Sakura, or cherry blossoms, have proven to be the gift that keeps giving for artists and writers. The blossoms have a tenuous grasp on the branches that quiver in the spring wind and eventually succumb to the inevitable and shed their petals like swirling snowflakes of pink. Sakura are symbolic of the impermanence of beauty … Continue reading Sakura and the Sakura Awards, Part 1
Macho: Con Fuoco
Osakazuki Macho Junmai Aiyama 80 (大盃 マッチョ 純米・愛山80) Call us old fashioned, but we have a thing about words. We find emoji-infused missives and the like not only irritating but inadequate, as well. Is that ubiquitous smiley face conveying happiness or smugness? Perhaps neither. After all, it bears a certain resemblance to the unchanging gaze of that … Continue reading Macho: Con Fuoco
Confluence: Hirosaki, Music, Apples, and Gastronomic Tourism
This is the second editorial published by drinkingjapan.org. Last year we uploaded a multi-part series on eel (unagi), which culminated with an editorial exhorting Hamamatsu to use its reputation for eel to attract high-end tourists. The piece begins as follows: “The Japanese tourism industry was thriving until the crisis of 2020. Even during those boom … Continue reading Confluence: Hirosaki, Music, Apples, and Gastronomic Tourism
Yoru Beer from Asahi
In recent years convenience stores have been popping up all over Japan like dandelions in spring. Some neighborhoods appear to be approaching or actually at the saturation point. Perhaps for this reason, some chains appear to be specializing, developing a reputation for certain products or services that will enable them to attract customers away from … Continue reading Yoru Beer from Asahi
Kusatsu PLUS Project #006: The Importance of Tasting in a Pristine Environment
We have written about the wonderful world that is Kusatsu, a town containing one of Japan’s most famous hot springs. Visitors to this place will soon notice the scent of sulfur that permeates the air and is a major component of the silky salubrious waters bubbling up from the bowels of the earth. The name … Continue reading Kusatsu PLUS Project #006: The Importance of Tasting in a Pristine Environment
Suntory’s Beer Ball (サントリー•ビアボール): A Variation on a Theme
As even most casual visitors to Japan will have noticed, highballs are hot here, figuratively speaking that is. Some may be curious as to how this highball craze might be maintained. Well, Suntory seems to have come up with a variation on a theme that could not only sustain the lifespan of its popularity but … Continue reading Suntory’s Beer Ball (サントリー•ビアボール): A Variation on a Theme
Takachiyo Sake Brewing Company’s 59 Takachiyo Ipponjime (59 Takachiyo 一本〆) : Harmonious Notes and Good English, Too
Here is a sake that strikes three harmonious notes: sweetness, acidity, and alcohol, ending with a medium (+) finish. Ipponjime is a junmaishu produced by Niigata-based Takachiyo Sake Brewing Co., Ltd. The body is medium (+), which gives it a certain degree of heft, and the abv is 16%. In addition to the pleasant song … Continue reading Takachiyo Sake Brewing Company’s 59 Takachiyo Ipponjime (59 Takachiyo 一本〆) : Harmonious Notes and Good English, Too
Amabuki Koi Suru Banana (天吹 恋するバナナ): Warhol and Gamay at Work in Saga Prefecture
Well, perhaps the subtitle here is a bit of a stretch, but there is at least a tenuous connection between this interesting output of Amabuki Shuzo and the silver-wigged artist with the soup-can obsession on the one hand and the grape that makes all those November Beaujolais nouveau parties possible on the other. Regarding the … Continue reading Amabuki Koi Suru Banana (天吹 恋するバナナ): Warhol and Gamay at Work in Saga Prefecture
Shichimi Tokarashi Beer (七味唐からしビール): A Potable Potpourri
We recently read an interesting story entitled “Sugar and Spice and Everything Lice”1 by a guy named Jack Napes, which inspired us to try this spicy brew from Nagano Prefecture. “Sugar and Spice” is political and social satire that relates the experiences of a time-traveling group of characters who move from 21st-century Ireland to 18th-century … Continue reading Shichimi Tokarashi Beer (七味唐からしビール): A Potable Potpourri
The Drinking of the Green: Euglena Review, Part 2
After last week’s festivities, we have decided to keep this entry short. Drinking Green As we mentioned last week, Euglena is a green powder that contains a number of healthful ingredients. In addition to Euglena gracilis, the powder includes organic barley grass, a plant in the parsley family called ashitaba (Angelica keiskei), and chlorella, which … Continue reading The Drinking of the Green: Euglena Review, Part 2
