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
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.
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
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
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
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)
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
Drinking Japan 