Umeshu (plum liqueur) from Kishu Tanabe in Wakayama Prefecture is returning to the viaduct at Gakugei-daigaku Station on the Tokyu Toyoko Line, about a year after the first edition. From Saturday, November 21 to Sunday, November 29, 2026, three shops under the viaduct in Meguro, Tokyo take part in the limited-time event: Chef's Marche, Sakaya Aimasu (酒屋あい升), and COUNTER BOOKS. A total of 100 kinds of umeshu appear.
The event is titled "Back Again! Nine Days of Savoring Kishu Tanabe Umeshu in Gakudai Under the Tracks: Let's Connect with the Hometown of Umeshu" (帰ってきた！紀州田辺の梅酒を愛でる9日間 in 学大高架下 梅酒のふるさとと、つながろう). It is organized by Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture, and produced by Asahi Broadcasting Television (朝日放送テレビ), as the second edition of last year's event. Besides umeshu that pairs with food and local specialties, the program includes workshops for making your own umeshu and ume syrup with Tanabe ume, and a talk event on the first day.
Walk Between Shops and Compare Umeshu (All Three Shops)
Each shop serves a variety of umeshu during the event, 100 kinds in total.
Chef's Marche
About 50 kinds of umeshu appear on a rotating basis during the event. Visitors can choose by taste, by color, or by intuition. Because the lineup changes during the event, visitors can come back several times to look for their favorite umeshu (推し梅酒).
Sakaya Aimasu (酒屋あい升)
Visitors can compare umeshu with different bases, including sake-based umeshu. Some of the umeshu served at each shop is also on sale, with more kinds handled than last year, so visitors can take a bottle home.
COUNTER BOOKS
Unusual umeshu and non-alcoholic ume drinks are served in various styles, such as "milk tea umeshu" (ミルクティー梅酒) and "highball umeshu" (ハイボール梅酒). New this year is an ume lassi (梅ラッシー), served as an ume drink.
Instagram Follow Campaign
Visitors who show the follow screen of the Instagram account "紀州田辺の梅酒旅/梅酒おたのしみ処 うめ子" (https://www.instagram.com/tanabe_umeshu/) at any of the shops can try one designated umeshu for free.
Set Meals and Side Dishes With Tanabe Ingredients (Chef's Marche)
During the event, Chef's Marche sells set meals and side dishes made with ingredients from Tanabe. Tanabe has an "Umeshu Toast Ordinance" (梅酒で乾杯条例), and in keeping with it, each set meal comes with either umeshu or a non-alcoholic ume drink.
Make Your Own Umeshu or Ume Syrup (Chef's Marche)
The "My Umeshu" (マイ梅酒) workshop from last year returns, and this year it adds a "My Ume Syrup" (マイ梅シロップ) workshop. Last year's workshop was held on one day only, while this year it runs over five days. Participants make umeshu or ume syrup using Tanabe ume, and the syrup workshop can be enjoyed by parents and children together.
- Dates: Saturday, November 21; Sunday, November 22; Monday, November 23 (national holiday); Saturday, November 28; and Sunday, November 29
- Times: Three sessions a day, each about 15 minutes: 3:00 PM, 3:30 PM, and 4:00 PM. The 3:00 PM and 4:00 PM sessions are umeshu making, and the 3:30 PM session is ume syrup making
- Fee: Free
- How to join: First come, first served through the links below (limited to 10 participants)
- My Umeshu workshop: https://peatix.com/event/5253451
- My Ume Syrup workshop: https://peatix.com/event/5253581
Tanabe Products on Sale (Chef's Marche and Sakaya Aimasu)
During the event, Tanabe products are sold at Chef's Marche, and umeshu is sold at Sakaya Aimasu (酒屋あい升).
Write a Message to the Hometown of Ume (Chef's Marche)
An "ume tree board" (梅の木ボード) is set up at Chef's Marche during the event, where visitors can write messages to the people who live in the hometown of ume. Visitors write their thoughts about umeshu and ume on "ume blossoms" so that the board fills with blossoms in full bloom.
