石鎚バーで出張唎酒師をやらせていただきました(Ishizuchi bar in Singapore)

先日、シンガポールに石鎚バーがオープンしました。そのオープニングイベントが4月16日に行われ、そこで出張唎酒師をやらせていただきました。
Ishizuchi Bar was launched in Singapore on 16 Apr 2017 and I provided Kikisake-shi (a.k.a. Sake Sommulier) service in the opening ceremony.

当日は、中村愛媛県知事、篠田在シンガポール大使、Euporium Shokuhin社長のリム氏、そして石鎚酒造の越智専務の来賓を初め、多くのゲストの方々をお招きしての、盛大なセレモニーが行われました。
VIPs and many guest celebrated the opening.

石鎚酒造は愛媛県の小さな家族経営の酒蔵さんです。
昔ながらの手造りで、とても質の良い日本酒を造られています。
Ishizuchi Shuzo (brewery) is a small family operated brewery located in Ehime prefecture.
They produce a good quality sake in a traditional handmade method.

イベントでは、石鎚酒造のお酒2種（石鎚純米大吟醸と純米吟醸　春の酒）とカナッペが振舞われました。純米大吟醸は派手さはないけれども、とてもきれいな酒質でやさしい味わいの、職中主として楽しめるお酒です。純米吟醸春の酒は、純米大吟醸よりも小さい仕込み樽で造られた季節限定品で、もう日本では売り切れで、ここでしか手に入らないそうです。フローラルで春らしいお酒に仕上がっていました。
In the ceremony, 2 Ishizuchi sake (Junmaidaiginjo and Junmaiginjo Haruno sake) with canapes were
servied. Ishizuchi Daiginjo is has calm and moderate ginjo aroma, clean and refreshing flavor with a gentle umami balanced well with elegant acidity. Junmaiginjo Haruno sake, a limited seasonal sake in spring, has a floral aroma like spring, soft umami and comfortable acidity.

バーはリカーショップを併設していて、石鎚銘柄に関しては、日本でも石鎚のお酒がここまで揃っている酒屋さんはないのでは、というほどの石鎚ファンにはうれしい品揃えです。その他、愛媛県の日本酒を中心に他の地域の銘柄も豊富に揃っています。
The bar is also perform as a liquor store and you will find a great range of Ishizuchi brand, the other brands in Echime prefecture, and some other brands in Japan.

場所はMarina SquareのEmporium Shokuhin内です。是非、いらしてみてくださいね。
It's located in Euporium Shokuhin in Marina Square. Let's try!

Japan Sake and Shochu Information Center - Tokyo, Japan

Hello Sake and Shochu lovers,

Happy New Year 2017!
Today, I introduce a great place for you to learn and experience sake and shochu.

Must visit Japan Sake and Shochu Information Center when you visit Tokyo, Japan.

This is a very informative place for foreign sake and shochu lovers where you can get a variety of information on sake and shochu (museum and concierge) both in English and Japanese, affordable tasting from a long list of sake and shochu at the cozy table with a tablet device. I spent a very good time there to taste some sake while read articles on the tablet. Don't miss it.

Japan Sake and Shochu Information Center

A cozy cafe style atmosphere

long list of sake and shochu for tasting

They usually offer 50 varieties of sake and shochu from 100yen per glass

I chose sparkling sake, aged sake and kijoshu, today.

It's very difficult to chose from the attractive list.

Cheers!

A short trip to Ueda City

Early in the morning, I left Tokyo for Ueda City in the Eastern Region of Nagano Prefecture, which is located almost in the center of Japan. It is 190 km from Tokyo (1 hour 20 minutes by the Shinkansen, bullet train).

Ueda is a small pretty city where history and traditional landscape of the middle ages is still alive in and has become better known across the country because of the popular “Sanada Maru” television drama series broadcast in 2016 about a samurai warlord clan connected to Ueda.

Arrive at Ueda Station

The emblem (6 coins) of the Sanada clan on the wall.

The remains of Ueda Load's house. 

The high school is build there now.

Ueda Catsle Park

Ueda catsle was build in 1583 by Sanada clan, replaced by Sengoku clan in 1622, and by Matsudaira clan in 1706. 

It was dismantled, leaving only the stone ramparts and one yagura around 1868 with the end of the Edo period, the samurai 

ara and the site was made into a public park. The two yagura shown on the photo above were rebuilt in 1990s.

Only one yagura was remained

CIty view from Ueda Castle Park

Yanagimachi on Old Hokkoku Kaido (street)

where historical landscape still alive

Yummy local delights

The signature food is Soba. Fish and vegetables from the mountains

 Yummy Local Sake and Wine

Shinshu Kirei from Okazaki Brewery(left) and unfiltered nouveau from Hasumi Farm

The sake brewery and the wine shop is located on the street.