Sake from the city of Yonago

I enjoyed some delicious sake at dinner with my family tonight. I found it in a pop-up stall in Matsuzakaya Department store this afternoon.

It's unpasteurized which means it's not heated or diluted. More importantly it is made of very rare sake rice called "Goriki", which is exclusively produced in the Tottori prefecture. Another ingredient is white koji mold.
Most people say that unpasteurized sake tastes fruity but the Goriki sake rice and the white koji mold give it a slightly sour, fresh taste. The aftertaste is also very pleasant.

My eyes were glued to the bulletin board on which every detail about the sake was hand-written. I read "Yonago" which is a city in the Tottori prefecture where my grandparents used to live. Sweet memories filled my heart. I enjoyed a chat with one of the staff from the Inata Brewery in Yonago.
The name of the brewery is Inata and this bottle of sake was named after "Princess Inata" who appears in the ancient legends about Shinto deities.

In Japan sake is produced in a number of places and generally speaking each brewery has established a long history and sense of pride. In each location differences in the spring water and rice used to make the sake and differences in climate make each sake very unique. Each one has its own history and taste.
It's really fascinating to find out about and explore these differences and see how they affect the taste.

 

Minazuki - a half year celebration

It's one of our traditional events to eat a Japanese sweet cake called "Minazuki" at the end of June before July arrives. "Minazuki" means June. I got this cake from a bakery and enjoyed it with my family yesterday. It's a traditional steamed mochi cake made from rice powder and sugar and topped with sweetened red beans. The cake represents our wish both to avoid bad fortune and to survive the harsh summer heat. The slightly translucent white mochi depicts cool ice and the red beans are believed to be an auspicious food that can fend off evil.

The first half of 2024 is over today, June 30th, it's time for us to reflect on our lives during the first six months of the year and purify our minds hoping for the other half of the year to be peaceful. It's a good time for us to pause for thought before we start again and attempt to stay healthy in mind and body for the latter part of the year. Many Shinto shrines also conduct a ritual today. I love these old customs from the past that show as much respect for the spiritual side of life as for the enjoyment of the special foods they involve.

Kabuki Day

I had a great time and really enjoyed my Kabuki day with my good friend Yuriko-san. What made it more fun for us was going to the theater in kimonos. Due to the pandemic, it had been quite some time since I last had the opportunity to savour the spectacular, dramatic, breathtaking and powerful experience of Kabuki theater. All in all, it was a perfect day.

Kabuki is an art that was proclaimed by UNESCO as an intangible heritage with an outstanding universal value. In today's diverse world, this traditional performance remains pre-dominantly male-dominated with a history spanning over 400 years, although it might be interesting to learn that it was first originated by a female dancer and her troupe. Kabuki went through some complicated changes during its early development before attaining its current social status as having one of the most accomplished traditional troupe of performers. Preserving their tradition and performance skills has been an ongoing and continous endeavour. Ultimately, this comes down to the expectations in the family and the goals set in the house of the male performers.

Yesterday I watched the performance in a Kabuki theater where one of the renowned families of Kabuki performers made a public appeal on stage. They announced that their 10-year-old son is now prepared to start his professional life as a Kabuki actor. It was so touching to see his innocent but perfect performance. I was deeply moved as I envisioned the long and challenging journey that lies ahead for him to become a respected kabuki actor of the next generation, inheriting his father's skills and reputation.