Naitou Shoten

From Everyday Drinks to Special Occasions – A Diverse Selection Awaits

For over 100 years, Naitou Shoten has been a staple of Nishi-Gotanda, carrying around 5,000 varieties of sake, shochu, awamori, and wine. Its third-generation owner, Tatsuo Tojo, now in his 80s, still personally visits breweries across Japan to source bottles ranging from affordable everyday sake to rare labels often reserved for restaurants, as well as premium bottles for connoisseurs. What makes the store special is the personal touch – Tojo-san listens to customers’ preferences, hometowns, or even their age to recommend the best bottle. Whether for personal enjoyment, a gift, or a celebratory occasion, Naitou Shoten is the perfect place to find the right sake.

Tokyo’s Best Selection of Cup Sake

Cup sake refers to 180mL jars of sake that can be drunk directly once the pull-tab aluminum lid is removed, making them both convenient and approachable. Naitou Shoten began offering cup sake after a brewery approached Tojo-san for advice on how to make sake more appealing to new drinkers as its popularity declined domestically. His proposal was to promote cup sake as a casual, entry-level option. Today, the store stocks cup sake from nearly every prefecture in Japan. “Sake is created from rice, water, and the work of microorganisms, resulting in both sweetness and umami. Generally, western Japan is known for richer, sweeter sake, while eastern Japan tends to produce drier, crisper varieties. But even within the same region, flavor varies greatly by brewery and label. Cup sake allows you to buy several at once and compare them – it’s perfect for tasting,” explains Tojo.

Sake has a delicious, sweet flavor that is the result of the action of rice, water, and microorganisms. Generally speaking, sake from western Japan is sweet and mellow, while sake from eastern Japan is dry and light. Even sake from the same region naturally has different tastes depending on the brewery, brand, and type. Unlike sake in one or five-pack bottles, you can buy several kinds of sake in one go, so it's a good idea to compare them," Tojo says.

Not Just Sake – Discover World-Class Shochu

According to Tojo, while foreigners often seek out sake and Japanese whisky, shochu also deserves more recognition. Made from ingredients such as sweet potatoes, barley, rice, or brown sugar, shochu offers a wide range of flavors. Sweet potato shochu, in particular, can taste dramatically different depending on the brewery and brewing method. Tojo notes that the possibilities for innovative shochu continue to grow with different uses of koji mold and fermentation techniques. For fans of high-proof spirits like whisky or vodka, undiluted shochu (genshu) can be especially appealing, though it comes at a slightly higher price. Another uniquely Japanese way to enjoy shochu is diluting it with water, hot water, or soda, making it a versatile mealtime drink – something you won’t find elsewhere in the world. It’s definitely worth trying.

A Treasure Trove of Rare Snacks and Delicacies

Another highlight of Naitou Shoten is its wide selection of snacks that pair perfectly with drinks. The shelves are filled with nostalgic delicacies rarely found in supermarkets or convenience stores, all carefully sourced by Tojo with a discerning eye. Many are made using traditional preservation methods passed down for generations. From bottled nameko mushrooms and simmered butterbur to salmon jerky, shiokara (fermented squid), and shuto (salt-cured bonito entrails), the variety is astonishing. The shop even carries regional rarities like heshiko (fermented mackerel) and kusaya (fermented fish with a pungent aroma), delicacies that even many Japanese people seldom encounter.