Keio department store in Shinjuku will showcase the unique food of Okinawa at a food fair from Thursday, May 12th to Tuesday, May 17th. Do stop by if you are in Shinjuku. Highlights include an eat-in corner where you can order a bowl of the local noodles, soki soba. Other foods to try include rafute, pork simmered in a soy broth until tender, local vegetables like goya (bitter gourd) and tropical fruits such as passion fruit. But what is worth the trip is to pick up some bottles of awamori, the local distilled spirit made from Thai rice. At these food events it is common for representatives from the awamori distilleries to come and pour samples of their product so come and taste through a few to see what you like. Be sure to try some ku-su, aged awamori. Advertisements for the event say that there will be a five-year aged awamori. Keio is located near the Nishi guchi (west exit) of Shinjuku station. The event is on the 7th floor.

http://info.keionet.com/shi_ebook.html (Japanese)

Shinjuku-ku, Nishi Shinjuku 1-1-4

Phone 03-3342-2111

The event closes at 5:00 p.m. on the final day, Tuesday, May 17th.