Niigata Prefecture is renowned for its sake (rice wine). In my small town of Joetsu alone, there are several breweries, two festivals, a sake-tasting railway and, until 2004, a high school devoted to brewing a vintage none of its students could drink.
However, in recent years, sake’s popularity has declined. Here’s my article in The Japan Times about Niigata’s relationship with sake and how Japan’s national tipple might bounce back.