The Drinking of the Green: Euglena Review, Part 1
We were going to festoon our site with green balloons this week in honor of St. Paddy’s Day but nixed that idea pretty quickly: drinkingjapan.org does not have an anti-balloon-popping-weapon defense system in place to prevent deflation. Perhaps we should consult with Jeff Koons to find out what his plans are for balloon defense post-bow-wow … Continue reading The Drinking of the Green: Euglena Review, Part 1
Tsuchida K: Something from the Dessert Menu
Tsuchida K from Tsuchida Shuzo (土田酒造) This is what one might call a “solitary sake.” As we have just coined this term, it is incumbent upon us to define it. So here you have it: a nihon-shu best consumed without food. It is a sake with a level of sweetness that can readily earn it … Continue reading Tsuchida K: Something from the Dessert Menu
A Tale of Two MBAs: Miyama Winery’s Muscat Bailey-A
Last week we wrote about an MBA from Suntory. This week we present an entirely different MBA for your juxtaposition. We would also like to say, We stopped in at this Gunma-ken winery a couple of months ago. We didn’t have much time, and they didn’t have a tasting room. Some bottles of Muscat Bailey-A … Continue reading A Tale of Two MBAs: Miyama Winery’s Muscat Bailey-A
Drinking Our MBA
No doubt most of our readers have noticed the exponential growth in the use of initialism in recent years. Condensing whole words into an alphabet soup of first letters may save time for writers and calories for speakers but may leave the recipient with a less than perfect understanding of what is being communicated. Let … Continue reading Drinking Our MBA
Ozenoyukidoke Shinnengoyosake (尾瀬の雪解け 新年御用酒): Try a Little Filial Imprinting This Winter
For Some, the Mama Duck We all learned about ducks and filial imprinting in high school or university. You remember, right? The first thing ducklings see upon hatching is mama duck’s derrière, and they dutifully waddle behind the behind, which is sort of how some people in representative democracies vote, going for the candidate of … Continue reading Ozenoyukidoke Shinnengoyosake (尾瀬の雪解け 新年御用酒): Try a Little Filial Imprinting This Winter
Marketing Sake: The Visual Element
In last week’s entry we discussed the marketing of sake. We continue with that theme this week, focusing on the importance of the visual. “The consumption of craft products is currently flourishing….This study deals with consumers’ preferences in a context where...globalization is threatening traditional handicrafts. To analyze the attribute preferences of consumers [we examined]...three highly … Continue reading Marketing Sake: The Visual Element
Marketing Sake to Age-of-Majority Japanese Youth: A Consultation with the AI Era’s Delphic Oracle
Consulting the Oracle, John William Waterhouse Towards the end of last year we wrote the following in a private correspondence. Being passionate about sake is also linked to a concern about the future prosperity of Japan and the survival of things Japanese. This is especially important today given the devastating effect that globalization has had … Continue reading Marketing Sake to Age-of-Majority Japanese Youth: A Consultation with the AI Era’s Delphic Oracle
Tone Nishiki Shiboritate Nama Genshu (利根錦 しぼりたて生原酒): Of Glassware, Sake Label Art, and Roaring Mice
It is not often that we just happen to find a sake bottle with label art that perfectly matches our glassware, but that is what happened when we stumbled upon—no that’s not appropriate here—ran into—no that won’t do, either—encountered—yeah, yeah, that’s it—this Gunma-ken nigorizake which, according to one of our sources, is from the smallest … Continue reading Tone Nishiki Shiboritate Nama Genshu (利根錦 しぼりたて生原酒): Of Glassware, Sake Label Art, and Roaring Mice
Kikunotsukasa Shuzo (菊の司酒造): Innocent 40
Not too long ago we were in Iwate Prefecture, where we missed this gem. Fortunately, we picked up a bottle of Kikunotsukasa’s Innocent 40, “a non-filtered, non-pasteurized, non-hydrated,” high-end daiginjo sake, with 14% abv. Forty refers to the rice polishing rate or seimaibuai (精米歩合). Contributing to the Iwate influence, terroir, if you will, are Yui … Continue reading Kikunotsukasa Shuzo (菊の司酒造): Innocent 40
Lucky Rabbit Beer
We decided to kick off the New Year with a beer called “Lucky Rabbit,” which just sort of leaped out at us from the supermarket shelf. This is a pale ale produced by sake behemoth Kizakura. There were a number of reasons for our purchasing decision. First, 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit. Second, … Continue reading Lucky Rabbit Beer
Significant Encounters at Expat Expo Part 2: The Story of Sake, Ltd.
