCHI (Liquor Store Stand) Festival

A Popular Event Where You Can Enjoy Alcoholic Drinks, Food, and Entertainment All in One Place

The KAKUUCHI (Liquor Store Stand) Festival is an event hosted by liquor stores, themed around "customer-participation style alcohol entertainment that brings together drinks, food, and entertainment." The venue features three areas: "Drinks," "Food," and "Stage." In the "Drinks" area, visitors can sample over 300 types of alcoholic drinks carefully selected by participating liquor stores. The "Food" area features numerous stalls offering a variety of snacks and light meals that go perfectly with the drinks, allowing you to enjoy the perfect pairing.  Furthermore, a dedicated space for tasting local Tokyo sake offers the opportunity to deeply engage with Tokyo's sake culture. Packed with entertainment like live music and dance performances, the event offers a full day of fun, attracting approximately 15,000 visitors every year.

Experience Japanese Drinking Culture Through Kakuuchi and Sake Tasting

At the heart of the festival is "Kakuuchi," a drinking tradition that developed around liquor stores in Japan. Simple tables made of stacked beer cases line the venue, allowing visitors to casually enjoy drinks carefully selected by each store—including sake, shochu, wine, and craft beer—sold by the glass. Numerous liquor stores from Tokyo and across Japan participate, bringing highly unique drinks rich in regionality and diversity. This impressive lineup is a must-see. As for food, alongside regional dishes reflecting the diverse food cultures of Japan, numerous snacks and light meals perfectly suited for pairing with drinks are available. Strolling through the venue allows visitors to discover flavors steeped in regional climates and cultures, offering a food experience filled with a sense of travel. One recommended way to enjoy the festival is to start with the free sake tasting experience to learn about the profound depth of sake and the differences between varieties, such as junmai  and honjozo . Afterward, you can explore the venue, pick up drinks and food that catch your eye and take your time to enjoy them. Taking photos of your favorite drinks and dishes and visiting the actual stores later is another great way to enjoy the experience. It's another way the festival can inspire you to discover Japanese drinking culture in your everyday life. There's also "Tokyo Jizake Concierge," a sake-matching service offered by Tokyo sake breweries that recommends local Tokyo sake based on each visitor's preferences. See if you can find a glass that suits your taste!

Delve Into the Profound World of Alcohol

The KAKUUCHI (Liquor Store Stand) Festival was created by liquor retailers with the hope of sharing the enjoyment of drinking, as well as the appeal and depth of drinking culture, through carefully selected drinks. It also aims to provide younger generations (aged 20 and over), who are increasingly distancing themselves from alcohol, an opportunity to become more familiar with it. The festival continues to be held as a welcoming place where people can enjoy drinks with peace of mind, experience the fun of drinking with others, and enjoy the warmth of human connection. With a wide range of offerings, including food that pairs perfectly with drinks, free sake-tasting experiences, live music, and dance performances by children, there is something for everyone to enjoy, regardless of age or nationality. Visitors from overseas trying Japanese alcoholic drinks for the first time are sure to find it fascinating and eager to try it again. Make the KAKUUCHI (Liquor Store Stand) Festival one of your travel memories and a gateway for discovering Japanese drinking culture.

Please note: Vendors, menu items, and other details may be subject to change.

KAKUUCHI (Liquor Store Stand) Festival Executive Committee

※Please note: The linked website is in Japanese.

A wide array of local sake from Tokyo and beyond

Lines sometimes form at the entrance

Scenes from the event

A rich selection of food paired with drinks

A highly international atmosphere with many overseas visitors

Salt-grilled sweetfish pairing well with sake also available

Free sake tasting corner experience

Various regional dishes to enjoy

Local Tokyo sake recommendations based on your preferences

* Photos from the 2025 event