JQR vol.15 August, 2012

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89

2012 AUG&SEP vol. 15

FREE

QR SPECIAL

Living with the Warmth of Wood

The Aesthetics of the Joiner’s Art The Pride of Japanese Furniture

［FEATURE］Clean Water is Healthy Water

Be Conscious of the Water in Your Life In Search of the Forces that Shape Japan

Hard Work and the Blessings of Nature in the Home of Japanese Whisky ～ A Visit to the Suntory Yamazaki Distillery ～

eng.jqrmag.com

C O N T E N T S July 2012 (published on Aug&Sep 14, 2012)

This Month’s New Opening

05

LEGOLAND Discovery Center Tokyo

07 The Shirano Theater 09 Hiroshi Sawada’s

Theory of Cafe Evolution

10 Clean Water is Healthy Water

Be Conscious of the Water in Your Life

Photography/ Yuko Iida

38

[A Conversation with Foreign Residents]

42

Spotting hot trends in Tokyo

Are you spending your summer vacation in Japan?

STREET SNAP 44 HotPicks What's New

26

QUALITY REVIEW SPECIAL

46

The Aesthetics of the Joiner’s Art The Pride of Japanese Furniture

51 In Praise of Fine Sake

Living with the Warmth of Wood

Touring the Festivals of Japan

Otaue Rice-Planting Festival at Sumiyoshi Taisha

Kurosawa Akira

53 In the next issue

34 In Search of the Forces that Shape Japan

Hard Work and the Blessings of Nature in the Home of Japanese Whisky

～ A Visit to the Suntory Yamazaki Distillery ～ Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

Jun Shinozuka

Editors

Jun Nakaki

Tanehide Egami

Christine Lavoie-Gagnon

Shinichi Hanawa

Dai Furusawa

Ryuichiro Matsubara

Wakako Kawasaki

Humio Maruyama

Designer

Editorial Committee

Syozou Izuishi

［Fashion Critic］

Yumi Yamaguchi

［Executive Producer, Ecole De Cuisine Egami］ ［Joint Representative Director Ramsar Network Japan］ ［Economist, Professor at the University of Tokyo］

［High-Tech Industry Innovation Agency］

［Travel Writer］

Additional Editing

High-Tech Industry Innovation Agency

Planning

Integral Corp.

Editing

Digital Lights Inc.

Translation

Manabiya Inc.

JQR editorial department

2-1-14 Sarugakucho, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo 101-0064 03-3518-2270 JQR advertising department

2-1-14 Sarugakucho, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo 101-0064 03-3518-4488

eng.jqrmag.com 03

This Month’s New Opening

LEGOLAND Discovery Center Tokyo Photography/Tomoya Takai Text/JQR

MINILAND

URL

http://www. legolanddiscoverycenter.jp/tokyo/

Tokyo’s nightscape recreated using Lego® blocks with Tokyo Tower, the Diet, DoCoMo Tower, and even Rainbow Bridge in the background. The display also has a control panel that lets you move the various models.

Pre-book via the web site and receive an online discount.

Watch the video to decide which attractions you want to see on the day. Register to receive the latest news by e-mail.

MAP

Model Builder Workshop Odaiba Park Odaiba-kaihinkoen Station

LEGOLAND Discovery Center Tokyo

Aqua City Odaiba

Y

Hotel Nikko Tokyo Daiba Station

ine

eL

om

am

k uri

Fuji Television Headquatars

West Park Bridge

e

Tokyo Teleport Station

VenusFort

ut

Ro

h

ys

Ba

e or

i

ka

Lin

e Lin

n

ga

an

W

Two minutes’ walk from Yurikamome Odaiba-kaihinkoen Station.

Five minutes’ walk from TWR Tokyo Teleport Station. Pay parking available at Decks Tokyo Beach.

Create models designed by Master Model Builders, the Lego specialists. The builders’ hands are shown on a large screen, making it easy to follow what they are doing. The pieces used are on sale at the LEGOLAND Shop. (Reservations necessary.)

An Attraction for the Whole Family

me as a child are Lego® blocks.

Lego specialists. Children and

LEGOLAND Discovery Center

adults alike can forget time and

Tokyo – a Lego® block

lose themselves in the world of

Being able to make whatever

amusement park – opened this

Lego.

you want with a pile of small,

June in Odaiba at Decks Tokyo

colored pieces of plastic is

Beach.

awesome. You can build cars

Miniland, which took seven

and buildings. Animals might

months and 1,674,500 bricks

seem a little distorted, but they

to build, is a miniature Tokyo

still look alive. These tiny

that changes to fit the time of

pieces of plastic are fantastic.

day: morning, noon and night.

Combine them in various ways

The nine attractions include the

and create entire towns. As

Model Builder Workshop, which

you’ve probably guessed, these

teaches children how to make

magical blocks that engrossed

original models designed by

Island Mall, Decks Tokyo Beach, 1-6-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo 10:00–21:00 (Last entry 19:00) Open all year Tickets (Three years and above) Single: 2,000 yen 2 or more people: 1,600 yen per head 2012 Aug&Sep

05

er Theat s * o n Shira

場 劇 乃 志ら

anyway l i o. 4 a f d n ra Show N a e f e h t Feel

o

hiran awa S Tatek Let's face it, everybody screws up from time to time.

“Don't tell me you were trying to get through your whole life as a rakugoka without a hitch?! Let me tell

someone else makes the same screw-up we have in

you how many times I've screwed up,”I continued,

the past, while I'm not sure what drives us to it feeling

regaling him with tales of the many times I'd died a

of superiority perhaps—sometimes we do get a tiny

terrible death on stage. After a while other rakugoka

kick out of it. And if this particular bungle happens

in the show that day gathered round and launched

to occur before our very eyes, then succumbing to

into stories of their own failures, moreover in that

schadenfreude is even easier.

hilarious“Oh that's nothing, let me tell you what

Recently in the wings at a rakugo show I watched a

happened to ME...”tone adopted by people in the

fellow rakugoka, one of my junior colleagues, stumble

doctor's waiting room competing to see who's sickest.

during his performance. Let's be clear about this: his

For my first performance at the National Theatre,

actual storytelling was not without merit. It's simply

I actually slept in and turned up late. Naturally I

that something got out of kilter, and he ended up

apologized profusely, and the next day scurried

talking to the end without regaining his rhythm.

around handing out cakes to demonstrate my

Now I know his work well, and how seriously he

contrition. But witnessing this, the more experienced

takes his art, and most of the audience at that show

performers began to share their own endless stories

wouldn't have noticed anything amiss. But Shirano

of lateness, one assuring me,“Don't worry about it lad,

Tatekawa, rakugo stpryteller, standing in the wings,

you were just a little behind schedule, that's all. At

did. Although I suppose it could be argued that if

least you turned up. My partner never even got there.

I'm going to such lengths to stress the fellow is not

No apology, either.”

utterly useless, perhaps I shouldn't be writing about

I slipped up a while back during a one-man show, but

the incident here in the first place...

a TV announcer who happened to be in the audience

Barging bouncily into the dressing room later as the

shared with me his own, far worse experience.“That

poor guy moped dejectedly, fully aware he'd bombed

was nothing,”he assured me.“I once found myself

out there, with a broad grin I said,“Hey buddy! You'll

going out live unable to even utter the first ko of

have to give back your fee for today!”To which he

Konnichi wa (hello). I bet you've never had to sit at

replied, in all seriousness, “I suppose you're right.

home every day practicing saying hello”. Screwing

As I haven't received it yet, that might be the best

up is embarrassing, and to be avoided if possible,

thing...”With a straight face I continued,“You don't

of course, but having once basked in the solidarity

seem to get it, so let me explain.”At these words a

among those who've failed in the same way, one's

hush descended on the dressing room. Turning to my

immunity to failure is boosted immeasurably. Once

junior colleague, waiting with baited breath to receive

you realize what an excellent tool for communication

the great Shirano Tatekawa's pearls of wisdom, I

failure can be, to fail holds no fear. OK, maybe that's

chided him,

going a little too far. Not quite so much fear.

第四席

スベリ方自慢

And depending on the nature of the screw-up, when

● Shirano Tatekawa Second-generation apprentice of Danshi Tatekawa. Joined the Tatekawa Shiraku rakugo stable in 1998, advancing to futatsume status in July 2003. This spring determined to win promotion to star performer! Don't miss his Shirano Daisakusen solo shows held regularly every month. Also a subculture aficionado with a regular radio program that allows him to expound exhaustively on this subject."

2012 Aug&Sep 2012July

07

Hiroshi Sawada’s

Theory of Cafe Evolution Vol.10

da e.

Hi ros hi Sa wa Osaka Prefectur e artist. Born in turer before Barista and latt a food manufac for d rke wo Sawada ere he was attle, U.S.A., wh at studying in Se urned to his job latte art. He ret , but enchanted by back in Japan ce on er tur fac in the food manu rsue a career ependent to pu soon went ind 08 Free Pour named the 20 ing be er his Aft ed e. coffe wada open Champion, Sa Latte Art World ER COFFEE AM RE ST p, own coffee sho 2010.

COMPANY, in

Inspiring Children to Become Baristas The other day I spoke at an Apple

baristas are gaining more attention

Store event held in Ginza on the

in Japan.

topic, “The Next Generation Coffee

This event, our various collaborative

Culture.”

goods and the video all came to

I first spoke about the novel ideas I

fruition thanks to the customers that

have tried at my cafes, such as

patronize my cafés. We do not just

adding value through latte art

pour coffees. Each day we draw latte

performances and collaborations

art and create joyful moments with

with fashion brands.

every person we meet. I believe the

I also explained how baristas work

interesting things that evolve from

as hard as athletes, so they must

these encounters are creating a new

wear comfortable clothes and

coffee culture.

well-cushioned shoes. At this point, I

When I was interviewed recently by

showed the audience a video of me

an elementary school newspaper, I

creating latte art while wearing our

asked the student interviewers what

uniform, which was produced in

they wanted to be. They aspired to

collaboration with a sports brand. I’m

become florists and patissiers and so

rather proud of this video, especially

on, but I was thinking how great it

the part that combines a friend's

would be if they would one day say

light tap-dancing rhythm with the

barista.

sound of the steam released when

Then an idea struck me: I could

heating milk on the coffee machine.

create a kid’s café latte by using

If you have some time, please watch

less espresso and adding a touch of

it on YouTube.

syrup, with the aim of making

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l

children aware of the barista

TXjwu9uI7Y&feature=player_

profession. (laughs) I will put it on

embedded)

the menu and win them over in the

Despite dreary weather on the day,

hope they become interested in

over 200 people were crammed into

cafés and baristas. It would be cool

a room meant to hold 180. Standing

to have them look up to you because

room only – what a huge success.

you are a barista.

The fact that I was invited to speak at more events makes me think that

ffee with a co jute bags mer. m Recycled su is sale th sleeve, on

STREAMER COFFEE COMPANY 1F, Miyagawa Bldg, 1-20-28 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-6427-3705 http://streamercoffee.com/

2012 Aug&Sep

09

ć°´

Japanese natural water

Clean Water is Healthy Water

Be Conscious of the Water in Your Life Japan is a country with water in abundance,

Fed by moisture from the oceans raining down on the archipelago.

