Ever since “washoku,” or traditional Japanese food, was designated an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2013, popular dishes and liquors like sushi, tempura, sukiyaki, sake, shochu and awamori — have been garnering a lot of international attention.

Among countless foods and ingredients of washoku, rice is a core element that offers various unique Japanese dishes and drinks. Amazake (literally, sweet sake) is one of the important rice-oriented traditional Japanese drinks.

Amazake is made from fermented rice and koji (rice mold) which has been brewed for over 1,300 years.

The drink is free of sugar and gluten, so it is believed to be a superfood for its mild sweetness and high nutrition. Because it is fermented, amazake is named after sake, but contains very little alcohol. The creamy texture and sweet flavor have earned amazake a spot as a treat for both adults and children during the New Year and Hinamatsuri (Girl’s Day) celebrations.

Amazake Café KomeDreaming, near Zojoji Temple and Tokyo Tower, is a shop offering a variety of amazake drinks. When I entered the tiny but modern cafe, I saw a group of foreign tourists already enjoying amazake on the counter while others were checking out rice-based cosmetics and accessories for sale.

I ordered a cold plain amazake for 570 yen ($4) before sitting on a counter seat. The drink is also available hot. Besides plain amazake, they also have flavors like matcha and kinako, or seasonal flavors like pumpkin in the fall.

At first sip, I was struck by the rich flavor and sweetness. I couldn’t help but wonder if it truly was sugar-free, so I asked Kotomi Shimizu, the employee behind the counter, about it. With a chuckle, Shimizu assured me that the amazake I was drinking is made with only two ingredients, rice and koji.

Frankly, I prefer hot and dry sake (with alcohol, of course!) over a sweet, non-alcoholic sake drink. However, the amazake at KomeDreaming was the best amazake I’d ever tried. After I finished, I felt energized because rice is a very profound, wonderful food that can produce even a quality fermented energy drink.  

According to Shimizu, the goal of KomeDreaming is to promote amazake as a drink to have year-round and not just during the holidays. The café works closely with a 150-year-old koji fermentation brewery based in Fukushima Prefecture to deliver high-quality amazake, Shimizu said.

In addition to amazake, KomeDreaming also sells rice-based souvenirs and skin care which make great gifts.

Stop by KomeDreaming for an energizing, sweet amazake perfect for a traditional pick-me-up.

Things to know

• Location: 1-7-14 Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tokyo

• Hours: Mon., Wed. and Fri. 11 a.m. – 8 p.m., Tue. and Thu. 7:10 a.m. – 8 p.m., Sat., Sun. and holidays 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

• Instagram

• TEL：050-5374-1285

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