If you’re looking for something a little different from a night out drinking, the Mainichi has an interesting story about “ika tokkuri” - sake cups made from dried squid.

The skins of cuttlefish caught off the Sanriku Coast are formed by hand in the shape of tokkuri (sake bottles) and then repeatedly dried in the sun. When you pour warm sake into an Ika Tokkuri, the taste of squid melts into the sake, giving it a mild taste.

A mild taste of squid, I presume that means. Not really my cup of tea, but if squid is to your taste, you can go the whole hog and eat your cup afterwards. Available only from the Kimura Shoten shop in Yamada, Iwate prefecture, ¥1,000 each.

Image: Mainichi Newspapers