Across the country pure water flows forth, Imparting flavor to the food it helps grow, and long life to the people.

But it is a fact that pollution has advanced over the last thirty years.

Now is the time to pay more attention to the life-giving water in our daily lives.

10

11

Drink 1.5 Liters of Water a Day to Stay Healthy

The Best Ways of Drinking Jap

Photography/ Satoru Naito

Text/ JQR Editorial Staff

Japan is blessed with plentiful water sources.

Although progressive environmental degradation in recent decades has impacted on the availability of potable spring water straight out of the ground, good, clean drinking water can still be found all over the country.

We asked water researcher and Doctor of Medicine Koichiro Fujita about the water situation in Japan and drinking water for health.

12

2012 Aug&Sep

Born 1939. Doctor of Medicine. Professor Emeritus at Tokyo Medical and Dental University. Specialist in parasitology and tropical medicine. Fifty years ago Dr. Fujita spent six months in Indonesia investigating water-borne diseases. He was puzzled as to why people in Jakarta living on tap water contracted more abdominal typhus, hepatitis A and amebic dysentery than those living on Borneo with its comparatively unhygienic water supply. He began to investigate, and this was the start of a career spent researching drinking water. To date he has visited seventy countries, and drunk more than 900 varieties of mineral water.

水

Japanese natural water

panese Mineral Water The Water Situation in Japan Japanese people have only very

insecticides and agricultural

Modern life is filled with things that

recently taken to buying mineral water,

chemicals, resulting in serious

generate reactive oxygen, making it

but the amounts being bought are far

contamination of the soil and water

essential to keep it down.

smaller than in western countries. The

with chemical substances. At the time

The second reason water in Japan is

idea of buying water is something they

people thought of water as something

so good for the body is because much

still haven’t gotten accustomed to.

that could be gotten anywhere,

of it is soft, alkaline water.

Dr. Koichiro Fujita, Professor Emeritus

anytime, so they weren’t conscious of

“Sharp undulations in the topography

at Tokyo Medical And Dental

the need to protect our water sources,”

of Japan cause rain and snow melt to

University, has been researching water

Dr Fujita regretfully observes.

flow rapidly from higher to lower

for close on fifty years and has this to say.

“In Japan it has always been possible to find potable water springs coming

Japanese Water is

Good for the Health

altitudes. Consequently there is only a short window in which minerals can be absorbed from the soil layers, and much of the water is soft. When drunk,

straight out of the ground, all over the

The reason why Japanese water is

this water tastes smooth, with no

place, because of the country’s rich

said to be good for health, according

strong taste, and is suitable for the

natural environment. That’s why there’s

to Dr Fujita, is because much of it is a

rehydration of any body type. A

a very deep-rooted sense of taking

type that suppresses reactive oxygen.

healthy pH balance for the body is

free water for granted. In Japan, if you

“We take in oxygen all the time

7.4, which is weakly alkaline, making

say “to spend like water”, it means to

through breathing, but in the process

alkaline water highly compatible and

use something lavishly and

of creating energy that oxygen causes

easily absorbed by the human body.”

indiscriminately, but in Arab countries

a chemical reaction. That’s when

Mineral water can vary enormously,

it has a completely opposite meaning.

reactive oxygen is produced. It has a

depending on where the water was

There, “to spend like water” means to

strong oxidizing effect, and works to

taken from, and what its ingredients

use something with great care. The

protect the body by eliminating foreign

and qualities are. The next page

Europeans and Americans are also

substances such as germs that enter

outlines in detail which types of water

strongly conscious of water being a

the body. The reverse of that,

to drink at different times.

precious natural resource, which

however, is that it can also damage

“One thing to make sure of when

makes the Japanese sensibilities

normal cells. Cancer, heart attacks

selecting water, is that it is ‘raw’— in

regarding water seem slightly

and strokes are some of the serious

other words water that hasn’t been

peculiar.”

illnesses that can be triggered by

boiled or heat-treated. Even water

The once bountiful supply of good

reactive oxygen. There’s also said to

labeled as “natural mineral water” has

water in Japan, however, has now

be a strong connection between

sometimes been heat-treated, so it’s

fallen sharply, and without venturing

reactive oxygen and common ailments

good to check the labels for any

into remote mountain areas, you won’t

in modern society, such as atopic

indication of this.”

find much anymore.

dermatitis and hay fever.”

“The primary reason for this was the

Reactive oxygen is generated in large

bubble economy. From the late

amounts when substances that the

eighties to the early nineties there

body judges to be harmful are

was environmental destruction to

ingested, such as food additives,

make way for the construction of golf

environmental pollutants and cigarette

courses and a range of other facilities.

smoke. Stress is another factor that

That in turn led to the dispersal of

increases reactive oxygen production.

2012 Aug&Sep

13

Effective Ways to Drink Water If you care about your health, then knowing how to drink water correctly is important for preventing sickness and restoring youth and health balance.

Regulation of Body Temperature Diuretic and Defecation Effect

Water in the body becomes sweat that draws heat from the body when it evaporates off the skin. As a result it prevents body temperatures from rising.

Water cleanses the body by excreting waste matter as urine. The intestines also become more active, and the body more sensitive to the urge to empty the bowels.

Accelerates the Metabolism As blood and lymph fluids, water sends nutrition and oxygen to the cells, flushes out waste products and improves the metabolism.Sends nutrition and oxygen to cells that make up blood and lymphatic fluids, flushes out waste products and improves the metabolism.

Blood collected in the brain flows slowly to the stomach and intestines when water is drunk, producing a calming effect that lessens feelings of irritation.

What Functions Does Water Have?

Accelerates Blood Circulation By maintaining the right blood density and improving flow, diabetes and other lifestyle related diseases can be prevented.

14

Sedative Effect

Eight major benefits of water

Detoxification and Dilution Effect Has the effect of detoxifying harmful substances in the body and diluting toxicity. Also good for the prevention of hangovers.

Wakening Effect Awakens the body immediately after getting up, when functioning is slow. Moderately stimulates the digestive organs and appetite.

Sleep-Onset Effect Drinking water prompts blood collecting in the brain to flow to the abdomen, releasing tension and making a comfortable transition to sleep possible.

How much water should be drunk per day?

What is the Right way to Drink Water?

Even without exercise, we lose about 2.5 liters a day through urine, emptying the bowels, sweat and exhalation.

Sweating increases that amount. About 1 liter can be acquired through meals, which leaves us requiring another 1.5 liters. If you neglect to replenish liquids, the water between cells is lost, causing skin to lose its firmness and luster, wrinkles and marks to appear, and skin to become rough. In other words, insufficient water leads to aging!

On the other hand, drinking too much water, such as over five liters or so, invites trouble by generating disorders in the brain.

The basic rule is not to drink a lot at once, but take in small amounts at frequent intervals. Half a cup at thirty minute intervals is the ideal, but if that is difficult then aim for one cup ten times a day. As far as timing goes, one cup when you wake up is important. This lowers blood density, which becomes raised during sleep, and makes the blood flow smoothly. A glass thirty minutes before sleeping is also essential to prevent water deficiency while asleep. Drink cold water in the morning to cool the eyes and wake you up, and room-temperature water at night. Soft, alkaline water that does not stress the body is recommended.

Standard levels for soft and hard water (World Health Organization Standards)

What is the difference between hard and soft water?

Soft water

The hardness of water is determined by the amount of magnesium and calcium it contains. Generally speaking, water

Hard water

Type

Soft

Moderately soft

Hard

Very hard

Hardness

less than 60㎖ /ℓ

less than 60-120㎖ /l

less than 120-180㎖ �ℓ

more than 180㎖ �ℓ

with a low degree of hardness is smooth and easy to drink, and water with a high degree of hardness is heavy and less pleasant to drink. So-called “natural water� is rainwater or snow melt that has soaked underground, had impurities filtered out by the layers of the earth, and

Amount of calcium and magnesium

Low

High

Taste and flavor

Smooth with no distinctive taste

The more magnesium in the water, the more bitter and heavy it becomes

absorbed various minerals depending on the geological stratum.

Dr Fujita has many types of mineral waters arrayed in his research laboratory. “If water doesn’t taste good,� he says, “then don’t force yourself to drink it. Water that tastes good to us is the water our body requires.�

What is the difference between alkaline and acidic?

A pH level (density of hydrogen ions in water)of seven is neutral, with anything higher than that being alkaline, and lower being acidic. The body fluids of a healthy person are slightly alkaline, but as we tire they tend towards acidity.

Basically most water is alkaline, but generally carbonated water is slightly acidic. Carbonated water should be drunk only occasionally, not everyday.

Mineral Waters for Specific Problems Cancer prevention Get into the habit of deliberately drinking two liters of mineral water every day. Alkaline ion water is recommended, as it helps to prevent cells from aging as we grow older and oxidation of the pH level within cells.

Swelling Ingesting carbonated water increases the amount of oxygen in the blood and stimulates blood flow, which reduces swelling. Calcium also accelerates blood circulation by softening blood vessels. Sulphates push out waste products and heighten the metabolism.

Constipation Drinking water that contains large amounts of magnesium draws water further into the intestine and prevent stools from hardening. Calcium and sulphates are also effective for the evacuation of waste products, and good for activating the metabolism.

Tiredness and chronic fatigue The reason we feel tiredness is due to lactic acid produced in the body. The carbon dioxide contained in carbonated water becomes bicarbonate ions that catch the lactic acid.

This is then eliminated from the body as urine.

However, carbonated water should not be drunk all the time.

High blood sugar levels

Heart attack prevention

Diabetics in particular have a tendency towards acidic pH levels in the body, but this can be counteracted by drinking alkaline ion water. Frequent regular intakes of water also stimulate the satiety center in the brain, which effectively suppresses the appetite.

Hard water is recommended since insufficient magnesium and calcium are said to be major causes of heart attacks. Calcium does not work normally without magnesium. The ideal balance is two parts calcium to one part magnesium.

2012 Aug&Sep

15

For good health, drinking unprocessed water is recommended

Mineral waters drawn from Japanese sources Check the information on the label and choose the type of water most suitable for you On this page, we introduce Japanese mineral waters that have not been heat-treated, unlike most of the brands on the market. When buying mineral water, check the pH, hardness, and mineral content and choose the type most suitable for you. Drink it wisely as part of your everyday lifestyle to promote good health!

Lake Mashoko Natural Mineral Water from Hokkaido Ultra-soft water that brings out the savor of Japanese cuisine The waters of Lake Mashoko are among the clearest in the world.

This water is ultra-soft and easy to drink. Its low calcium content makes it the ideal match for Japanese cuisine, and when used to cook rice or make dashi stock it brings out its savor to the full.

Its silicon content is also high.