Talk Event: Minori Kai on Kishu Tanabe (COUNTER BOOKS)
On the first day, Saturday, November 21, writer and essayist Minori Kai (甲斐みのり) joins a talk event titled "Talking About Kishu Tanabe with Minori Kai: How Umeshu Connects the Hometown's People and Town" (甲斐みのりと語りあう紀州田辺〜梅酒がつなぐ、ふるさとの人と街〜). Kai, who loves Tanabe and has published the books 田辺のたのしみ and 朝をたのしむ田辺さんぽ, talks with 岡本和宜, head of 株式会社日向屋, who produces ume, mandarin oranges, and game meat in Tanabe and works on local issues. It is a participatory event, so attendees can join the conversation.
- Speakers: Minori Kai and 岡本和宜 (head of 株式会社日向屋)
- Date and time: Saturday, November 21, from 7:00 PM (doors open at 6:30 PM)
- Fee: Free (attendees are asked to order one drink on arrival)
- How to join: First come, first served through the link below (limited to 13 participants)
About Minori Kai (甲斐みのり)
Kai is a writer whose subjects include travel, walks, gifts to take along on visits, classic architecture, goods, and daily life, in books, magazines, and online. She has written more than 50 books and serializes "甲斐みのりのかわいい わかやま" on the official Wakayama Prefecture tourism site. A fan of Tanabe City, Wakayama, she has been visiting for more than 10 years. She supervised the tourist guide booklets 朝を楽しむ田辺さんぽ, 暮らすように旅する田辺, and 朝・昼・夕・夜 田辺めぐり, and wrote the book 田辺のたのしみ. This year, she was named the first "My Tanabe Tourism Ambassador" (私のたなべ観光大使), a title created by the Tanabe Tourism Association. Her Instagram account is https://www.instagram.com/minori_loule.
What Makes Kishu Tanabe Umeshu Special
Many Kishu umeshu are made by umeboshi (pickled plum) makers, who are also ume processors. Because these makers know ume thoroughly, they can produce umeshu that others cannot. The ume used are "super ripe ume" (超完熟梅), plump and ready to burst. Using fully ripe ume allows the production area to make fruity, fragrant umeshu.
More Than 140 Kinds of Umeshu in Tanabe
The types of sugar and alcohol used and the aging period all lead to umeshu with different flavors. "Umeshu Otanoshimi-dokoro Ume-ko" (梅酒おたのしみ処 うめ子), which opened in the winter of 2024 a one-minute walk from JR Kii-Tanabe Station, is an umeshu experience spot where visitors can compare more than 140 kinds.
Last Year's Event
"Nine Days of Savoring Kishu Tanabe Umeshu" (紀州田辺の梅酒を愛でる9日間) was held for the first time in 2025. Visitors to the Gakudai viaduct discovered the wide variety of umeshu that is hard to experience in the Tokyo metropolitan area, as well as the taste of Tanabe's specialties, including ume, and were pleasantly surprised. This year, the event again aims to introduce Tanabe to visitors and create an opportunity to connect with the city.
Event Details
- Event name: Back Again! Nine Days of Savoring Kishu Tanabe Umeshu in Gakudai Under the Tracks: Let's Connect with the Hometown of Umeshu (帰ってきた！紀州田辺の梅酒を愛でる9日間 in 学大高架下 梅酒のふるさとと、つながろう)
- Dates: Saturday, November 21 to Sunday, November 29, 2026 (business hours and closing days follow each shop)
- Location: Three shops under the viaduct at Gakugei-daigaku Station on the Tokyu Toyoko Line (Meguro, Tokyo)
- Chef's Marche: https://www.instagram.com/chefs_marche/
- COUNTER BOOKS: https://www.instagram.com/counterbooks/
- Sakaya Aimasu (酒屋あい升): https://www.instagram.com/sobamon_aimasu.gakudai/
- Organizer: Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture
For the latest information, check the official Instagram account of "紀州田辺の梅酒旅/梅酒おたのしみ処 うめ子" (https://www.instagram.com/tanabe_umeshu/).
