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“Novel Coronavirus”

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The year 2020 started as an exciting year with Japan to host the Tokyo Olympics.
No one anticipated the unexpected coronavirus pandemic that swept the world merely several months later.
Japanese laws cannot enforce a national shutdown, while strict shutdown is enforced in the U.S.in states like New York, encouraging residents to stay home in many regions to date.
I’m concerned for U.S. citizens hearing the latest developments in the U.S.
In Japan, the Tokyo Olympics was delayed 1 year as the Japanese government declared a state of emergency, “requesting” residents to stay at home. Although citizens did not stay home so much early on, many are now staying home to date as of April. As a Japanese national, I am proud to observe the cooperative spirit of Japanese citizens adhering to the government “request” to stay home despite no violation or penalties if this request was not adhered to.
On the other hand, the novel coronavirus impacted the entertainment and sports industries, with professional baseball and soccer games cancelled. Also, a nationally renowned comedian Ken Shimura – a favorite among our generation – succumbed to the coronavirus, which heightened the sensitivity of Japanese nationals to the coronavirus among, with many more now adhering to the stay at home request.
Schools in many prefectures are unable to start the new semester, while Iwate prefecture – home to sake producer Nanbu-bijin – is the only prefecture with no diagnosed case of the novel coronavirus as of April 25. Although “0” cases in Iwate prefecture may not continue much longer, local residents are diligently practicing social-distancing measures. With no end to this pandemic in sight yet, we must practice safety measures to ensure our survival.



酒豪大陸「新型コロナウィルス」

2020年に入り、日本は東京オリンピックイヤーという事もあり、まさに素晴らしい1年になる予感しかしていなかった正月。
そこからたった数か月で、未曽有のウィルス被害に日本、そして世界が襲われるとは誰も予想しなかったのではないでしょうか。
日本は法律でロックダウンなどは出来ませんが、アメリカがニューヨークをはじめ、強烈なロックダウンがされており、今でも外出が難しい場所もあるのではないでしょうか。
アメリカの皆さんにもお見舞いを申し上げます。
日本は一番懸念された東京オリンピックが1年延期に。
そしてすぐさま政府より緊急事態宣言が出されました。
自粛を「お願い」するという、何とも奇妙な日本語ですが、日本人は最初の頃はそうでもありませんでしたが、4月現在ではとても頑張って自粛をしています。
罰則も罰金も無い「お願い」をちゃんと受け入れる日本人の精神性に本当に誇りを持ちます。
しかし、その反面、芸能界やスポーツ界などでの新型コロナウィルスの蔓延は止まらず、プロ野球やサッカーはスタートが出来ません。さらには私達の世代のお笑いのヒーローだった志村けんさんがお亡くなりになり、これをきっかけに新型コロナウィルスへの日本国民の感度は高くなり、stay homeを守る雰囲気になっていきました。
学校も新学期を迎える事が出来ない県も多く、その中で南部美人のある岩手県は4月25日現在で新型コロナウィルスの感染者がまだ見つかっていない唯一の県です。
このまま「0」はずっと続かないとは思いますが、岩手県人は逆にとても注意深く生活をしています。まだまだ終息は先のこのコロナ。何とか生き残らなければいけません。

by Kosuke Kuji

#Coronavirus #IwatePrefecture #Japanese #request

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Tokyo Jizake Strolling (Self-Quarantine Edition)

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Business districts throughout Tokyo are quiet as restaurants are dealt a major blow by the shutdown enforced due to the latest COVID-19 pandemic. Sales decline as transactions stopped for sake shops with reduced transactions between sake breweries and sake shops. Needless to say, all Japanese sake events are cancelled until fall. Many news outlets report the Japanese have a low-level awareness of the Coronavirus as domestic regulations are relaxed compared to other nations. Perhaps, it would make sense to prohibit people leaving their homes during this pandemic.
What could the sake industry do to survive this shutdown? What is the best strategy to survive this pandemic? In Tokyo, daily grocery outings are relatively unrestricted. Since customers cannot enjoy sake at restaurants, the only option left is to drink at home. Although sake cannot be considered an essential product to everyday life, being prohibited from consuming sake will no doubt cause stress for consumers. Sake shops dependent on restaurant sales are no doubt struggling. On the other hand, sake shops mainly delivering sake for major sake shops are apparently now busy with home deliveries of beer, etc. What about independent sake shops in the city? Sake shops deeply rooted in the community with mostly local customers are capable of surviving.
However, long-established sake shops with generations of customers are apparently struggling. The same can also be said about restaurants and other retail stores. Residents always come and go as they pass away, move in, or move away in a city constantly bustling and evolving. Restaurants flexible in accommodating the changing times are the ones that survive. However, the scale of these restaurants are relatively small, as my own is struggling to diligently sell products at the storefront, post fliers, visit client restaurants we have transactions with, and invest in promotions with the risk of incurring a deficit.
I recalled author Osamu Dazai famously said, “Human beings have 365 days a year, in which having 1 day, or even half-a-day with no worries is considered lucky.” He also said, “the ultimate standpoint of human pride is to be able to say I’ve struggled to death.” How will the sake industry overcome this pandemic? When the pandemic is finally over, what would be the economic state of the sake industry? And my own restaurant? Once this pandemic is over, I’d like to think the sake industry would be back even stronger. However, I’d like to first enjoy sake with my clients and colleagues. Next year, I hope to enjoy a beautiful view of the cherry blossoms as I savor delicious sake.