Source: Teshikaga-cho, Kawakami-gun, Hokkaido Prefecture; pH 7.7; hardness 17.4 mg/l; mineral content: Na 6.3 mg, K 0.9 mg, Ca 5.2 mg, Mg 1.4 mg (per 1000 ml); price \131/500 ml, \273/2 l

Contact: Mantenya Co., Ltd. ☎ 0154-24-1188 http://www.masyuuko.jp

Hakusan-Meisui

According to legend, this water bestows long life This water comes from the deep, unpolluted broadleaf forests of northeast Iwate Prefecture, passing through limestone beds before springing to the surface. It has been designated as one of Japan’s 100 best waters.

Local people say that drinking just one mouthful means you live three years longer, and efforts to protect the source have been in place for many years.

Source: Shimohei-gun, Iwate Prefecture; pH 7.6; hardnes 96.8 mg/l; mineral content: Na 2.3 mg, K 0.3 mg, Ca 35.2 mg, Mg 2.2 mg (per 1000 ml); price \136/500 ml, \178/l, \262/2 l (reference price) Contact: Iwaizumi Industrial and Development Co., Ltd. ☎ 0194-22-4434 http://www.ryusendo-water.co.jp/

Shikotsu no Hisui from Hokkaido Drawn from a naturally untouched source Mt. Tarumae towers over one corner of the ShikotsuToya National Park. This non-heat-treated, natural alkaline water is drawn from water flowing underground, accumulated over long years from the snow and rain that have fallen at the mountain’s base. A soft water containing a good balance of calcium and magnesium, its flavor is refreshingly mild.

Source: Tomakomai City, Hokkaido Prefecture; pH 7.4; hardness 63 mg/l; mineral content: Na 1.1 mg, K 0.3 mg, Ca 1.5 mg, Mg 0.62 mg (per 1000 l); price \120/550 ml, \220/2 l Contact: Oji Salmon Co., Ltd. ☎ 0120-661-885 http://shop.oji-salmon.co.jp/

Tenshi-no-Mizu, the legendary water of Mino

Natural reduced water with verified medicinal effects

Ultra-soft water that is gentle on the palate

Hakusan-Meisui is pumped from underground water at a depth of 240 m. It possesses powerful reduction capacity (the ability to remove rust), and contains almost no oxygen. Studies have verified that it acts in the liver to reduce neutral fats and cholesterol.

This natural mineral water is drawn from water that has been flowing for tens of thousands of years deep beneath the city of Mino, famous for its washi paper.

Ultra-soft water, it is gentle on the palate, with a clean taste that is easy to drink. It is also gentle on the stomach, and can be used to make infant formula.

Source: Kurayoshi City, Tottori Prefecture; pH 8.3; hardness 62.8 mg/l; mineral content: Na 13.2 mg, K 0.4 mg, Ca 20.8 mg, Mg 2.7 mg (per 1000 ml), price \150/500 ml, \350/2 l

Contact: Hakusan Co. ☎ 0120-401-893 http://www.hakusanmeisui.com/

16

Ryusendo Water

Abbreviations used in this catalog: Na = sodium, K = potassium, Ca = calcium, Mg = magnesium, Si = silicon

Source: Mino City, Gifu Prefecture; pH 8.2; hardness 8.5 mg/l; mineral content: Na 4.8 mg, K 0.6 mg, Ca 2.8 mg, Mg 0.3 mg (per 1000 ml); price \140/500 ml, \280/2 l

Contact: Giyo Co., Ltd. ☎ 0575-34-8180

MgNa 1800 ultra-hard water An alkaline hard water that is unusual in global terms

Tenkeisui, delicious water from the forests and clear streams of Chichibu

Natural mineral water springing from the Chichibu Paleozoic strata

Nagayu Onsen is found in the hills at the foot of Mt. Kujyu in Oita Prefecture.

MgNa 1800 ultra-hard water is an easy-to-drink version of the hot spring waters that have been used as healing baths by local people since ancient times. Particularly rich in magnesium, it has been approved as a nutritional functional food product.

The developer of this water was formerly involved in tofu manufacture. After noticing that changing the water completely altered the taste of tofu, he visited all the water sources in Northern Kanto to find this natural mineral water. It springs up through the purifying natural filters of the Chichibu Paleozoic strata.

Source: Taketa City, Oita Prefecture; pH 8.6; hardness 900 mg/l; mineral content: Na 290 mg, K 55 mg, Ca 13 mg, Mg 210 mg, Si 163 mg, sulfate 290 mg (per 1000 ml); price \180/500 ml, \600/2 l

Source: Chichibu-gun, Saitama Prefecture; pH 7.9; hardness 52㎎ /l; mineral content: Na 2.3 ㎎ , K 0.32 ㎎ , Ca 13 ㎎ , Mg 4.8㎎ (per 1000 ml); price \189/500 ml, \357/2 l, \2940/20 l

Contact: Nagayu Onsen MgNa Co., Ltd. ☎ 0974-75-3611 http://mgna.jp/

Contact: Aki Corporation 0120-82-0010 http://tenkeisui.com/

Sennin-Hisui

Zokkon Shikoku karst natural mineral water

Mysterious water that springs from within the tunnels of the Kamaishi Mine

Moderately hard water rich in minerals

The Kitakami-Kochi region is still the home of primeval forest. The source of Sennin-Hisui water lies 600 m below Mt. Omine, one of its many mountains. It was formerly a mine, and the delicious water was used by the miners before it went on sale as mineral water.

This weakly alkaline water springs from between Shikoku karst stalactites. A moderately hard water rich in minerals, it is nevertheless mellow on the palate. It also contains silicon, one of the minerals required by enzymes that strengthen vascular tissue.

Source: Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture; pH 8.8; hardness 29㎎ /l; mineral content: Na 2.6 mg, K 0.4 mg, Ca 10 mg, Mg 1 mg (per 1000 ml); price \150/500 ml Contact: Kamaishi Kozan Co. 0120-834-132 http://www.sennin-hisui.com/

Kanagi-no-Hana alkaline pure natural mineral water

Source: Seiyo City, Ehime Prefecture; pH 8.0; hardness 103 mg/l; mineral content: Na 1.3 mg, K 0.8 mg, Ca 40.4 mg, Mg 0.6 mg (per 1000 ml); price \150/500 ml, \350/2 l Contact: Zokkon Shikoku Co., Ltd. 0120-59-2550 http://www.zokkon.co.jp

Tonda-no-Mizu, Nanki Shirahama

Brimming with nature’s bounty from the Chugoku mountain range

Underground water from the famed mountains of the World Heritage Site

This water is drawn from Kanagi-cho, Shimane Prefecture, a region of great geographic and climatic variation and verdant natural surroundings. The rain and snow melt drawn down from the surface of the ground take hundreds of years to pass through natural filters, and the resulting water contains a good balance of minerals Source: Hamada City, Shimane Prefecture; pH 8.2–8.4; hardness 40 mg/l; mineral content: Na 24 mg, K 0.4 mg, Ca 18 mg, Mg 0.04 mg (per 1000 ml); price \136/500 ml, \180/1 l, \249/2 l Contact: KFG Co., Ltd. 0120-41-3024 http://www.kfg.co.jp/

Okuizumo no Ryujinsui

Bottled ancient water that wells up from an underground watercourse 90 m below a pass linking the mountains of Kishu-Kumano. Every year, 100,000 people come to bathe in this water. It contains a detectable natural sweetness, with a mild taste.

Source: Nishimurro-gun Wakayama Prefecture; pH 8.2; hardness 55mg ／ l; mineral content: Na 13mg、K 0.7mg、Ca 16mg、Mg 3.8mg（per 1000ml; price \1900 ／ 20l(including tax)

Contact: Tondanomizu Co., Ltd. 0120-87-1580 http://www.tondanomizu.co.jp/

aWa-shinsui natural sparkling mineral water from Oku-Aizu

An unusual natural mineral water containing germanium

Sparkling water that has been highly regarded for over 100 years

On one side of the forest that extends across the slopes of the famous peak of Mt. Azuma can be found the “dragon-god tree” (ryujinki), a tree winding around the large trunk of another tree that looks for all the world like a dragon climbing into the sky. It is venerated by local people as the guardian deity of the mountain, and Ryujinsui is the water that springs from close to its roots. Unusually, it contains germanium.

One of Japan’s very few naturally sparkling mineral waters, aWa-shinsui is drawn from Kaneyama-cho in Okuaizu, Fukushima Prefecture, which is known as the “home of the fairies.” It was already highly regarded over 100 years ago, but was withdrawn from sale due to the poor mountain roads and the difficulty of transporting it by horse or boat. Today, this legendary brand of water is once again on sale.

Source: Nita-gun, Shimane Prefecture; pH 8.4; hardness 16 mg/l; mineral content: Na 4.7 mg, K 0.4 mg, Ca 4.5 mg, Mg 1.0 mg (per 1000 ml); price \180/500 ml, \250/2 l

Source: Onuma-gun, Fukushima Prefecture; pH 5.0; hardness 57 mg/l; mineral content: Na 15 mg, K 3 mg, Ca 14 mg, Mg 5.3 mg (per 1000 ml); price \168/330 ml.

Contact: Okuizumo Ryujinsui Co., Ltd. ☎ 0854-52-3773 http://okuizumo-ryujinsui.com

Contact: Harves Co., Ltd. ☎ 048-830-0011 http://www.aizu-shinsui.com

2012 Aug&Sep

17

Evolving water treatment technology

The secret of safe, pleasant-tasting tap water Photography/Tomoya Takai Text/ JQR Editorial Staff

Conventional water treatment Intake tower

Draws water from rivers

The intake towers draw water from the Edogawa River. There are two intake towers at Kanamachi Purification Plant. Their unique shape makes them appear as if they are wearing hats.

Sand basin

Removes large particles of sand and dirt The water first passes

Director, Engineering Section, Kanamachi Purification Administration Office, Tokyo Bureau of Waterworks

through the sand basin.

Large particles of sand and

Junsuke Tada

dirt sink to the bottom. This may also include powdered

It’s not only safe, but it tastes good too

activated charcoal if water

There are only eleven countries in the world

advanced treatment.

where tap water is safe to drink. Viewed from this global perspective, Japanese water treatment

is not going to undergo

Advanced coagulation and sedimentation basin

technology is exceptionally good.

Removes tiny particles of dirt and turbidity A reagent called ammonium

The rapid rise in the standard of living that began

polychloride is added, making

in the late 1950s meant that ordinary families

the dirt that causes turbidity

started using large quantities of water. The

coagulate into masses that

resulting wastewater was discharged into the

sink to the bottom. The

rivers that provide sources of water, negatively

turbidity separates out, and

affecting water quality. In addition, the water

the clear water on top is drawn

treatment technology of the time was not

off.

capable of adequately dealing with ammonium nitrogen, which reacts with the chlorine used to purify water to generate the characteristic smell of chlorine, or dimethylisoborneol, a substance

New technology adde

that releases a musty odor, meaning that tap water remained smelly and discolored.

In 1993, the Water Supply Act was revised, and “desirable items” were added to water quality standards with the aim of supplying higherquality water. Since 2004, the Tokyo Bureau of Waterworks has set its own water quality targets.

These standards for smell, taste, and color are stricter than those laid down by the national government. Tokyo’s water supply is continuing to evolve in order to supply every household with safe tap water that tastes good to drink.

