Education is such a vital part of our lives. It doesn’t just enable a livelihood or even basic physical survival (we literally learn from family, friends, and sometimes a social network how to survive). Our souls hum when we’re learning something that enriches us. Education is a spiritual necessity.Do you ever feel like you’re in…
Asakusa is one of Tokyo’s most popular districts for Japanese and international travelers alike. It’s packed with attractions, from the famous Senso-ji Temple with its iconic Kaminarimon Gate, to street food for those who enjoy “strolling gourmet” as we say in Japan (eating while walking in Japan is an oft-cited taboo, but plenty of us…
Many sake breweries in Japan are benefiting from booming export markets. A growing handful are also taking advantage of the surge in inbound tourism with various programs and new facilities to attract visitors. Izumibashi Shuzō, located just West of Yokohama in Kanagawa prefecture, is one that is excelling at both endeavors. A new facility that…
Rice strains in the sake world are like grape varieties in wine. They yield different flavors and aromas, and exhibit different characteristics in the brewing phase, requiring different approaches to their use. Also, the environment in which they are cultivated–the terroir–certainly has an effect on their character leading up to harvest. Naturally, we talk a…
Japanese knives are favored by professional chefs all over the world for their quality, sharpness, and durability. Those made for home use are admired by all, Japanese and internationals alike. Among travelers, they are popular as souvenirs perhaps because of their association with Japanese sword tradition. Unsurprisingly, the number of knife stores in Japan appears…
The Craft Brewers Conference, held recently in Nashville, Tennessee, was an unexpected venue to be reflecting on the world of sake. It’s a yearly event designed primarily for the craft beer industry. It draws over ten thousand professionals from around the world and is held in conjunction with the World Beer Cup, a kind of…
I was in a hotel in Ichinoseki, Iwate when the 7.1 earthquake hit not far to the southeast off the coast of Miyagi Prefecture. It was an aftershock of the 9.1 earthquake that had struck a few weeks earlier on March 11th, 2011. Water in the bathtub which was filling at the time sloshed around…
This warm prefecture that stretches across the southern coast of Shikoku might not seem like the ideal location to brew sake, yet Kochi’s 18 breweries churn out an impressive number of surprisingly light and dry varieties. With a distinctly different vibe from the more in-your-face profiles of most sake from western Japan, the dry and…
Keith Norum is one of the more youthful sixty-year-olds you’ll meet, even in a country where so many people seem youthful in the later decades of their lives. He looks younger than his years, there’s vitality in his voice and expressions, and he gives every indication he’s eager to continue with his busy work in…
Waking up in an unfamiliar place is a rush to the senses. In the right context, that stimulation to the brain can even manifest as a sensation, like a warm tingle of pleasure washing across your body. This description certainly doesn’t refer to the disorienting experience of unexpectedly waking up somewhere unfamiliar–like in a hospital…