I like sweet, but not too sweet. The sweetness varies on the brand or type of alcohol. You must've had some real sweet ume shuu. I've had them before, I don't prefer them. My mom makes her own and she makes it not too sweet so its perfect. You can always have it on the rocks or add water to it to balance it out. I can't drink sake, especially cause the smell gets to me. After working in the food industry for 3 years in Japan and dealing with alcohol there, I've spilt sake on my uniform & I couldn't take it. I'm still looking for something I can drink thats not too strong. Beer, I like Kirin over Asahi.
You can also try whale sashimi or raw chicken sashimi or horse sashimi. My husband tried whale and chicken on his last visit to Japan and he said they were both delicious.