18

2012 Aug&Sep

Rapid filtration basin

Filters out minute impurities Tiny flocculent masses, iron, manganese, and other impurities are removed by a layer of sand. The increased demand for water led to the use of rapid filtration in place of slow filtration.

The fact that we can drink water straight from the tap is thanks to outstanding water treatment technology!

We visited a water purification plant to find out the secrets of this world-beating technology.

ed here

Newly introduced treatment technology

Advanced water treatment Ozone generation

Advanced water treatment makes a 健康維持に適した日本の水 difference to tap water!

A technology known as “advanced water treatment” has been introduced in order to clear these stringent water

A 6200-volt charge is applied in a technique known as “silent electric discharge,” converting some of the oxygen to ozone. Ozone is a pale blue gas characterized by its strong oxidizing power. When it oxidizes other substances it reverts to oxygen, meaning it is harmless to the human body. You can see the ozone shining blue at the back of the equipment.

Contact with water

水

Japanese natural water

quality targets.

Work began in 1992, and is scheduled to finish by April 2013. Until now, only around half the water supply, or 5.2 million m3, has been undergoing this advanced water treatment, but once work is finished all the water supplied by the Kanamachi Purification Plant will have gone through this process. The areas currently supplied by the plant are on the eastern side of Tokyo, including Katsushika, Sumida, and Koto wards.

This technology is a combination of chemical reaction with ozone and treatment with activated charcoal and microorganisms. It efficiently eliminates contaminants

Air containing ozone is blown up through a ceramic pipe at the bottom.

When it comes into contact with water it oxidizes and breaks down organic substances, including dimethylisoborneol, which emits a musty odor. The aim is to break down fibrous persistent organic substances in order to make treatment easier during the following process.

such as odiferous substances and synthetic detergents that were not completely removed by conventional treatment, and minimizes the amount of chlorine required for sterilization The introduction of this new technology has resulted in the emergence of tap water that is not only safe to drink, but tastes good as well. *Advanced water treatment is being introduced at a total of five water purification plants in Tokyo, including the Misato Purification Plant (completion scheduled for 2013) and the Asaka Purification Plant (completion scheduled for 2014).

Removal of contaminants by activated charcoal and microorganisms Contaminants are broken down and removed by the adsorbent behavior of activated charcoal and the action of the microorganisms that breed on its surface. Because the contaminants have been oxidized and broken down, they are small in size and are easily

Ready to drink!

removed by microorganisms. These microorganisms also help the activated charcoal to last longer.

Features of water purified by advanced water treatment

● No musty odor or chlorine smell 100% removal of dimethylisoborneol, which emits a musty odor, and ammonium nitrogen, which generates the characteristic smell of chlorine.

● Removal of synthetic detergents 80% of anionic surfactants can also be removed, enabling treatment even if some household

● 60% removal of trihalomethane, a hazardous substance Most trihalomethane, which is suspected of affecting the central nervous system, liver function, and kidney function as well as causing cancer, can be removed.

19

Superior Water Purification Technology

Tokyo embarks on helping developing countries of Southeast Asia and around the world improve their water infrastructure The rivers in Tokyo are far from being clean and yet, we have access to safe tap water, thanks to the sophisticated water purification technology. The government is now ready to export the technology and expertise to other nations faced with serious water problems. needs to do a lot more than just

responding to the regular rhythms of

water purification. In Tokyo, drinking

city life, as well as to special events.

water is extracted mainly from the

The control center is downtown but its

local rivers; after which it is filtered

exact location is a closely guarded

and purified with chemicals,

secret!

specifically chlorine, as is done in

Our aim is to supply this type of

most parts of the world. What is

high-quality drinking water to the

different in Japan is that, on top of

countries of the region, which will also

these stages, activated carbon is

be beneficial to Japanese business. It

added to remove any particulates

is clear that we shall have to adapt

and residues, resulting in extremely

each project to the local conditions––

pure water. Finally an ozonizer is

specifically the state of the local

used to remove any noxious odors,

economy––and that it will be vital to

such as ammonia, which is found in

effect a smooth transfer of

river water. Dosage plays a crucial

maintenance and quality-control

role, and must be adjusted daily so

expertise and technology. In certain

as to remain within the strict limits

areas, it will be necessary to build

Japanese filtration and other water

for undesirable particulates.

supply dams. We are currently in talks

purification products are famous and

This water-treatment method is not

with the city of Hanoi in Vietnam,

widely exported throughout the world.

unique, but another special feature

which requires a water-supply

In contrast, our water-purification

of the Tokyo water supply is that

infrastructure similar to Tokyo’s,

systems, expertise, and technology

purified drinking water arrives in this

though on a smaller scale. If the

have yet to reach the same stage. Two

condition at the domestic faucet. In

project succeeds, it will be the first

years ago we began to promote the

many countries either the distribution

export of a turnkey water-purification

export of “turnkey” water purification

infrastructure is so old that it

plant!

plants. Our goal is much more than

contaminates the water as it goes

just to turn a profit. We are prioritizing

through, or the pressure in the

countries near Japan that have

system is too low, which allows

problems with their water supply

outside matter to enter the pipes. In

infrastructures. Hence, the main focus

Tokyo, the pipe infrastructure, which

of our efforts is Southeast Asia.

is already resistant to leaks, is being

Without wishing to sound boastful, in

renewed to make it earthquake proof.

global terms, Tokyo is one of the few

Water pressure is always maintained

major cities where we water can be

at maximum, which means that even

safely drunk straight from the faucet.

when there is a leak, it's purified

When people go overseas, they usually

water that leaks out and not

opt for bottled mineral water, but in

contaminated water that leaks in.

Tokyo, the visitor can drink water from

The quality of the water destined for

the faucet without having to worry

domestic use is thus preserved as

about bacterial contamination or “la

long as the pipes themselves are

turista.”

properly maintained. In Tokyo, water

However, to get to this standard one

pressure is adjusted 24/7,

Takaaki Serizawa is director of international projects, Bureau of Waterworks, Tokyo Metropolitan Government

20

2012 Aug&Sep

Photo: Pictured here is the bottled version of Tokyo’s tap water or “Tokyo Sui,” which was created as part of the publicity drive for the Safe and Tasty Water Project. Distributed free of charge at events and for purchase at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and select facilities run by the city of Tokyo as well as through mail order, Tokyo Sui allows anyone to experience Tokyo’s tap water, which is the product of extremely sophisticated purification processes.

Tokyo’s Water Supply Network

Guarded by a multitude of measures to ensure water supply even during a massive earthquake Water supply is vital to our lives along with food, and ensuring water supply during an emergency is one of the greatest concerns for earthquake-prone cities like Tokyo. We asked Toshimitsu Takaoka of the Bureau of Waterworks, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, to explain what measures are in place to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

Toshimitsu Takaoka is director of the Tokyo water supply section.

Tokyo has a network of some 17,000 miles (27,000 km) of water pipes¬¬––long enough to go two-thirds the way around planet earth! The whole network is carefully controlled and managed so that the 12.8 million residents of the city’s 23 wards never lack for water––even when an earthquake strikes.

Firstly, Tokyo extracts its water from rivers controlled by numerous dams, two of which belong to the city. Hence, there is never any danger that the water will run out.

Secondly, the choice of water

water. They are mostly built under

infrastructure––the pipes––is itself

hospitals, schools, sports centers––

extremely important. The existing

the very buildings that would be used

network is made of near-

as refugee centers during an

indestructible stainless steel alloy.

emergency.

Thanks to this new material, the

The Tokyo water-supply network is

incidence of leaks has been reduced

equipped with thousands of pumping

from eight percent in 1998 to 2.7

stations that control the overall water

percent in 2010. The next step was

pressure and assures adequate

to devise joints that were almost

distribution throughout the city. We

impossible to break. We are in the

have installed small devices on the

process of renewing the entire

pumps to assist firefighters,

network with this new joint

especially in narrow lanes that are

technology. The idea behind this is

difficult to access with fire trucks.

that even if everything else fails, we

These devices can also be used in

will still be able to distribute water.

case of an emergency to create extra

With the right pressure, we can even

water supply points, which will

overcome rising ground.

reduce the need to transport water

Tokyo’s 23 wards are equipped with

with motorized tankers, which would

200 underground reservoirs through

be a logistical nightmare in a city

which drinking water flows under

with such a high population density.

normal conditions. When there is an

With a major earthquake expected in

earthquake, trapdoors close

the next few years, I am committed

automatically and the reservoirs fill

to providing the best emergency

up with enough water to supply the

water-supply system possible. Water

residents for three weeks––enough

is the one element that we cannot do

time to repair the network, even if

without during a natural disaster.

only partially. These reservoirs are located strategically so that no one should have to walk more than one and a quarter miles (2 km) to get Left: P ipes joined together using the conventional technology.

R ight: New joint technology.

The m etal fitting and the protrusion get caught w ith each other during an earthquake, and this prevents the pipes from sliding out.

2012 Aug&Sep

21

Pure water, a source of pride in Japan A visit to Rokugo, a village founded on water “Can you drink water straight from the faucet in Japan?” It’s a question I’m often asked, and which reflects a great source of pride for the Japanese: the quality of our drinking water. In this mountainous and predominantly volcanic country, spring water pours out from the ground like water from a garden sprinkler system. Since the Fukushima nuclear accident, I’ve noticed a growing concern to preserve and protect this “national treasure.” Rokugo, a small village in Misato District, Akita Prefecture, is just such a preciously guarded gem. It’s literally built on top of natural springs that flow so strongly all year round that they fill a network of small ponds with the purest water. The place sounded so interesting….

1

2

3

1. The NITEKO factory, whose name is derived from the Ainu language, is built over a natural spring, from which it extracts the primary ingredient for its century-old fizzy beverages.

2 and 3. The Yukochan local market for spring-water produce.

22

The tourist map I find at the

I cross the garden into a more

produce made with the local

train station recommends that

modern building, the Yukochan,

spring water. My eyes alight on

I take a bus to the village of

where three matrons are hard

a dish of freshly cooked fritters

Rokugo and begin my visit at

at work: One is grading baskets

on the counter. One of the

the NITEKO beverage plant.

of fresh vegetables; another is

ladies laughs and says,

Behind the building that dates

making homemade saké-flavor

“They’re made with the leftover

back to the beginning of the

gelato ice cream; and the third

bean curd from Okara tofu. I

last century, I walk into in a

is preparing small bowls of fresh

pop the still-warm fritter into my

beautifully laid-out Japanese

tofu for sale. I ask them about

mouth––heaven!

garden where I find the heart

the Yukochan, and they explain

of the firm: the natural spring.

that it’s a market for local

2012 Aug&Sep

I make my way to the village’s

暧水

4

5

in AKITA 4. The village lanes are ideal for cyclists and pedestrians.

5. The springs are signposted on the sidewalks.

small shopping street where I

Each is fitted out differently

go into a tiny general store. The

with a small bench and ladles

owner, Mrs Takahashi, greets

to drink the water straight from

me with a broad smile and gives

the spring, and each has its

me advice about how to start

name and history recorded on

my visit to the springs. To my

a signpost. The rain finally

dismay, the sky, which had been

stops, and the sky recovers its

a clear blue, has turned slate

sparkling blue clarity. Sometimes

gray, and heavy rain begins to

I feel that I am wandering inside

pour. Luckily Mrs Takahashi

a Monet landscape painting,

lends me her floral umbrella,

with great green pastures

and I can start my walk.

covered in daisies ‌ but here in Japan.