As mentioned in last week’s posting, Expat Expo was held on November 25-26, 2022, at Hamamatsucho-kan, Minato Ward, Tokyo. Our second significant encounter thereat was with Mr. Yuki Ojima, a Japanese fluent in English who runs a business that we believe is poised to meet what will probably become a growing demand. Simply put, there … Continue reading Significant Encounters at Expat Expo Part 2: The Story of Sake, Ltd.
Significant Encounters at Expat Expo Tokyo 2022 Part 1: Asahi-Shuzo (朝日酒造), Makers of Kubota
Expat Expo was held on November 25-26, 2022, at Hamamatsucho-kan, Minato Ward, Tokyo. It, along with the concomitant International Job Fair, attracted 2,917 people and featured 182 exhibitors. We attended last year’s Expo and based on our experience in 2021 decided to return this year. Needless to say, which of course is needless to say, … Continue reading Significant Encounters at Expat Expo Tokyo 2022 Part 1: Asahi-Shuzo (朝日酒造), Makers of Kubota
Initial
One of the most famous hot springs in Japan can be found in the town of Kusatsu, Gunma Prefecture. As it is impossible to describe adequately the exquisite pleasures of total immersion in the waters therein and the salubrious effects, both physical and psychological, the experience seems to impart, we will encourage our readers to … Continue reading Initial
Kurako (蔵子): A Sake Purchased in Aomori’s Main Market
On the spur of the moment we bought this nihon-shu at the main market in Aomori City. The market should be a stop on any tourist’s list of things to do there. In addition to fish and other foodstuffs for sale, there are a couple of restaurants of note. We enjoyed a delicious and very … Continue reading Kurako (蔵子): A Sake Purchased in Aomori’s Main Market
Sannohe-no-Donberi (三戸のドンベリ)
Winter When icicles hang by the wall And Dick the shepherd blows his nailAnd Tom bears logs into the hall And milk comes frozen home in pail,When blood is nipp'd and ways be foul,Then nightly sings the staring owl, Tu-whit;Tu-who, a merry note,While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.When all aloud the wind doth blow And coughing drowns the … Continue reading Sannohe-no-Donberi (三戸のドンベリ)
Hops: It’s NOT Just Beer
A few years ago we published a book entitled Drinking Japan: It’s NOT Just Sake, a fact that we believe has been well established by the current popularity and price of Japanese whisky. This week we would like to employ a similar subtitle to the subject of hops, whose ubiquity in beer production has eclipsed … Continue reading Hops: It’s NOT Just Beer
The Asia University Hop Project (AUHP) Comes to Fruition: Behold, The Beer–Asia Beer
There were times when certain university students invested their energies in questionable pursuits. In the somewhat distant past, for example, there were some who felt compelled to swallow goldfish. In the first half of the twentieth century the situation got so bad at Temple University that “Fraternities stationed volunteers near the fish tank in the … Continue reading The Asia University Hop Project (AUHP) Comes to Fruition: Behold, The Beer–Asia Beer
Hachinohe Shuzo Co., Ltd.’s V1116: “I Wanna Reach Out and Grab Ya”
Exhibit at the Nebuta Museum, Hachinohe Hachinohe is a city in Aomori Prefecture, northern Honshu. As Steve Miller would probably put it, there are a couple of things there that one might want to reach out and grab, after making payment, of course. One is a visit to the Nebuta Museum, which is conveniently located … Continue reading Hachinohe Shuzo Co., Ltd.’s V1116: “I Wanna Reach Out and Grab Ya”
A Sake Named “Kaminari Sandai” (Thunder the Third) @ ¥100: A Down-to-Basics Beverage for Curbside Kiplings
Kaminari It is interesting how alcoholic beverages of a certain caliber have very distinct and even poetic names, apparently irrespective of the country of origin. Consider, if you will, the American wino wine MD20/20. The “MD” does not, of course, stand for “Medical Doctors,” who are unlikely to recommend it, let alone savor its less-than-subtle … Continue reading A Sake Named “Kaminari Sandai” (Thunder the Third) @ ¥100: A Down-to-Basics Beverage for Curbside Kiplings
Eel: The Editorial
fooduniversity.org Go This Way This is the final entry in our series on eel. We hope that our readers have found the information interesting and, if they have not already done so, are now motivated to explore the pleasures that this dish has to offer. In Japan, the most obvious place to conduct this gastronomic … Continue reading Eel: The Editorial
