Premiere Portland Japanese Culture Festival Revealed
PORTLAND, Ore.— The details regarding Portland’s first Japanese food, spirits and culture festival, to be held on November 16th, 2012 at the Jupiter Hotel, are now available. The event, dubbed Izakaya (www.celebrateizakaya.com), will showcase local and international sake, varieties of beer, and traditional Japanese-inspired cuisine, artists and DJ's; Truly a celebration of Japanese pub culture.
The name itself is deeply rooted in Japanese custom; An izakaya (pronounced ee-Zah-ka-ya) is a traditional Japanese pub, wherein patrons can while away the night in the company of good friends, good food and plentiful drink. “The izakaya is not just a food experience; it’s a social staple of Japan,” states Izakaya partner and Hellion Gallery Curator Matt Wagner.
While Portland is commonly known for its microbrews, groundbreaking chefs and Pacific Northwest inspired food events, sake imports have increased significantly in the last few years. As SakeOne President Steve Vuylsteke explains, “Portland is the highest per capita consumer of sake in the entire U.S. Portlanders love great quality Japanese cuisine – it gives them an excuse to enjoy sake more frequently!” With only a handful of small, restaurant focused sake events in the area and an abundance of related resources, Izakaya: The NW Celebration of Japanese Pub Culture is the perfect opportunity to bring a unique event to Portland.
Travel Portland Asia Tourism Manager, Jeff Hammerly, said about the upcoming event, “The allure of Japanese pub culture revolves around flavors and atmosphere in equal measure. I think it’s about focused attention paid in the most natural fashion… a genuine affection for the tastiness of food, drink and each other. That’s what this Izakaya evening is going to be. すごく楽しみにしている。”
The Scene Marketing Group, a Portland-based boutique marketing agency and the same creatives behind Indulge @ the Jupiter, are poised to host the event on November 16th, 2012. Event Coordinator Rindi Zavodsky is actively working on a list of vendors and partners and will be accepting inquiries via email to info(at)scenemarketinggroup(dot)com.
Updates and information can be found through the event website at celebrateizakaya(dot)com.