I wander down lanes paved with red and white bricks. Every 50

After walking along the village

yards or less, I come across

lanes by the paddy fields,

small ponds that look like small

I realize that the constant

craters set along the roadside.

supply of spring water that runs

6

6. Spring water flows at an impressive rate, like the lifeblood of the village.

7. Each crater-link spring along the road is fenced and kitted out in a different fashion.

7

2012 Aug&Sep

23

8

9

10

8. I sometimes felt I was wandering inside a Monet landscape painting.

9. Mrs Kanaya who kindly loaned me her umbrella!

10. The village houses draw spring water directly from channels.

along the channels like the

I go back to Mrs Takahashi’s

veins of the village naturally

to return her umbrella. She

irrigates the gardens and fields,

hands me a bottle of well-

producing an abundance of fruit,

cooled NITEKO cider, which is

vegetables, and flowers, and

surprisingly refreshing––neither

a rice of unparalleled quality

too sweet nor too gassy. When

that makes an equally delicious

I compliment her on the beauty

saké. This village is a miniature

and prosperity of the village, her

self-sufficient eco-system of

eyes momentarily lose some of

incalculable value. In a cake

their gaiety, and she says sadly,

shop, the owner assures me,

“All our visitors say that, but

“Our jellies and desserts are

they don’t stay. The population

good because our saké is good!”

is falling so much that soon the

And if the saké is good, it’s

two local elementary schools

thanks to the water!

where my grandchildren go will be forced to merge because

24

2012 Aug&Sep

there aren’t enough children.

“flowing noodles.” My stomach

But many of the refugees from

reminds me that I haven’t eaten

Fukushima have decided to

since the now distant bean

settle here, which is a good

curd fritter. I sit myself down at

thing.”

one of the tables. Handing me

MAP Akita Prefecture Moriokamoritake

a glass of water, the waitress I make my way back to the

explains that the restaurant

NITEKO plant, and as I have

gets its water directly from the

40 minutes to spare before

spring. She warns me to get

my bus leaves, I have another

ready because when the light on

look around the building, which

Showa-oga Peninsular Akita-kita Akita Airport Kawabe JCT Iwaki

Omagari

start to flow around the center

these past 100 years. I peak

of the table! After a hearty meal,

inside and I see what I first take

I finish my day’s adventure with

to be circular tables for Chinese

a delicious gelato, flavored with

food or indoor barbecues but are

the local saké, of course!

Yuda

Yokote

the wall goes on, the noodles

doesn’t seem to have changed

Akita Expressway

107

Yuzawa

Kitakaminishi

Omagari Station is around 3.5 hours from Tokyo Station on the Akita Shinkansen.

Rokugo is in the town of Misato, around 15 minutes by bus from Omagari Station.

really tables for nagashi somen, which translates literally as

11

12

11. Nagashi somen noodles––a deluge of freshness!

12. The Yutaro: a community hall created in an old saké brewery.

Rokugo spring water is used in local specialties.

The famous NITEKO cider has a rich traditional apple flavor.

Two famous local saké brands: Tsurumatsu made by Yachiyo and Harukasumikacho made

by Kuribayashi

Fruit jellies made with spring water and… saké!

Tinned beans and mushrooms preserved in spring water 2012 Aug&Sep

25

QR

Quality Review SPECIAL

Living with the Warmth of

The Aesthetics of the Joiner’s Art The Pride of Japanese Furniture Warmth and solidity, and the burnished glow of wood grain: Japanese furniture has an exceptional presence, Even more so when the wood used is so remarkable.

With centuries-old precious woods exceedingly rare today, we visited the worksh cabinetmaker who insists on using only natural wood.

Photos/Satoru Sato

26

Text/JQR

e

hop of a

2012 Aug&Sep

27

The rare natural woods lying in this warehouse have all been drying for more than 20 years. Toshio Oyamada examines a slab from an enormous ash felled in Asahikawa.

The giant was estimated to have been about 400 years old.

Thousands of pieces of precious wood, gathered from throughout Japan.

Cabinetmaker Gi-ichi Takemoto hand-planes a slab too large to fit into a machine. It is difficult to make such a large surface level, and even for a skilled craftsman, the work takes time. The slab easily weighs over 200 kilograms, and a crane is required to move it.

28

2012 Aug&Sep

A massive warehouse surrounded by trees

learned the basics of cabinetmaking. Under

at the foot of Mt. Fuji. Opening the door, I’m

the master’s supervision, he learned to

surrounded on all sides by piles of lumber,

identify the properties of various woods, how

some of the pieces taller than myself,

to cut wood within the smallest tolerances

closing in like a mountain range. Pieces of

and match hand-crafted interior fittings, and

fine wood numbering in the thousands, too

even acquired the techniques for creating

heavy for one person to carry, lie covered in

curved kumiko (mullion work), which require

dust. Seeing me staring at them wordlessly,

sophisticated design skills. Mr. Oyamada,

Toshio Oyamada says, a bit shame-faced, “I

with his dexterous fingers and his powerful

guess I got a little carried away.”

attraction to the beauty of wood, rapidly

The temperatures, seasonal changes,

improved his skills, and eventually struck out

dryness of the air, and other conditions

on his own while still a young man.

around Mt. Fuji make the region ideal land

After about 1960, however, a more

for storing and working with natural wood.

Western lifestyle began taking hold,

While the area prospered as a center for

particularly in the cities, and orders for

handmade furniture through about 1955, it

fittings and joinery work fell precipitously.

eventually bowed to the popularity of steel

Against his will, Mr. Oyamada put away

furniture, and one by one the region’s skilled

his woodworking, and made a switch to

cabinetmakers disappeared. It was in the

working with steel, boilers, and construction.

late 1980s that Mr. Oyamada decided to

This proved a success, and he soon saw

revive cabinetmaking here at the northern

his company performance soar. Once his

foot of Mt. Fuji, spending nearly a billion

business was doing well, he got the itch

yen to buy up choice wood from around the

to return to the fitting and joinery work

country, and devoting himself to building

he’d once put away. In the latter half of

furniture. He does more than just make

the 1980s, he turned his ample funds to

furniture himself; to nurture a new generation

collecting fine wood, and eventually poured

of traditional Japanese cabinetmakers, he’

himself into cabinetmaking with an even

s supervised dozens of young people, and

greater fervor than before.

invested his own funds. And yet, not even

With the 1990 enforcement of regulations

a handful of them have fully grown into the

which brought about the collapse of the

craft. While cabinetmaking certainly requires

bubble economy, however, his once-thriving

dexterity, in fact it is solitary work that also

company took a turn for the worse. This

requires a great deal of patience. The only

brought about a serious cash-flow problem,

way to become an expert joiner is to repeat

as did his having gotten “a little carried

the same tasks over and over, building up

away” with his wood collection. Fortunately,

experience. It’s difficult to expect young

his family came together to weather the

people today to have the patience to get

crisis, and all is well today, but as always,

that far.

his “hobby” faces some stiff criticism.

Mr. Oyamada was born in the town of

In fact, Japanese furniture can be quite

Fujiyoshida in 1938, the sixth of eleven

expensive, and is costly to make. There is

children of parents who owned a gardening

no doubt, though, that all who see it and

business. After graduating from middle

touch it are immediately captivated. This

school, he served as a live-in apprentice at

is nothing less than the product of the art

Ito Woodworking, in the Okuchi section of

created through the meeting of solid wood

Yokohama’s Kanagawa Ward, and there he

and the joiner’s craft.

Quality Review SPECIAL

This heavy, Japanese-style sideboard (W2100 x D600 x H1200) won an award for excellence at a nationwide furnishings exhibition held in 2011.

Zelkova with a lacquer finish. The top panel is a single, solid piece of wood, and the legs are also thick, giving the piece a sense of weight. The doors used as shutters to the left and right are made of strips of wood cut in a narrow wave-like shape and woven together. While they look like a single piece of wood, as seen in the photo they can actually be rolled up. It takes a full day to produce just one of these wavy strips, and all of them together required four months of work.

2012 Aug&Sep

29

Quality Review SPECIAL

Upper left photo: This small chest (W730 x D400 x H870) features a beautiful, glowing wood grain.

Castor-Aralia with a lacquer finish. Middle left photo: Japanese-style sideboard (W2100 x D600 x H1200). Zelkova with a lacquer finish. Lower left photo: Low chest (W1200 x D400 x H450).

Castor-Aralia with a lacquer finish. Upper right photo: A square brazier making extensive use of dovetail joinery (W950 x D480 x H400). Ash with a lacquer finish. A masterpiece that conveys the culture of Edo-era joinery. Middle right photo: A tea chest (W1700 x D450 x H1800) from wood cut so that the grains of the upper and lower panels match. Zelkova with a urethane finish.

Bottom right photo: A three-fold mirror (W1250 x D430 x H1700) making rich use of zelkova’s unique curly and whorled grains. Zelkova with a lacquer finish.

30

2012 August

This octagonal brazier (W1000 x D1000 x H400) is suited to a traditional tatami room. Japanese shioji ash with a lacquer finish. Steam rising from an iron kettle conjures images of old.

2012 Aug&Sep

31

One-of-a-kind furniture, Created by a craftsman Using natural wood.

This octagonal brazier (W1000 x D1000 x H400) is suited to a traditional tatami room.

Japanese shioji ash with a lacquer finish.

Steam rising from an iron kettle conjures images of old.

32

2012 Aug&Sep

All of Mr. Oyamada’s furniture pieces carry

steel. Gi-ichi Takemoto, a cabinetmaker who

on designs found in traditional Japanese

once apprenticed under Mr. Oyamada, put it

furniture. They aren’t a slave to the times,

this way. “You’re working with a tree that is

and have a stateliness about them. It’s

four or five hundred years old. And someone

surprising how much one piece, positioned

comes along who’s only been around fifty

alone in an empty space, can give off a

years or so, and who wants to cut that

certain aura. Traditional skills are brought to

tree up and turn it into something. It’s like

bear in finishing the pieces down to the last,

going into battle. On the one hand you

elaborate detail, bringing out the spectacular

look forward to it, but you’re also awed at

beauty of the wood. This is truly furniture as

the thought. What a person can make of it

art, and why such lavish attention is required

depends, I think, not only on his skill, but to

to create them.

a large extent on the mental side of things.”

Materials are limited to natural woods.

Incidentally, Japanese cabinetmakers

These are typically deciduous broadleaf

are known as sashimono-shi, or “joiners,”

trees that grow in Hokkaido or near the foot

and this “joinery” refers to the process of

of Mt. Fuji, places with major temperature

building things by fitting together boards or

gaps, and include zelkova, Castor-Aralia

pieces of lumber.