The Eel Abroad, Part 2
fooduniversity.org Spearing Eels, Winslow Homer In this penultimate posting in our series on eel, we make a sharp departure from the foci of this blog--Japanese drinks and, to a lesser extent, food pairings for those beverages. All will be made clear in the final entry. The Dictionary of Historical Slang has an entry for the … Continue reading The Eel Abroad, Part 2
The Eel Abroad, Part 1
fooduniversity.org This is the sixth entry in our series on eel. Here, we leave Japan briefly and look at how eel is and was consumed overseas. Many Japanese believe that eel is not eaten overseas. Nothing could be further from the truth. Calvin W. Schwabe (see the first entry in this series) lists a number … Continue reading The Eel Abroad, Part 1
Eel-and-Beverage Pairings
fooduniversity.org This is the fifth entry in our series on eels. Here we briefly consider two beverages that are thought to go well with Unagi no Kabayaki—nihon-shu and beer. There are some rules,…or guidelines,…or, wait a minute,...perhaps the best word to use here is suggestions as to what drinks complement which foods. A common assumption … Continue reading Eel-and-Beverage Pairings
By-Product and Must-Buy-Product
fooduniversity.org The Frog and the Eel, Haiku Meets Haute Cuisine This is the fourth installment of our series on eel. Unagipie A successful by-product of the eel business in Hamamatsu is unagipie. This is a cookie-like confection that has become a must-buy-product for many visitors to the city. It is made by Shunkado, which was … Continue reading By-Product and Must-Buy-Product
The Eel and Its Royal Retinue
fooduniversity.org His Majesty, the Eel This is the third installment in our series on eels. This week we take a look at some things associated with the eating of eels. Whenever we discuss eels as they are prepared and served in Japan, it will refer to Unagi no Kabayaki. Peekaboo Eel If a hot dog … Continue reading The Eel and Its Royal Retinue
Hamamatsu and His Highness the Eel: Geography
fooduniversity.org As we saw in the first installment of this series, in Japan eel is almost exclusively prepared in the Kabayaki style and is closely associated with summer. Geographically speaking, it has very strong links to Hamamatsu, a city in Shizuoka Prefecture. From a gastronomic perspective, there is much that can be said about the … Continue reading Hamamatsu and His Highness the Eel: Geography
Eel Elision Is a Bad Decision: Introduction
fooduniversity.org Over the next few weeks Drinking Japan will be running a series on eels. We have much to say about this subject and feel that putting it all in one blog entry may be too much to digest in the heat of the summer and early autumn. Summer heat, of course, is one reason … Continue reading Eel Elision Is a Bad Decision: Introduction
Asia University Beer: Hops Harvesting
The Cones Asia University is a medium-sized tertiary institution located in western Tokyo. It is about thirty minutes from Shinjuku Station via the Chuo Line. There are many noteworthy things about this school, and soon there will be another—Asia University Beer. Drinking Japan is involved in this project and will be uploading another entry when … Continue reading Asia University Beer: Hops Harvesting
Perhaps Two of the World’s Most Popular Distillery Tours: Suntory’s Hakushu & Yamazaki Distilleries
In early 2020 we had reserved a Hakushu Distillery tour. As we remember all too well, that was the year the world changed. In Japan, we entered a state of emergency - people were urged to stay home; restaurants were forced to close early and stop serving alcohol; traveling across borders was discouraged; and many … Continue reading Perhaps Two of the World’s Most Popular Distillery Tours: Suntory’s Hakushu & Yamazaki Distilleries
Mikan Wine: A Summer Thing
At this time of year—summer’s epicenter, so to speak—most people prefer to keep thing’s light and uncomplicated, opting for such intellectually unchallenging fare as Sharktopus (2010)—no, it’s not about a certain American financial-services company, though it could be—or chilling out with musical mundanities like Percy Faith’s rendition of “A Summer Place.” Personally, this writer prefers … Continue reading Mikan Wine: A Summer Thing
Of Cranes, Swans, and Fortuna
