Imanishi Honten

Imanishi Honten is a storefront on Sanjo-dori Street identifiable by its long-standing history as a specialist in traditional Nara-zuke pickles. These pickles are vegetables, such as cucumbers, gourds, or ginger, that are repeatedly soaked in sake lees over months or even years. This process, which traces its roots to temple brewing traditions dating back over a thousand years, turns the vegetables a deep translucent amber and imparts a distinctively sharp, boozy flavor.