(Japanese kalopanax), ash, oak, and other

In building a chest of drawers, for example,

trees known for their beautiful grain. These

it is important to ensure that the front or

trees tend to contract as the moisture they

side pieces do not come off due to the

hold changes, easily distorting their shape.

weight put on them, or how they’re used,

This is why wood acquired as logs needs

or twisting or cracking of the wood. The

to dry for between at least 4 to 10 years or

advanced joinery techniques used in these

more. Once that process is complete, the

joint sections include the miter joint and the

wood is split into the parts needed to make

dovetail joint. They use no nails of any kind,

furniture, and these are then put through a

but once the pieces are fitted together, they

forced drying process for another 15 days.

never come apart.

Once they are completely dried, reducing

For example, the corners of Mr. Oyamada’

their water content to between 5 and 7

s square brazier use a dovetail joint, which

percent, the pieces can finally be used in

is assembled and then polished. This is

making furniture, but the amount that can be

designed to beautifully bring out the pattern

used represents just 25% of the wood from

of the seam on the grain of the inner

the original, unprocessed log.

surface of the wood, an effect that is truly

A very important part of the drying process

eye-catching. But as even Mr. Takemoto,

is the kidori, or the task of converting the log

a craftsman himself, points out, it takes a

to timber, cutting the lumber to ensure that

great deal of trouble, and is both a difficult

the growth rings that extend in a circle from

and a delicate task.

the center of the log are beautifully reflected

Perhaps in the end, the quality of a piece

as wood grain in the individual slabs.

of furniture depends on how insistent the

Only the gods know for sure what kinds

craftsman and his client are about the

of patterns the growth rings have created

quality of the wood and the techniques

within the log, and this is why the ability to

that go into its making. In that sense, Mr.

sense these patterns is said to be essential

Oyamada’s cabinetry is a valuable asset to

to the kidori process. A log, once cut, can’

Japanese furniture.

t be uncut, and the work requires nerves of

Quality Review SPECIAL A screen titled “Mt. Fuji with Seine Net,” dedicated to Omuro Sengen Shrine. Mr. Oyamada made this when he was 20, and while simple and elegant, the skill that went into the delicate and difficult curved kumiko (mullion work) is evident. The lines of the seine net are beautifully, sharply brought together, a feat of craftsmanship that would be difficult to replicate. While the art of the curved kumiko died out for a time, in 2009 Mr. Oyamada started supervising seminars on the subject, and in three years a total of 1,000 people have participated from around the country. The techniques are quietly making a comeback

Mr. Oyamada’s furniture is notable for the fine finish work taken down to the last detail. Upper left photo: Drawers that fit precisely and don’t rattle, but that open and close smoothly. Lower left photo: A beautifully finished curved shelf.

Upper middle photo: Drawer fronts with an outstanding wood grain and beautifully finished handles. Lower middle photo: A mirror frame inlaid with mother-of-pearl. A beautiful example of the craftsman’s skill. Upper and lower right photos: This kind of perfectly finished dovetail joinery brings out the beauty of the wood’s grain.

A testament to the work that goes into assembling, and then polishing the piece.

Inquiries: FUJI KOBO Contact person: Hitoshi OMIYA TEL&FAX ℻ 0555-85-2491 5347-6 Narusawa-mura Minamitsuru-gun Yamanashi Prefercture

Fuji House Kogyo KK. TEL 0555-23-3176 ℻ 0555-24-3176 1-6-18 Kamiyoshida, Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture http://www.oyamadanokumiko.com/ 2012 Aug&Sep

33

In Search of the Forces that Shape Japan

Continuous efforts and the Blessings of Nature in the Home of Japanese Whisky ～ A Visit to the Suntory Yamazaki Distillery ～

Malt whisky, created from pure water, malt and yeast and matured in a variety of casks, becomes rich tasting whisky through superb blending. A day spent in the Yamazaki Distillery gave us an appreciation for the complexity of this process.

Photography/ Satoru Naito Text/ JQR Editorial Staff

A pot that was used when the distillery was first established is now found in front of the Whisky Museum.

With an abundant supply of pure water

wells up from the ground. It was here,

carefully selected to match the desired

and a moist, verdant environment,

in 1923, that Japanese whisky began.

outcome.

Yamazaki has all the necessary conditions to make it the ideal place

The fermented liquid, wash, is

The Whisky Making Process

for crafting whisky.

34

transferred to pot stills, and twice distilled to become a clear transparent

One day, at the beginning of the rainy

During the whisky making process the

liquid called new make. In the distillery

season, we made our way through

raw ingredient, barley, is germinated

we saw sparkling golden pot stills

the grounds of the Suntory Distillery

and dried, and the resulting malt is

lining both sides of the passageway,

toward the fermentation room, listening

finely ground then mixed with warm

each shaped slightly differently to

to chief blender Seiichi Koshimizu as

water to convert starch into sugar

produce various types of new make.

we walked. Above us bamboo thickets

in a tank called a mash tun. This

The new make created through this

and overhanging trees dripping with

mixture is filtered to produce a clear

process is transferred to casks and

rain seemed to enfold the buildings.

liquid known as wort. The quality

allowed to slowly slumber and mature

Yamazaki is at the base of Mount

of the wort is affected by the water

in a cool, gloomy warehouse.

Tenno, on the southwest edge of

used, so a plentiful supply of good

the mountain range surrounding the

quality water is essential. Next, the

Kyoto Basin, where the three rivers

wort is transferred into vats called

of Katsura, Uji and Kizu merge. Since

washbacks, and yeast is added. The

A whisky’s flavor becomes rich over an

antiquity this region has been famed

choice of yeast is a major influence on

extended period of time, so naturally

for the superb quality of the water that

a whisky’s taste and smell, and so it is

Mr. Koshimizu is extremely particular

The Reason for Maturing in Casks

Rows of giant pot stills in the distillery. Direct-fire distillation and indirect steam distillation are applied.

Clear, transparent new make is transformed into amber-colored malt whisky inside the casks.

2012 Aug&Sep

35

1

about the maturation process. He also

endeavor in the whisky world, and this

finds it fascinating how malts with

combination of malt whiskies has given

completely different characteristics are

birth to the single malt Yamazaki 12

created depending on the material of

years and Yamazaki 18 years.

the cask.

”The base malt whisky has a very good

“The Puncheon cask is made from

balance and a firm taste. We combine

specially selected North American

this with various types of malt tastes

white oak. It imparts a bright amber

such as sherry or smoky. Creating

color to the new make, and a sweet

whisky from the combination of these

aroma like vanilla and coconut. In

individual characteristics is what really

a sherry cask the color becomes

makes a Suntory malt whisky.”

extremely dark, but the malt contains lots of polyphenols and has a feel of

What is Required of the Blender?

raisins, dried fruits and jam about it.

The man behind many of Suntory’s hallmark whiskies, chief blender Seiichi Koshimizu.

36

2012 Aug&Sep

This Mizunara (Japanese Mongolian

The temperature and humidity of the

oak) cask was made by us. The malt

warehouses varies slightly according

has a complex aroma, and a very

to location. Malts that spend a long

distinctive lingering aftertaste.”

time in each place accordingly undergo

As we listened to Mr. Koshimizu’

unique changes with the passage of

s explanation, we also did tastings.

time. The blender must be thoroughly

Every whisky had a distinct and

familiar with the individual character

individual kind of sweetness. All

and maturing properties of every single

had aged twelve years, but it was

cask, and have the skill to imagine

surprising how different each one was.

what can be created.

At the Yamazaki Distillery they truly

Unlike a sommelier, the job does not

do craft malt whiskies with a variety

stop at describing a particular taste,

of individual characters. That’s a rare

a blender is required to create that

2

3 1.From left: New release Yamazaki; Yamazaki 10 years, 12 years, and 18 years.

2. The beautiful natural surroundings include a small waterfall and pond in the grounds.

3.New make turns amber after long years in the warehouse, with the volume also decreasing naturally.

4. The Yamazaki Distillery, surrounded by forest on the slopes of Mount Tenno. This rich environment is gifted with an abundance of pure water.

4

taste. Being restricted by the stock is

to the Scots.

particularly challenging, according to

Yamazaki is a soft and subtle whisky

Mr. Koshimizu.

with a delicate bouquet. Perhaps there

“When you set out to make a 12 year

is a secret formula handed down for

or 18 year single malt whisky, you may

making this whisky?

have an malt that’s very appealing,

“It’s an individual thing. It’s probably

but if it’s not like that in ten or twenty

not something you could convey even

years it can’t be used for blending.

if you put it in writing. When you

Regulating stock is vital if you want

experience an incredible taste for

to continually produce high quality

yourself, the next time you’re worried

whisky.”

or not sure about something, that

It’s a real challenge knowing how to

memory comes back. Even if you put

combine and reproduce flavors so that

that into a manual, it wouldn’t be very

there is no change in quality year after

useful.”

year. The blending recipe is set every

Mr. Koshimizu spends time with

year, but this is looking five or ten

the junior blenders at the Yamazaki

years ahead, he says.

Distillery, tasting the same malts and

The production process we observed

creating whiskies. How much of this

was no different than that for Scotch

the young blenders take in he doesn’

whisky. Yamazaki, however, clearly

t know, he says, but this is how his

has a different character from Scotch.

ideas and tasting evaluations are

We asked Mr. Koshimizu about this.

handed down. The fruits of this effort

”That’s because it’s made in Japan.

will emerge ten or twenty years from

It’s not just the different natural

now in the whisky made by these

environment—water, climate and

young blenders.

geography—but the fact the Japanese style of artisan production is different

Guided Tours of the Distillery The Yamazaki Distillery holds free guided tours that cover the production process and include tastings. The tour lasts about one hour and reservations are required. Also at the site is the Yamazaki Whisky Museum, where you can see an exhibition on the history of whisky, visit the Whisky library, or make purchases at the factory shop.

Osaka Shimamoto Station

Suntory Yamazaki Distillery

JR Tokaido Main Line

Hoshaku Temple Rikyu Hachiman Shrine 離宮八幡宮

Minase Shrine

Yamazaki Station

Kannon Temple

Taian Oyamazaki Station

Hankyu Kyoto Line

Suntory Yamazaki Distillery Yamazaki 5-2-1, Shimamoto-cho, Mishima-gun, Osaka ☎ 075-962-1423 http://suntory.jp/YAMAZAKI_D/ 2012 Aug&Sep

37

apan J t u o b A Talking

を

話 A Con

そ

●

う

ith Foreig versation w

Are you spending your summer vacation in Japan?

n Residen

Stéphan Forest Kumi Cardinal

ts

Intense heat, stifling humidity––Japanese summers, particularly in Tokyo, have a reputation of being very difficult to bear. Many of Japan’s foreign residents choose this time of year to go back to their home countries, and thus “flee” the worst of the heat. Others, however, would not dream of leaving Japan during the summer months, because they think it’s the best time to make the most out of Japan’s many tourist attractions. JQR meets two diehard fans of the Japanese summer to get the inside information on the best vacation destinations.

