Saturday, November 29, 2008

11/4/08: Day 5 in Japan Part II - Akita Nagaya Sakaba

At the end of Ama No To event held in Akita City on Day 3, we went to a great saké bar. As I am spending the night in the same Akita City before traveling to Yamagata, it goes without saying that I'll enjoy my drinks at Akita Nagaya Sakaba.

本到着して3日目の夜、秋田市で行われた天の戸応援会の次に。最高な居酒屋に立ち寄った覚えがある。山形県へ向かう途中の今晩は秋田市で一泊するので、一杯する場所は言うまでも無く秋田長屋酒場

Namahagé mask is used for a year-end festival to ward off evil spirits.
日本三大祭の一つと認められている「なまはげ」のマスク。

I wonder what saké I should drink... let me think long and hard...
この居酒屋ではどのお酒を注文するべきか、迷いますな~。

As I was by myself, I sat at the counter seat. In the middle is a hibachi grill.
今晩は1人なので、カウンター席で。七輪も設備されている。

No, this is not a corn dog. It's acutally a miso-grilled Kiritanpo, a famous Akita cuisine made using Akita Komachi rice. It went very well with all three sakés I ordered (Kariho Rokushu, Ama No To Umashiné, Ama No To Junkara.) I ordered Kariho (SMV: +5, Acidity: 1.7, Rice: Miyamanishiki, Seimaibuai: 57%), as they were out of Ama No To "Kamé No O Shikomi" Junmai Ginjo. Kariho was excellent: refreshing, crisp, and clean.  
秋田名物のキリタンポ味噌田楽。この一品は今晩飲んだ三種類のお酒全部に合った(刈穂「六舟」吟醸、天の戸「美稲」、天の戸「純辛」。) 売り切れの天の戸「亀の尾仕込み」純米吟醸生の代わりに頼んだ刈穂「六舟」 (日本酒度 +5、酸度 1.7、原料米 美山錦、精米歩合 57%)はスッキリ感がする爽やかな辛口。

The onsen hotel I am staying includes dinner, so I ended my visit with butter- sauteed maitaké mushrooms cooked in aluminum foil.
泊まる温泉ホテルは夕食込みなので、ここでの注文はやや軽めで。〆は「舞茸ホイルバター焼き」。


Luckily for me, the staff remembered me from two nights ago, and were extremely friendly and kind with their services. With great food, saké selection and friendly staff, I would highly recommend this restaurant if you're in Akita.
店のスタッフさん達が私を覚えていてくれて、とても親切なサービスに恵まれました。美味い郷料理と地酒、親切なサービス、本当に最高の一晩でした。秋田市に行かれる方々には是非お勧めの居酒屋。

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

11/4/08: Day 5 in Japan Part I: Nanbu Bijin Experience

Today called for another early wake up, this time at 6:30 am. Today's agenda is to tour Nanbu Bijin Brewery. In addition, Kuji-san has arranged for me to participate in parts of the brewing process, something I've seen but never done before.

To see Nanbu Bijin's account of my visit, please click here.

朝も6:30の早起き。今日は南部美人の見学で、久慈さんが酒造にも手を触らしてくれる。今まででは酒造りは十分拝見しているが、手伝うのは初経験になる。

この件は南部美人さんのブログにも書き込まれましたので、ご参考下さい。

The first thing Matumori Brewmaster did was to check the tanks and gather data.
最初には松森杜氏が醗酵中のタンクをチェックし、データの取得。

The fermentation in this tank is very vibrant. To control the fermentation, they've added extra lip to the tank as well as machine that pops the bubbles to keep from overflowing.
このタンクは結構アクティブ。泡が溢れるのを抑える為、タンクには木のふちと泡を潰す機械が設備された。

Here, I find the tag for Tank #1 which we got to taste last night. It says, "October 8, Batch #1, Shiboritaté Nama."
昨夜搾って飲んだ第一号の札を発見。

Tank #7 is a Tokubetu Junmai Nama slated to be shipped to the US. Fermentation began 10 days after Batch #1.
アメリカ用のタンクは第7号。仕込みは1号から10日後に始まった。

My first assignment is to mix the mash.
最初の仕事はモロミを混ぜる作業。

Mixing the new batch is a very hard work, as it is mostly solid,.
仕込み始めたばかりのモロミは硬いので、かき混ぜるのには相当な体力が必要。

After the rice is steamed...
酒米は蒸してから...

it is shoveled into...
スコップで...

a machine where...
ある機械へ放り投げ込まれ...

it is cooled then separated by the brewers.
コンベヤーを通り冷やされ、蔵人に解される。

The rice is then packed into sacks, and sent upstairs to the Koji Room.
解された米は袋に詰められ、2階の麹室へ。

