【Held on 5/24 (Sun)】Kurashiki Parole - All participating sake breweries will be there! Join the sake tasting event in the town of Kurashiki.

One of the things that surprised me after moving from Tokyo to Kurashiki in December 2023 is the number of privately-owned izakayas.

However, many of these establishments have counter seating, and seeing the locals having a good time makes it necessary to muster up courage to enter alone.

While I was thinking about exploring privately-owned izakayas, I was informed that since last year (2025), a drinking event called Kurashiki Parole has been held in the area from JR Kurashiki Station to the Bikan Historical Area.

I became interested, so I interviewed the organizer about how to participate and their thoughts on the event.

What is Kurashiki Parole

Kurashiki Parole is a drinking event held at 19 restaurants that serve sake within approximately 1 km of JR Kurashiki Station.

It started as a tent event at Achi Terrace Kurashiki in 2024, and this year (2026), the third edition will also be held as a drinking event, continuing from last year. The organizer is Sake Kobo Aoe, a sake shop that has supported Kurashiki's sake culture since the Meiji era and received the Kurashiki Long-established Store Award in 2013.

Please check the following image for the participating stores.

How to Participate

To participate in Kurashiki Parole, you need to purchase a participation ticket.

The advance participation ticket costs 1,000 yen, and the same-day participation ticket costs 1,500 yen, but a student discount of 200 yen applies to both. Be sure to bring your student ID when purchasing or exchanging your ticket.

Advance participation tickets can be purchased at the following spots.

• Sake Kobo Aoe
• Participating restaurants
• PassMarket (online sales)

If you purchase through PassMarket, you can exchange your ticket for a paper ticket at the information booth (in front of the Sake Brewery Hamayaki Marumoto) on the day of the event.

Once you have your participation ticket, go to the participating store you are interested in and show your ticket. After paying the cover charge, you will receive a stamp on your participation ticket, allowing you to enter.

The details of the cover charge and the items included will be introduced sequentially on the official Instagram of Kurashiki Parole starting from May 7 (Thursday), so be sure to check it out.

Interview with the Organizer

I spoke with Aoe Mika, the organizer of Kurashiki Parole, about the motivation behind starting the event and her thoughts on it.

Can you tell us about the background of Kurashiki Parole?

Aoe (no honorifics)

There are many wonderful restaurants within walking distance around Kurashiki Station, but some people may hesitate to visit privately-owned establishments for the first time.
Many customers at Sake Kobo Aoe are locals who want to enjoy sake at home or tourists who purchase sake to drink in their hotel rooms.

However, there are many fantastic places that serve sake in Kurashiki, so I wanted to let more people know about the charm of Kurashiki through a night of drinking.

All the participating stores are located within about 1 km of JR Kurashiki Station, making it an event that can be enjoyed by customers from outside Kurashiki City and even Okayama Prefecture.

You can enjoy sake from breweries all over the country, right?

Aoe

At Sake Kobo Aoe, we have dealings with sake breweries nationwide, so I wanted to create connections between the breweries and the restaurants in Kurashiki through this event, and I asked for cooperation from breweries across Okayama Prefecture and the rest of the country.

The participating restaurants are also teaming up with the breweries for the event, and all the brewery representatives will be present in Kurashiki on the day. Furthermore, the sake from those breweries will be available at the restaurants for three months after the event.

I hope that not only for the day of Kurashiki Parole but also after the event, the sake culture in Kurashiki will continue to thrive.

Can you tell us your recommended way to enjoy the event?

Aoe

I encourage everyone to join us with friends.
Last year (2025), there were 13 participating stores, but this year the number has increased to 19, so I recommend planning your route in advance using a map or the official Instagram.

Some stores may offer an "extra set" option upon entry, so you might find it challenging to decide whether to have just one drink or go for the extra set. Also, we have student discount tickets available, so I hope many young people will participate.

The design of the participation tickets and posters was done by students from Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts. Last year, the students were happily watching their designs displayed at the stores while participating.

Please send a message to the readers.

Aoe

This is a rare opportunity to communicate directly with sake brewery representatives while enjoying sake, which is not something you can usually do in Kurashiki.

Would you like to be a part of creating a fun, delicious, and pleasant event?
We sincerely look forward to your participation.

Conclusion

Last time, when we held Kurashiki Parole for the first time as a drinking event, there were participants from neighboring prefectures like Hiroshima and Kagawa, as well as participants who stayed overnight.

It is a valuable opportunity to casually enter restaurants you are curious about while walking around the city and to meet sake brewery representatives directly. Why not enjoy delicious sake while strolling through the warm streets of Kurashiki?

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