JQR: What do you think of Japan as a

JQR: What are your first memories of

vacation destination?

vacationing in Japan? : When I was a little girl, I used to

: The first thing that you really

come to visit my mom’s family, and my

notice when you get to Japan is how clean it

fondest memory is visiting Asakusa and the

is. I’ll always remember the sparkling

Nakamise market street. For me it was like

handrails of the escalators at Kansai

stepping into fairyland! The colors, the

International Airport!

bric-a-brac in the small shops and stalls, all

: That’s right. How clean it is and the sense of personal safety are two of the

these tiny details that stand out in my mind ….

reassures them as soon as they get here.

JQR: So where do you spend your summer vacations? : I’ve been mostly to Honshu, events of last March (Fukushima nuclear

JQR: A street fit for a princess!

foreign tourist who don’t know anything about Japanese language and culture. It

: Why go anywhere else? It’s the best time to make the most of Japan!

Greater Kanto, and Okinawa. After the

things that strike visitors as soon as they arrive; and this makes it much easier for

: I’ve just been back to France for the first time in five years, so…

accident), we decided to take a family holiday in Ozu in Ehime Prefecture, where

: Yes, a street fit for a princess!

Stéphan: For me––and you’re going to tell

my in-laws live; it’s extremely picturesque. : I spend most of my summer

me that it’s a bit of a tourist cliché––my best

vacations in the mountains. I like to go to

vacation destination for the Western traveler.

memories of my first visit to Japan were the

the north Japan Alps, whose gateway is the

You don’t come to spend a few days in

great temples and shrines of Nara. I was so

small village of Kamikochi, which is at an

Japan as you would in Spain, say. You

awed by their grandeur. And it was a few

altitude of almost 5,000 feet (1,500 m). It’s

needs time, a certain amount of planning,

months after the Kobe earthquake, what

a popular tourist destination with the

and, of course, money. It’s reassuring to

really impressed me was that these wooden

Japanese, and has many hotels and ryokan

know that once you’re here, you won’t have

buildings hadn’t suffered the least damage.

(Japanese-style inns), which most people

: Japan isn’t the most accessible

to worry about personal safety. I remember

use as a base for hikes into the mountains.

the first time I saw drunk “salarymen” passed

JQR: Do you really spend all of your

You should see the Kappabashi suspension

out on park benches in Osaka, I immediately

summers here?

bridge, which is the symbol of Kamikochi.

thought: “Wow! In France, they’d wake up without their papers and pocketbooks!”

38

2012 Aug&Sep

Everyone has to have his or her picture : Every single one!

taken on the bridge!

Summer vacations in Japan

Talking to foreign residents in Japan

Meet our ewees!!! i two interv

StĂŠphan Forest

Kumi Cardinal

A French citizen, he has lived in Japan for 12 years. He is passionate about medieval history and loves traveling around the country. He works as a financial consultant and also manages a competitive cycling team.

A Canadian citizen with a Japanese mother, she’s lived in Japan for the past eight years. She works for a firm specializing in speech-recognition technology. She can’t imagine spending her summers anywhere else.

2012 Aug&Sep

39

: Yes, it’s still part of Tokyo Prefecture.

You leave in the evening at around 10pm and you arrive around 8am the next morning.

You spend the night onboard ship and when you arrive at the island, it’s hard to get your land legs back!

JQR: You get “land sick”! : Ahah! That’s right! And though its a tiny little island, there are so many things to do there! : Really? I thought there was nothing to do! : It’s worth going just for the overnight boat trip. And there is hiking, diving, cycling …. Before it was a favorite spot for wedding parties, but today it’s much quieter.

JQR: Now the island is more an ecotourism or slow-life destination. : Absolutely. One goes there to get back to nature, far from the stress of big city

All: Laugh : I like to go hiking with real climbers for two- or three-day hikes. The views are breathtaking. And it’s great to get away from the suffocating humidity of Tokyo and breathe cool fresh air. : That’s right! As soon as you’re an hour outside of the city and heading for the mountains, you can feel the air getting cooler. We sometimes visit one of my wife’s friends who lives in Ida, in the south part of Nagano Prefecture. Even though its in a depression surrounded by mountains, it’s still cooler than Tokyo. : Another thing I’d recommend is to stay in a mountain chalet rather than in a hotel. The ones on Mount Okuhotoka are really well kitted out, with small libraries, living rooms, it’s real luxury mountain living!

All: Laugh : Another thing that surprises to this day is that, as a foreigner living in Tokyo, I still get looks from people that remind me that I’m a foreigner, but when I visit the mountains or small villages, people talk to me in Japanese just as they would any other visitor.

JQR: And that makes it a better experience? : Yes, you aren’t made to feel like the “big bad gaijin”!

40

2012 Aug&Sep

JQR: What are you secret vacation spots?

life for rest and recovery. And you can make the return trip by plane.

: Hachijojima!

: I’m a fan of Shimoda. It’s not too far from Tokyo, and because it’s easy to get

JQR: It’s quite an adventure to get there!

there, I love to spend time there. It’s got some great beaches, but it’s also a rocky,

: By boat, yes!

mountainous region.

: That’s the island on the very southern edge of Tokyo?

JQR: When you go on vacation in Japan, it’

Summer vacations in Japan s always a good idea to reserve before you go, isn’t it?

Complete with snakes and all. : Oh… I haven’t been there yet! : Then in Naha, I love the palace,

: Absolutely! You have to go for the full-board option because there are very few restaurants in the countryside or they close very early. And the Minshuku (bed and breakfasts) always serve excellent local food. : Food is a very important part of vacationing in Japan. Everywhere you go, you’ll find really great food––and each region has its own specialties. : When we go on a family vacation we always stay at minshuku or “pensions” (Western-style inns), and never in hotels. I have very great memories of a little place hidden in the mountains near the beaches of Shimoda. They can only host three or four couples at a time, and they cook with a real passion, always using local produce, bought from the local fishermen and market gardeners. The food they serve wouldn’t be out of place in a top restaurant. I’ve never been disappointed.

which is completely different from what you see everywhere else in Japan. It’s a mix of Chinese and Japanese architectural styles. I’ ve seen temples on Okinawa that remind me of Korean architecture, with its trademark green and red paint…. : I love the island at the other end of

old samurai mansions, but all of the architecture is stunning. : Speaking of architecture, the old farmhouses in Toyama with their thatched roves are also well worth a visit.

JQR: So why do you think so many foreign residents go home during the summer months?

the country: Hokkaido! As a Canadian, it’s the most Canadian part of Japan, and the scenery there reminds me of home. : Space! When you live in Tokyo, there’s so little space that when you arrive on Hokkaido you find huge parking lots at the malls, and the same shops as in Tokyo but on a much bigger scale! The expanse of nature… Furano in particular with its lavender fields that flower in July with the mountain chains in the background––it’s really stunning. : Although I haven’t been there,

: It’s true that it gets really hot here, but…. : You get used to it!

All: Laugh : It’s true that the Tokyo summer is very hot and humid, but it's easy to leave the city and find places that are cooler, or at least where the heat is more bearable. : One hour’s train ride away, it’s already much cooler. : That’s right, why go anywhere else???

that’s the image I have of it, too. : There are also some beautiful places in Tohoku––Lake Tazawa in Akita Prefecture,

: Full board is a must. : Another place I really love is Okinawa, especially the northern part of the island near Nago. It’s funny but when you come from Tokyo––the big city––you always think there’s not enough greenery, but in Okinawa, there’s a lot of greenery, but not forest, it’s honest-to-goodness jungle!

Summer is the best time to discover Japan!

for example.

Stéphan: The famous lake with the statue! I’ ve been there as well. : Yes, and the small town of Kakunodate, which one visits on foot. It’s nicknamed “little Kyoto.” In April the weeping cherries are spectacular. You can also visit

The temples, architecture, scenery… the food!

2012 Aug&Sep

41

in SHIBUYA in

渋谡 Blue, blue, blue!

Bermuda shorts

Both men are wearing Bermuda shorts. The one on the left is wearing blue from head to toe with a striped T-shirt for a nautical twist.

Fashion in Japan Since 20 0 6, Lebiz Tokyo Fashion Consulting has been developing Benchmark and Trends Reports for clients from all over the world. It is also well-known for its original concepts: the Tokyo Fashion Tour (guided shopping tours) as well as its live Tokyo photos website: www. fashioninjapan.com The Fashion in Japan website provides fashion snapshots of Japanese streets and stores, covering all the market segments and trends per product, age, sex and area. Its slogan: "To be ahead of fashion, Open_your_ Eyes & Imagine_the_ Future" Their founder, Frenchman Loic Bizel (39), has earned nicknames such as "cool hunter" and "trendspotter," although he describes himself as "the foreign eyes of Japanese Fashion." He has been dealing with the Japanese fashion market "from the inside" for the past 15 years.

His team's experience and connections help foreign firms to tackle the Japanese market effectively.

42

2012 Aug&Sep

Maxi skirt

o in Toky s d n e r g hot t Spottin

P A N S T E E STR Photography & Text/Fashion in Japan

Spring trends spotted by the eye of Fashion in Japan...

The summer heat is well settled over Japan.

Time to show those legs, guys! Yes, Bermuda shorts are popular with men this season, a relatively new fad in Tokyo. The girls, on the other hand, are hiding their legs under maxi skirts to protect them from the sun. Panama hats are a must and the trendy color is blue, blue, only blue!

in HARAJUKU in

Panama hat

ĺŽ&#x;县 The two women in the center are both wearing maxi skirts. The one on the left has a soft pink chiffon and pleated version, while the one on the right is in a cotton ethnic print variety. This has been paired with a denim top and, of course, a panama hat!

2012 Aug&Sep

43

1 2

1

Plus Koji Brings Koji to Everyday Life

Marukome is well known for its miso products, but now the company has brought out a new

HotPick

What's N

series called Plus Koji. Koji is a natural mold used to make many things, including sake, miso and soy sauce. This new series has eight products, including Koji Jam (150g, open pricing) that maximizes the natural sweetness of saccharified rice starch. It has many uses, such as being spread on bread or mixed with yogurt like a jam, or used as a sugar substitute when cooking sweet and savory foods.

Because it contains no preservatives or artificial coloring, koji is a food you can feel safe about including in your daily diet.

Inquiries: Marukome ☎ 026・226・7454

2

Sleeping Bags to Wear at Camps or Festivals

The Humanoid Sleeping Bag series (five colors, 11,130 yen ) from Doppelganger Outdoors is, as the name suggests, a sleeping bag with a human shape. Freedom of movement for your arms and legs make it possible to walk around while wearing it. Have fun with them and your friends at camps or festivals, or when you want to take a quick nap in the car. A wider range of colors is planned for the future. The line-up includes a smaller fitting size (10,500 yen) and a looser fitting version (11,550 yen).

44

2012 Aug&Sep

Inquiries: Sony Mobile Communications Customer Inquiry Center: Free dial 0120-111-156

ks

New

3 Selection

4

2012 August

The editorial staff’s pick of the latest must-have products. This month we bring you another selection of new products that you’re bound to want.