Nanbu Bijin uses silk sack instead of can when sprinkling Koji mold. This task is tougher than it looks. To sprinkle the mold, you must maintain the right rhythm. I was so focused and tight during my first attempt that I was actually told, “you know, you really ought to breathe.” To appreciate the difficulty, put three quarters in a dress sock, and shake it so that the quarters bounce and make sharp clinking sound each time.
南部美人は麹菌を蒔く時には缶ではなくシルクの袋を使う。これは見た目よりハードな仕事。振るタイミングが崩れると菌は出ない。振っている途中に“あなた、息した方が良いですよ”と言われるほど自分は緊張していた。実験としては、100円玉3個ソックスに入れ、しっかり「カチン!カチン!」と音が出る様、上下に振ってみよ。

Working in the Koji Room made the biggest impression. After sprinkling the koji mold, the job was to mix the rice and manage the temperature. We used digital thermometer to track temperature, and brewers made small adjustments by opening and closing the door. They really live in a world where a mere half a degree makes difference. When the koji rice is down to about 32.5C, then it is neatly wrapped for resting.
麹室の仕事の印象が深く残った。麹菌を蒔く作業の直後は米のかき混ぜと温度の調整。麹米は常にデジタル温度計で温度を測り、室のドアを開けたりしながら妙な温度調整を行う。この作業は0.5℃の勝負と言ってもおかしくない。32.5℃未満に下がった時、丁寧に包み、しばらく寝かせる。

Although I don’t have the photo, the next assignment was making boxes for shipping. This was low pressure job by comparison, but in the worst case, screwing up here can result in breakage and waste all the previous efforts. Thus, the importance of this job cannot be understated.
写真は撮ってないが、次の仕事は出品用の箱作り。これは比較的にはプレッシャーが低いけど、最悪な場合はビンが割れ酒が台無しになる。酒造りのプロセスとしては欠かせない重要な作業。

After boxing, we had lunch. Because last night’s ramen was a huge hit with the gang, Kuji-san asked the kitchen to make the Nanbu Bijin-style ramen. My first serving was the traditional soy ramen, while the second was miso. The soup was rich and balanced, and exactly what we needed.
箱作りの後は昼飯。実は、昨夜ラーメンで皆が相当盛り上がった為、久慈さんが蔵の厨房へ南部美人風のラーメンを申し込んだ。蔵人大感激。最初の一杯は醤油ラーメンで、二杯目は味噌ラーメン。汁もこくがありバランスが良く、最高の味。

After extended lunch break, I assisted in preparing rice for steaming the next day. As there are several layers in the steamer, my job was to make sure each layer was evenly distributed.
休みの後は翌日に蒸す米の準備。これは米を4~5枚のレイヤーにして蒸すため、丁寧に広げる作業。

Posing ith Kuji-san. My work day ended around 5:00 pm, as I had to go catch a train to Akita City.

As I am traveling from Ninohé to Akita City, I kept thinking of how people throughout the trip has been very generous in welcoming me into their domain and letting me participat in these rare experiences. I will forever be grateful to everyone.

久慈さんとポーズ。仕事は5時で上がり、秋田市へ向かう準備をした。

新幹線の中で振り返って見れば、私は非常にラッキーであると感じた。何所でも私を歓迎してくれ、更に普段には出来ないことを色々と経験させてもらった。皆様へのご恩は一生忘れませぬ。
 

Sunday, November 23, 2008

11/3/08: Day 4 in Japan Part IV: Drinking with Nanbu Bijin Brewers

After lunch, I made 2:45 trip to the city of Ninohé in the neighboring Iwaté Prefecture to visit Kuji-san from Nanbu Bijin Brewery. While the brewery tour will take place the following day, the night was reserved for socializing with the brewers.

After checking in at the nearby hotel, Kuji-san picked me up for the festivities.

食後の予定は南部美人の久慈さんへ会いに岩手県二戸市へ2:45の旅。蔵元見学は明日だが、今晩は蔵人と一杯する予定。

ホテルのチェックインが後り、久慈さんと蔵へ向かった。

Coincidentally, they were just starting to press their saké today. As luck would have it, this is the very first lot of the year. I had the honor of tasting first saké as it was being pressed. I have not tasted a saké that is more livelier.
偶然に今日から新酒を搾り始めていた。つまり、今年の第一号である。やぶたから搾られているの生酒をそのまま味わうのは初体験。これほど味が生きている酒は飲んだことが無い。

