Is it too early for a Margarita?
By: Warren Bobrow
Published: March 11, 2013

My drinking gnome named Klaus (from the Fabulous Beekman Boys website) 
Klaus, pictured above is thirsty for a Margarita, but what he really wants is to go to Japan Week.
Klaus LOVES Sake and all things Japanese!
Japan Week Announces First-Ever Japanese “Pop-Up” Bar
	Serving 90 Fine Sakes in Grand Central Terminal on
	March 19-21, 2013


	“Visit” Japan by Sipping Esteemed Local and Regional Beverages
	Handcrafted by Japanese Artisans
	NEW YORK, March 11, 2013—Japan Week, a public-private partnership that promotes Japanese culture, food and beverages to encourage tourism to Japan, today announced that a Japanese “pop-up” bar will be staged in Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall on March 19-21, 2013, as a highlighted activity of the three-day festival.  The “pop-up” bar will sell 90 kinds of jizake, which is local sake (rice wine) that is painstakingly produced by small craft brewers and is prized across Japan.  Sakes from 24 Japanese prefectures will be served.
	Three sake sommeliers and sake samurai, who represent the highest levels of professional attainment, will be present to pour these time-honored beverages and answer attendee questions.  To provide consumers the opportunity to experience different regional flavors, the sakes will be sold in flights of five for $25.  Tickets may be purchased online in advance on Japan Week’s website, japanweek.us, or Eventbrite at japanweek.us/pop-up-bar/, and at the door on the day of the event.
	“The tachinomiya, or standing bar, has a long tradition in Japan, especially in large cities like Tokyo where it is common for business commuters to have a quick drink prior to boarding a train home,” said Yuki Tanaka, Executive Director, Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).  “New Yorkers will have an authentic taste of this phenomenon with a dazzling selection of fine sakes from various Japanese prefectures.  We’re hoping that our American friends will be inspired to travel to Japan to enjoy the country’s many tachinomiya, as well as its local and regional foods and cultural attractions.”
	Other highlights of Japan Week include the debut of “ekiben” bento boxes, which are normally sold at train stations and on railroads in Japan and showcase local and regional specialties, a rare geisha makeup demonstration by a master of the art, traditional musical performances and more.
	About Japan Week
	Founded in 2012, Japan Week is a cooperative effort between the Japan Tourism Agency and diverse businesses that is supported by the Consulate-General of Japan in New York.  The multi-dimensional event is open to the general public and promotes Japanese food and beverages, culture and inbound tourism.  For more information about Japan Week, please visit our website, japanweek.us, “like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JapanWeekNY and follow us on Twitter at @JapanWeekNY.  For more information about travel to Japan, please visit japantravelinfo.com.