[Event Report] Kusatsu Onsen Newcomers Night – Sake Tasting & Original Label Making

On April 21, 2026, we held a sake tasting and original label-making event at Kusatsu Onsen Coworking!

This event was a special collaboration with Anzai Shoten owner Hiroshi Anzai, whose family business has been running for over 100 years.
Participants who love Japanese sake gathered together for a night filled with rich flavors, new discoveries, and plenty of conversation.

Today, we’d like to share a glimpse into this flavorful and creative evening ^^

Sharpen Your Senses! Blind Sake Tasting Challenge

The first half of the event was dedicated to sake tasting.
But unlike a typical tasting session, all labels were hidden.

Participants compared five different kinds of sake, trying to describe the flavors, discover their favorites, and put their impressions into words.

Some were lightly sparkling, some rich and full-bodied, some visibly different in color, and others so smooth they went down effortlessly…

“It starts smooth, then suddenly—bam!”
“Tastes almost like mirin.”
“This one is super fizzy.”
“Maybe like banana… or melon?”
“It tastes like white wine!”
“Can I get another glass of this one? lol”

Finding the right words turned out to be surprisingly difficult.
As Hiro explained the characteristics of each sake, the room filled with colorful descriptions and lively onomatopoeia.

The Big Reveal — And the Perfect Score Goes To…

After tasting all five varieties, everyone entered serious analysis mode.
Once the labels were revealed, participants tried to match each sake with the one they had tasted earlier.

In fact, even Hiro himself didn’t know the answers beforehand.

So… how did everyone do?

The answers were:

A. Gunmaizumi Maikaze
B. Oosakazuki “Macho” Omachi
C. Sakuemi Arabashiri
D. Kusatsu Plus #007
E. Anzai Shoten × Tsuchida Brewery Kijoshu

The results:

* 2 participants matched 3 pairs correctly
* 1 participant matched 2 pairs
* 3 participants matched 1 pair

Everyone agreed all the sake was delicious—but getting a perfect score was hard…

Except Hiro got every single one correct. As expected!

After deeply experiencing the unique characteristics of each sake, Hiro gave a fascinating introduction to the world of Japanese sake—explaining brewery styles, brewing methods, and the culture behind it all.

Participants filled the handouts Hiro prepared with notes while enthusiastically asking questions and learning more about sake.

Gunma is home to many wonderful breweries and passionate makers.
The event left everyone excited to explore sake even more in the future.

Knowing the stories behind the makers somehow made every sip taste even richer.

(Everyone also brought snacks to share. As expected from sake lovers, every snack was amazing, and conversations about food became just as lively!)

Create Your Own One-of-a-Kind Souvenir! Label Making Workshop

In the second half of the event, participants created original sake labels.

Each person selected a bottle and attached a handmade Japanese paper label to create their own unique souvenir sake.

“What color should I use?”
“What shape feels right?”
“What should I write?”

Everyone enjoyed the creative process while researching ideas, thinking carefully, and admiring each other’s work.

Hiro was also fascinated by everyone’s creations, photographing particularly unique ideas along the way.

“I love having time to completely immerse myself in making something like this!”
“It’s so interesting how everyone’s labels turned out completely different.”

Hearing comments like these made us incredibly happy.

Finally, everyone lined up their one-of-a-kind bottles for a commemorative group photo.

After the label workshop, everyone returned to the world of sake and snacks, and conversations continued long past the scheduled end time.

People talked about sake, daily life, the future of the town, and dreams for what they want to create.
Eventually, participants even opened their souvenir bottles and poured drinks for one another, turning the evening into a truly memorable celebration.

It was a day that reminded us once again of the joy of learning together and sharing experiences.

“Next time, we should do a wine event too!”

With everyone in agreement, the night came to a close.

Thank you so much to everyone who joined us, and to Hiro for helping make the event possible.

We’ll continue hosting many different events at the coworking space in the future.

Stay tuned for the next one!