東京地酒散歩(自粛要請)

 連日、新型コロナウイルスの騒動で飲食店はダメージを受けており、東京の繁華街は静まり返っている。酒販店は飲食店の取引が無くなってしまい、売り上げが下がり、酒蔵も酒販店との取引量が減り大変な様だ。勿論、秋頃までの日本酒イベントも全て中止になっている。日本人はコロナウイルスに対して意識が低いとの報道も良く見かける。他国に比べたら確かに、規制等は緩いと思う。もしかしたら、外出を一切禁止してしまうのも正解なのかもしれない。この様な事態の時に酒業界は何をすべきか。どの様な対応をすれば正解で生き残っていけるのか。東京は日常の買い物等は比較的自由である。飲食店で酒を飲めない以上、家で酒を飲むしかない。日常必需品かと問われると難しい立ち位置であるが、禁止してしまうとストレスが溜まってしまうだろう。飲食店売り上げで成り立っていた酒販店は現状苦しいだろう。大手酒販店で配達を主として営業していた店は家庭用のビール配達などが増え逆に忙しくなったと聞く。街の個人営業の酒販店はどうだろうか。地元のお客様をしっかり掴んでいた店はやっていけている。しかし、代々の営業で昔からのお客様だけで営業している店は苦しい様だ。これは飲食店や他の物販店でも言えることである。住民は常に入れ替わる。死んでしまう人、引っ越してしまう人、引っ越して来て新たな住人になる人。常に街は動いているのである。その動きに合わせられる店が生き残っていくのだと思う。しかしそんな偉そうな事が言える規模ではなく風が吹いただけで飛んでしまいそうな当店としては、足掻きまくるしかないのである。店頭販売を毎日行い、チラシのポスティングを行い、営業している飲食店に顔を出し赤字覚悟のPRを行い日々悩み苦しむのである。作家の太宰治が「人間365日、何の心配の無い日が、一日、いや半日あったら、それは幸せな人間です。」と言っていたのを思い出した。そして「人間のプライドの究極の立脚点は、あれにも、これにも、死ぬほど苦しんだ事があります、と言い切れる自覚ではないか。」とも言っていた。この騒動をどう乗り切るか、乗り切った時に酒業界が、自分の店がどうなっているか。この騒動が終わった時に一回り大きく強い酒業界や店になっていると考えたい。しかしまずは、取引先や仲間たちと気兼ねなく酒を酌み交わしたい。そして来年は美しい桜を眺めながら美味い酒を飲みたいと思う。

#COVID19 #SelfQuarantine

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Sake Tasting

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Sake Tasting

To be able to taste sake, the most importing to do is to identify and set your own tasting criteria. The criteria are not based on one’s preferences, so one must find the foundation that become the basis for judging various sake. One must have that foundation in place to be able to recognize aroma, acidity, body and umami, that different types of sake have.
So how can one establish that foundation for establishing your own tasting criteria? Here is the quickest and least expensive way of doing it, based on my own experience.
First, buy low-priced sake at a store. Try it every day for 15 days, even if you don’t like it or it’s simply horrible (some people may need 20 days). Do not drink it until it makes you drunk. It’s most important that you drink a certain amount every day, even if it’s just enough to fill an ochoko (tiny sake cup).
Stop for two to three days to rest your liver, then do a tasting of a different sake. You will probably realize that you can profile the sake to surprising details. The differences in acidity, the body, aroma, and umami, as well as aftertaste intensity – you should be able to clearly tell those differences.
Once you have that understanding, all you need to do is study on which step of the process makes those differences. Also, deepen your understanding on raw ingredients and water, and study how to express them as well as food pairings. This way, you will become a great sake sommelier.