4

Vacuum Cleaner Provides Cleanliness and Peace of Mind

The Sharp Cocorobo RX-V100 (open pricing) is a robot vacuum cleaner. What makes this device unique is the Cocoro Engine, an artificial intelligence that lets it follow voice commands and speak. You can choose from

3

New Soft Drink is Packed with the Taste of Okinawan Foods

As part of a collaboration with Food Action Nippon, a movement that aims to preserve the flavors of Japanese

Japanese, Chinese, English or the Japanese Kansai dialect. By connecting Cocorobo to a LAN network, images taken by its mounted camera can be sent to a smart phone, making it possible to check rooms or pets remotely.

Inquiries: Sharp Customer Service Center 0120・078・178

ingredients for the next generation and improve the food self-sufficiency rate, Japan Tobacco has introduced Okinawa Kokuto Cola (Okinawa brown sugar cola, 147 yen). This cola drink is packed full of the alluring flavors of Okinawa. Rare Hateruma brown sugar and mineralrich salt from Ishigaki Island is used to enhance the refreshing aftertaste of this new carbonated drink. The label design has a strong Okinawan feel, with information on the reverse side about the ingredients and where they come from.

Inquiries: JT Drinks Customer Inquiries 0120・223・622

Equipped with a highly concentrated plasma ion cluster-7000. Plasma ion clusters are released throughout the room during cleaning.

2012 Aug&Sep

45

Vol. 5 Touring the Festivals of Japan

Art and Agriculture Share the Stage (June 14) Otaue Rice-Planting Festival at Sumiyoshi Taisha

Yaotome Dance

Center stage

An ancient dance performed on the center stage by 8 of Sumiyoshi’s shrine maidens Gold fan decorated with artificial irises

The dance is so old that some of its verses are recorded in the The Pillow Book, a 10th century text

The ones wearing a yellow sash are the ondakou, men who care for the paddy year-round

A lavish festival in hopes of a fruitful autumn It’s a pain to go out in the sticky heat of the rainy season, but there is one festival you can only see at this time of year—the Otaue rice-planting festival.

In rice-growing Japan, since ancient times rice planting has been both farm work and a time to pray to the gods for a good harvest. While their forms may differ, rice-planting festivals are held in every part of the country, and the Otaue ritual at Sumiyoshi Shrine, which

46

2012 Aug&Sep

I visited recently, is one of the largest and most colorful.

It’s June 14, the midst of the rainy season, but luckily the weather in Osaka started out sunny. The 2,000 square meter rice paddy on the shrine’s grounds had already been filled with water, which reflected the blue sky during this break in the wet season.

At 1 p.m., everyone participating in the ceremony received a ritual purification

in front of the main hall, then paraded in a line around the edge of the paddy.

In all there must have been about 300 people, including the kaeueme—the maidens who would do the planting— the yaotome, or ceremonial dancers, costumed warriors, and the younger dancers.

One group that really stood out was the women called ueme, with their yellowgreen outfits and flower-bedecked hats.

This rice-planting festival, which takes place at a shrine in downtown Osaka, is an ancient rite, a record of which can be found as far back as the Heian Period, in the writings of Sei Shonagon.

Illustrations and Text/Itaru Mizoguchi

She’s a bit excitable

The saigyuu, or sacred ox, tills the paddy before planting

Sumiyoshi Taisha

The sacred ox is raised especially for this ritual (2 year-old female)

The ones in red sashes are called kaeueme

This young girl is having trouble walking in the deep mud Data on the Sacred Paddy Area: About 2 tan (or around 20 are/2000m2) Harvest: About 8 koku (around 1200kg) Variety of rice: Hinohikari

Their role is to receive the rice shoots from the priests and take them to the paddy. In the old days, courtesans from the pleasure quarters in Sakai used to fill this role, but in the Meiji era they were replaced by geisha from Shinmachi. Today, traditional Japanese dancers have taken over the part. No wonder they’re so lithe and beautiful--I couldn’t help admiring them.

Maybe it was this colorful, shiny procession that did it, but suddenly

the ox that’d been pulling the plow in the paddy got so excited, she yanked the guy holding her rope down into the mud. She had her horns pointed at him, and for a minute it looked like she was about to toss him into the air. There was an uproar as the people that tried to stop her got knocked down too, but fortunately nothing serious happened.

Thank God. Really!

Finally, then, the planting ceremony begins. The shoots are planted on

the north side of the paddy by the kaeueme, with their red sashes, and on the south side by the ondakou, men in yellow sashes. On the stage set up in the middle of the paddy, eight shrine maidens perform a Shinto dance to the accompaniment of a traditional gagaku orchestra and singers. It’s a leisurely dance, rustic and yet graceful.

Next, the gagaku music changes to the sound of the three-string shamisen, and a dancer called a mitoshime, dressed 2012 Aug&Sep

47

Ueme (planting maidens) The ueme receive the young shoots from the priests in the Hondensai ceremony This decoration is called a “cotton flower”

It also protects the wearer from evil spirits and from lightning

Serving as ueme are 8 Japanese classic dancers selected by the Kamigata Cultural Arts Association

They arrive at the shrine dressed like this at about 10:30 in the morning

Bare feet in straw sandals Beautiful!

in Heian period costume, comes out to perform a new dance created in 1952.

Her costume may be Heian, but her performance, closer to something you’d see in a teahouse in the pleasure quarters, was fun to watch. Apparently it’s a rain dance, and rain is essential to the planting season.

This is followed by a group of brave, costumed warriors acting out a battle with wooden lances, then a rice-planting dance, and finally the Sumiyoshi Odori, a dance where little girls hop up and

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2012 Aug&Sep

down while hitting their fans. A man called the kyoudoushi carries a large parasol, and taps on the shaft to keep a rhythm as he calls out “Ee~ Sumiyoshi sama no iya hoe”. Once you hear the unique intonation of his song, you’ll never get it out of your head. By the time this dance is finished, the rice paddy is completely covered in the bright green of the rice shoots, bringing the ritual to a close.

They say that singing and dancing while you plant the rice helps increase the

vitality of the grains that lay within the shoots. With such a splashy ceremony, I’m sure they’ll grow up big and strong.

Since the rice is grown without pesticides using the aigamo method (ducks used to eat insects and weeds), the shrine plans another event in July, when they’ll have kids from a nearby kindergarten help release the ducks into the paddy. That sounds like fun, too!

Sumiyoshi-mai (dance) It’s supposedly also danced to chase bugs away from the rice

The dance is said to have started as a way for the people to welcome the safe return of Empress Jingu from her conquest of Korea. d, fore Go in g b e r t h a r e c n a D “ and ea h e ave n “ l… eterna

Local elementary and middle school girls

As they dance, they use their fans, decorated with bells, like tambourines

Sumiyoshi Shrine’s Power Spot

A cedar tree

Gojou-Gozen

It’s said that if you can find pebbles marked with the characters for “ five”, “great”, and “power” among the stones laid inside the fence, your prayers will be answered.

Considered the spot where the deities of Sumiyoshi shrine were first worshiped You put them in this lucky bag

It is also where the spirits of the gods are welcomed

[Sumiyoshi Shrine Otaue Rice-Planting Ceremony] [Sumiyoshi Shrine Otaue Rice-Planting Ceremony] One of Japan’s three major rice-planting festivals, this ceremony is held on June 14 of each year to pray for an abundant harvest.It was said to have started in the third century, when Empress Jingufirst had the sacred rice paddy established here, and is known as a colorful,lavish festival that preserves all the ancient formalities. The music, singing, and dancing that take place as the rice is planted is said to increase the vitality of the grains that lay still-dormant in the rice shoots. At Sumiyoshi Shrine, they also hold an autumn event called the Takara-no-ichi, where the harvested rice is offered to the gods, as well as the Niiname Festival, where thanks are offered for the year’s bounty.

Sumiyoshi Shrine Website: http://www.sumiyoshitaisha.net/

[How to Get to Sumiyoshi Shrine] ●By train ・The Nankai Railway A 3-minute walk from Sumiyoshi Taisha Station on the Nankai Line A 5-minute walk from Sumiyoshi Higashi Station on the Nankai Koya Line ・The Hankai Tramway Just steps from Sumiyoshi Torii-mae Station on the Hankai Line (By streetcar) A 2-minute walk from Sumiyoshi-koen Station on the Hankai line

Sakuragawa Koya Namba Line Nankai Tennoji

Hankai Line

Sumiyoshi Park

Sumiyoshi Torii-mae

Sumiyoshi Higashi

Sumiyoshi Taisha

2012 Aug&Sep

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Sake to Drink From a Wineglass

In Praise of Fine Sake Vol.

Kurosawa Akira

15

Niida Honke

139 Takayashiki, Kanezawa, Tamura-machi Koriyama-shi, Fukushima Prefecture info@sakecellar.com <mailto:info@sakecellar.com> e-fax 03-6385-7622 <tel:03-6385-7622>

● Alcohol:15% ● Seimaibuai (rice milling percentage): 70％ ● Nihonshu-do(Sake Meter Value + dry, -sweet): ＋ 1 ● Acidity: 1.8 ● Amino acidity: 1.7 ● Rice: Toyo-nishiki (100% Japanese-grown organic rice) ● Volume: 750ml

Text/ Kaori Haishi (sake sommelier) Photography/ Susumu Nagao

A flavorsome full-bodied tribute to a Japanese citizen of the world

water from natural sources. The

almost any temperature. If drinking from

Kurosawa Akira label was created to

a wine glass, the ideal room temperature

celebrate the centenary of the late film

is about 10°C. Overchill, and much of

director's birth, Niida Honke having been

its rich rice character is lost. It is also

Japanese sake was originally a pure

chosen as the brewer for this most

excellent warm. Even heated to a

worthy of commemorations.

slightly higher temperature than usual it

The text on the suitably substantial

remains robust, delighting the drinker by

bottle is in Kurosawa's own hand, and

exhibiting different personalities at

as if to complement his robust, dynamic

different temperatures.

calligraphy, the sake's flavor packs quite

When it comes to food options,

a punch. “Kurosawa Akira” brims with

“Kurosawa Akira” is best teamed with

the intense flavor imparted by old-style

well-seasoned dishes, and is the perfect

yamahai-shikomi brewing, an intensity

complement to a surprising range of

further sustained by a delicate balance

food, from Japanese sukiyaki and

of acidity and sweetness. Its slight

simmered fish dishes to things like liver

golden tinge glows even more in the

paste and pork rillettes, or even Chinese

light, radiating an almost luxurious

cuisine. Its possibilities as a meal

beauty. This is a sake with a quietly

accompaniment are truly endless. No

understated tone more reminiscent of

discussion of sake is complete without

oxidized silver than the dazzle and flash

sampling this brew.

beverage made entirely from rice and water. This changed with the rice shortage following World War II and led to the emergence of imitation brews, called sanzoshu, which contained additives such as brewer's alcohol diluted with water, acidifiers, and MSG. Cheap sanzoshu varieties became instant bestsellers, threatening the market for junmaishu. Despite this difficult situation, the Niida Honke brewery resolutely kept the faith.

Believing that sake must be a “good and healthy drink”, the brewery has been producing junmaishu exclusively ever since 1711, using 100 percent naturally-grown (chemical-free) rice and

of the movie world.

“Kurosawa Akira” can be imbibed at

The next issue will be released on Thursday October 25, 2012.

2012 Aug&Sep

53