The ingredients used to brew sake are ‘rice’ and ‘water.’ The production region of sake rice is said to be Southeast Asia. Japan grows mainly Japonica Rice. Sake is brewed from non-glutinous rice. Large grains of sake rice are polished to brew sake. Therefore, producers take great care since rice ears fall easily. Over 100 rice brands suitable to brew sake circulate in the market. However, th...
By Ryuji Takahashi I visited Shibamata Taishakuten Nichiren-shu Buddhist Temple early in the New Year. It’s been thirty years since I moved to Tokyo, yet I’ve never visited the temple once. Since I’ve never seen the film series, “It’s Tough Being a Man,” I was convinced I had no reason to visit. I was proven wrong however. Shibamata Taishakuten is a reputable Nichiren Buddhist Temple built by tw...
The most traditional and prestigious sake contest held today is “The Annual Japan Sake Awards,” organized by the National Tax Agency. The first sake contest was held in the spring of 1911, held annually (currently in May) excluding 1945, when the contest was canceled due to wartime damage. The venue of the sake contest is The National Research Organization located on Takinogawa street in Kita ward...
By Kosuke Kuji As the glorious New Year of the Dragon dawned on January 1, 2024, the voice of a TV anchor sadly urged viewers to “Please evacuate,” “head to higher ground quickly,” on the evening of New Year’s Day. The news reported the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake. Right after the earthquake occurred, a “Major tsunami warning” was issued around Ishikawa prefecture for the first time since t...
Sake bottles normally display two labels. The large front label often displays the “sake brand” in the center of the bottle, while the right or left side shows the special sake designation (such as Junmai Daiginjo, etc.). The production year, month, and date indicated is the sake bottling date. The label also lists the alcohol content, volume of the bottle, and the names of the brewery and maste...