日本酒のテイスティング

酒テイスティングをするにあたって一番重要なことは自分自身の味覚基準を見つけることである。基準とは自分自身の好みではなく、他の酒を判定するのに必要な味覚の軸となるものを見つけることにある。その軸となる味をしっかりと持つことにより他の酒の違う香り、酸味、ボディー、旨みを感じるようになるのだ。
ではその軸を見つける方法だが、今回私自身の経験から一番手っ取り早く、しかも費用のかからない味覚判断基準の見つけ方をお教えしよう。
店頭で安い日本酒を購入し、それがまずい酒でもひたすら同じ酒を15日間毎日飲むこと(人によっては20日間くらいかかる人もいるだろうが)。決して酔うまでは飲まないこと。量はお猪口一杯でもすする程度でもいいから欠かさず飲むことが必要となる。
2~3日の肝臓休憩後に違う日本酒をテイスティングしてみる。おそらく、いままでは分からなかった味が感じられるだろう。酸味の違い、ボディーの濃淡、香りの違い、旨みのレベル、後味の強弱がはっきりと分かるようになる。
それが理解できてくれば、後はそれらの違いがどこの工程で影響されるのかを勉強すればいいのだ。また、原材料や水についても知識を深め、さらに表現力と料理との相性を勉強していけば立派な利き酒師となれるのである。



品酒

品嚐清酒時最重要的事情就是找到自己的口味標準。標準不是關於自己的口味,而是關於找到判斷其他清酒所需的口味「軸心」。通過牢牢抓住這口味「軸心」,您可以分辨並感受到其他清酒的不同香氣,酸味,酒體和味道。
至於如何可以找到該軸心,這次我將以自身經驗,教您如何用最快和最便宜的方法找到口味判斷標準。
在商店購買便宜的清酒,即使不好喝,也要連續15天每天喝相同的清酒(有些人可能需要20天)。絕對不要喝到醉。飲用量為每次一小杯就可,但必須不間斷地喝。
之後讓肝臟休息2至3天,然後再嘗試其他清酒。也許您會感受到之前從來未嘗過的味道。酸度,酒體的濃淡度,香氣,鮮味層次和餘韻的強度差異將變得明顯。
一但理解了,您要做的就是研究影響這些差異的過程和原因。此外,如果您加深了對原材料和水的了解,並進一步鑽研出清酒的表現力和料理的相配性,那麼您將成為一名優秀的清酒大師。



니혼슈(일본술)의 시음

술 시음에 앞서 가장 중요한 것은 자신에 맞는 미각 기준을 발견하는 것입니다. 여기서 기준이란 자신의 기호가 아니라 다른 술을 판정하는 데 필요한 미각의 축이 되는 것을 발견하는 것입니다. 그 축이 되는 맛이 확실하면 다른 술과 차별화된 향과 산미, 보디, 풍미를 느낄 수 있게 되는 것입니다.
다음은 그 축을 찾는 방법인데, 이번에는 자신의 경험을 바탕으로 가장 빠르고, 비용도 들지 않는 미각 판단 기준의 발견 방법을 알려드리고자 합니다.
우선 매장에서 저렴한 니혼슈를 산 후, 그 술이 맛이 없더라도 15일간 매일 같은 술을 마십니다(사람에 따라서는 20일 정도 걸리기도 합니다). 그리고 절대 취할 때까지 마시지 않습니다. 양은 사기잔 한 잔을 마시든 홀짝홀짝 마시든 매일 마셔야 합니다.
2~3일간 휴식을 취한 후 다른 니혼슈를 시음해 봅니다. 아마도 지금까지 몰랐던 맛을 느낄 수 있을 것입니다. 산미의 차이, 보디의 무게감, 향의 차이, 풍미의 수준, 후미의 강약을 확실하게 알 수 있게 됩니다.
이를 이해할 수 있다면, 다음에는 그 차이가 어느 공정에서 영향을 받았는지 공부하면 됩니다. 또한, 원재료와 물에 대해서도 지식을 쌓고, 표현력과 요리의 궁합에 관해서 공부해 나간다면 훌륭한 사케 소믈리에(기키자케시)가 될 수 있습니다.


#SakeSommelier #SakeTasting

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