After freshly squeezed saké, we toasted to Junmai Ginjo Hiyaoroshi. I also opened the bottle of Mansaku No Hana Junmai Daiginjo "Kamé No O" Hiyaoroshi I received from Sato-san for comparison. Nanbu Bijin was cleaner and drier, while Mansaku No Hana was softer and fruitier.
「しぼりたて」の後には純米吟醸の「ひやおろし」で乾杯。私も今朝に佐藤さんから頂いた「純米大吟醸 亀の尾 ひやおろし」を開け、「ひやおろし」の飲み比べを行った。南部美人はスッキリ感の辛口で、まんさくの花はフルーティーで優しい味だった。

At Nanbu Bijin, there is one gentleman who is responsible for serving saké warm. Sugahara-san stretches the limit of the concept of "kan," coming up with creative ideas. To convince me, he served junmai nigori warm (pictured) and even 2003 Koshu. The common thread between two sakés were that warmth rounds out acidity to make it more approachable. I must say that I was definitely enlightened!
南部美人では一人、「お燗番」と言われる方がいる。菅原氏はお燗のコンセプトを常に勉強し、普段では予想しない様なお酒も出してくれた。燗をあんまり飲まない僕を説得する為に準備して頂いたのがこの「純米にごり」と2003年の古酒。お互いの共通点と言えば、燗は酸味を押さえ、味をまろやかにしてくれた。お蔭様で燗には目覚めました!

Later on, Kuji-san brought out Aiyama Junmai Ginjo. It had gentle and round flavors of rice and straight forward and clean flavor. In NY, this saké is available exclusively at Sushi of Gari.
後で登場したのが「純米吟醸 愛山」。米のまろやかな香りと癖が無いきれいな味。これはNYではSushi of Gariだけしか飲めない限定品。

Some brewers of Nanbu Bijin. The staff is relatively young compared with other breweries. To the left is Matsumori-san, the Brewmaster.
南部美人の蔵人は比較的に若め。左は杜氏の松森氏。

Running into the room shouting, "I want some saké!" is none other than Kuji-san's son, Taiyo.
「酒のみて~!」と駆け込んできた久慈さんの息子太陽くん。

The dinner consisted of various sashimi and skewers. The highlight is the hand-made ramen delivered from local restaurant, a taste Kuji-san grew up with. Mild yet complex soup complemented by chewy noodles... ramen does not get much better than this!
夕飯は蔵が刺身と焼き鳥などを準備してくれた。〆は手作りラーメンを出前で。このラーメンは久慈さんが育ったラーメンの味。優しくコクがある出汁と手打ちメンの食感が何とも言えない最高な味。

At this time, my travel fatigue began to kick in. With an early work day ahead, I was off to bed...
ラーメン完食した時点で、疲れが追いついて来た。翌日は朝早くから仕事なので、お休みなさい...

Friday, November 21, 2008

11/3/08: Day 4 in Japan Part III: The Secrets of Masuda Town


During the tour of Hinmaru Jozo, Sato-san showed me something that was very interesting. Although it had very little to do with saké production, it is considered to be one of the treasures of Hinomaru. Not only that, there are several of these in Masuda Town.
の丸醸造に見学中に佐藤さんがある素晴らしい物を見せてくれた。これは酒造りとは関係無いけど、日の丸醸造の誇り物。しかも、増田町にはこの様な物が数々とあるらしい。

Aside from saké breweries, Masuda Town is also reknown for their “kura” or storage houses. They even published a pictorial book on this subject!
なんと増田町は酒蔵以外に本格の「蔵」が建ててあり、写真集が出版されているほど有名である。

Kura of Hinomaru is indeed very impressive.
日の丸の蔵は本当に立派。

The family crest adorn the threshold.
蔵の前に飾られている家紋。

Greeting the guests inside the kura is this traditional lamp.
蔵の中で客を招いている灯。

There are two floors to the Kura. The first floor is used as a main greeting area for the guests.
蔵は2階建て。1階は客間として扱われている。

An impressive beam on the display on the 2nd Floor. The stain allows intricacies of the wood to come alive.
2階には立派な梁。ステインで染めてあるので、木の模様が活きている。

After the tour of the brewery, Sato-san took me to several of these kuras of Masuda Town.The second kura was Tasaburo.
日の丸の見学後に佐藤さんは町の蔵を数件案内してくれた。二番目に案内された蔵は佐藤多三郎家。

Inside their kura was beautifully preserved scrolls and writings from decades ago.
多三郎家の蔵の中には書き物等が保存されていた。

2nd Floor is used for entertainment. They had the room prepared for a comedian.
2階は宴会用に使われている。今晩の落語の準備がされていた。