This is the fifth installment in our JFEX2022 series. This week we feature a product from Izumi Syuzou Co., Ltd. (出水酒造株式会社］ — Fortuna shochu. THE WILD SWANS AT COOLE … Unwearied still, lover by lover, They paddle in the cold, Companionable streams or climb the air; Their hearts have not grown old; Passion or conquest, wander … Continue reading Of Cranes, Swans, and Fortuna
Oishi Shuzo Distillery’s (大石酒造) Kashi (樫): Small Is Beautiful and Wood Is Wonderful
This is the fourth installment in our JFEX2022 series. This week we feature a shochu from a distillery in Akune City, Kagoshima—Oishi Shuzo Distillery (大石酒造). Some of our readers may be familiar with The New York Times bestseller Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered1; others may have delved into The Breakdown of Nations2 … Continue reading Oishi Shuzo Distillery’s (大石酒造) Kashi (樫): Small Is Beautiful and Wood Is Wonderful
Kagatsuru Kaga Tea Sake (加賀鶴: 加賀紅茶の酒): Terrific
This is the third installment in our JFEX2022 series. This week we feature a product from Yachiya Shuzo, an award-winning kura in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture. We will confine our comments to only one of their outstanding products—their unique Tea Sake. We encourage our readers to explore their other offerings, as well. Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!How … Continue reading Kagatsuru Kaga Tea Sake (加賀鶴: 加賀紅茶の酒): Terrific
Lovevados Apple Brandy: Yes, We Would Love a Dose!
This is the second installment in our JFEX2022 series. The exhibition was held at Tokyo Big Sight in June. The event featured 452 exhibitors and attracted 18,848 industry buyers. This week we focus on an apple brandy called “Lovevados.” The Japanese are rather fond of portmanteau words (e.g., spoon + fork = spork). Lovevados has … Continue reading Lovevados Apple Brandy: Yes, We Would Love a Dose!
The Bees of Boso—Mead Makers
Not a Bee One of us at Drinking Japan had the pleasure of attending JFEX2022, a food and wine exhibition held at Tokyo Big Sight in June. A wide array of beverages were on display and available for sampling, some of which will be presented here in the coming weeks. This week we will focus … Continue reading The Bees of Boso—Mead Makers
Beverages in Sketches: NOT Sketchy Beverages
Recently we found ourselves ensconced at a popular resort--Hoshino Resorts Risonare Yatsugatake--that featured a number of local wines encased in one of those coin-operated tasting contraptions. We dutifully fed our shekels into the machine’s many maws and received a few drops of wine in return, barely enough for a full analysis, but we persevered. Below … Continue reading Beverages in Sketches: NOT Sketchy Beverages
Miki’s Might: Yamada Nishiki
The Governor Plants The Rice Governor Saito Explains His Plan A Good Day for Planting Astute readers of this blog will realize that we are posting a little late this week. This is because we were participating in an event in Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture. We expect to be writing more about Hyogo Prefecture in … Continue reading Miki’s Might: Yamada Nishiki
Macho (マッチョ): A Good Name for a Good Drink
Oosakazuki Macho Yamada Nishiki 80 (大盃マッチョ 山田錦 80) from Makino Shuzo (牧野酒造) Nectar, n. A drink served at banquets of the Olympian deities. The secret of its preparation is lost, but the modern Kentuckians believe that they come pretty near to a knowledge of its chief ingredient. –The Devil’s Dictionary, Ambrose Bierce In the above definition … Continue reading Macho (マッチョ): A Good Name for a Good Drink
Kinryo Sanuki Olive Yeast(金陵 オリーブ酵母 純米吟醸)
When you think olives, you might picture the Mediterranean - Italy, Greece or Spain. But lo and behold, there is also a part of Japan that is well known for olives - Kagawa Prefecture, which is located on Shikoku, Japan's fourth major island. Olive yeast was co-discovered by the Kagawa Prefectural Sake Brewer’s Association and … Continue reading Kinryo Sanuki Olive Yeast(金陵 オリーブ酵母 純米吟醸)
Sekizen Junmai Ginjo Sakura-no-hana-kobo (積善 純米吟醸 桜の花酵母)
The cherry blossom season has come and gone. We have already enjoyed the perfect sake (at least visually) for the season, the one that uses a special red yeast or sekishokukobo (赤色酵母). Please see here for more details. There is another sake that is closely associated with cherry blossoms, i.e., sake made with sakura flower … Continue reading Sekizen Junmai Ginjo Sakura-no-hana-kobo (積善 純米吟醸 桜の花酵母)
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