Unlike Hinomaru, Tasaburo had lacquered beams and ceiling.
多三郎家は日の丸と違い、漆で梁を塗ってある。

Next, we were off to Yamakichi. We weren't able to view the inside as some work was being done.
次は山中英一家。設備中だったので、中は見れなかった。

Hallway leading to the backyard. As the picture indicates, kura is nestled inside the building.
蔵の外側は土間。実は、増田町の蔵は室内に建てられている。

This system is necessary for kura to protect its contents against harsh winters of Akita.
室内であれば厳しい秋田の冬に耐えられ、倉庫としての役割を尽くせる。

Lastly, we visited museum-like Urushigura that hosts udon restaurant. After the tour, Sato-san treated me to a fantastic lunch.
最後は漆倉資料館。博物館みたいな漆倉の中には手打ちうどんのレストランがあり、そこで佐藤さんに美味しい昼飯をご馳走してもらいました。

We were seated in a traditional Japanese Tatami Room.
席は和室。

 The lunch set consisted of Inaniwa Udon and…
ランチセットは稲庭うどんと…

Oyako-Don. Oyako-don means “parent/child rice dish,” referring to the chicken cutlet and egg that form the topping over rice. This was absolutely delicious.
親子丼。地鶏に味が深く染み込み、鶏肉にも弾力があり、最高の味。


One of the key goals of my trip is to reconnect with Japanese culture to resurrect my "Japanese Spirit." As if to answer my wishes, Mr. Sato exposed me to part of Japanese tradition. I am very grateful for this opportunity.
この旅の目的の一部として願っていたのは、日本の文化に接することである。和の空間で自分の大和魂を目覚めて欲しいのだ。佐藤さんはこの欲望に答えてくれるよう、素晴らしいものを見せてくれました。誠にありがとうございます。

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

11/3/08: Day 4 in Japan Part II: Visiting Hinomaru Jozo

After the tour of Asamai Shuzo, Kakizaki-san was nice enough to drive me to the town of Masuda, where Hinomaru Jozo is located. Hinomaru Jozo is reknown for their traditionally- styled "Manabito" and fruitier "Mansaku No Hana" labels.

I only met Sato-san for the first time very recently, but he welcomed me to his brewery with open arms.

の戸の見学の後、柿崎さんは私を増田町にある日の丸醸造まで送ってくれた。日の丸酒造はきもと造りの「真人」とフルーティーな「まんさくの花」の銘柄で有名である。

日の丸の佐藤さんはつい最近に会ったばかりですが、とても親切に迎えてくれました。

Hinomaru relies heavily on the local rice, and even uses rice grown and harvest by students.
日の丸は主に秋田産の酒米を利用し、学生が栽培した米も使っている。

Hinomaru uses their own polishing machine.
精米機はキッチリ設備されている。

The control panel ensures precision in milling.
コントロールパネルを通して精米歩合の細かい調整をする。

Miyamanishiki being polished.
磨きられている美山錦。

Koji Room. Many high-grade sakés use koji cultivated in this room.
麹室。高級品は室からの麹を利用。

Other sakés may be used with Koji cultivated in this Ferris Wheel-like machine. Having also invented Centrifuge machine, Akita is definitely progressive when it comes to saké brewing.
他の酒はこの観覧車みたいな機械で培養された麹で酒を仕込んでいる。 秋田は遠心分離機も発明するほど、酒造りにプログレシブな県。

Storage tanks.
貯蔵用のタンク。

Thermal Tank used for brewing Daiginjo-grade sakés.
大吟醸用のサーマルタンク。

Like Asamai Shuzo, this brewery is supported by many impressive beams.
この蔵は比較的に広く、浅舞みたいに立派な梁に支えられている。

Bottling is done in a separate plant.
ビン詰めは別の工場で。

Large refrigerated storage facility. This room was rather impressive in its size.
広い冷蔵室。このボリュームには驚いた。

Sato-san prepared 3 sakés to sample. The Yuki Muro Ginjo is stored in a snow hut, and you can see the pictures of this by clicking 6 tabs down on the left side side of this page. His ume-shu made a surprsing impression with its exquisite balance between sweeter approach and drier finish.
試飲は3種類。「雪室吟醸」は名前の通り雪室で貯蔵されている。ホームページの左側にある「雪室吟醸」をクリックすればその作業が見られる。意外と印象的だったのは甘酒で造られている梅酒。口当たりの甘さと切れの辛さが絶妙。

My impression from visiting Hinomaru is that Sato-san gives a lot of thought into practicing his craft.
私の印象としては佐藤さんは常に酒の事を深く考えながら酒造りに努力をかけている。