Pop Culture and Japan

Becoming A Sake Sommelier In Lockdown

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When people look back on being in lockdown, there’s going to be a lot of conflicting emotions. From my perspective, one of the positive things is being able to have more time to pursue interests and new goals. When I look back on lockdown, it’ll be with the knowledge that I used that time to become a certified sake sommelier.

Japanese sake was the kind of hobby that took me completely by surprise. It made its home inside my head and took me down a rabbit hole that led to a certification that fills me with pride and enjoyment for the future. Here’s what it’s like to become a sake sommelier during lockdown.

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Awamori Reviews

Chuko Yokka Koji Awamori Review: A Complex And Earthy Spirit Perfect For Whisky Drinkers

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Yokka Koji awamori.

The world of Japanese spirits is truly fascinating, as it taps into centuries of tradition, culture and craftsmanship. Awamori channels all of those aspects into liquid form, as unique as Okinawa. 

All of the awamori distilleries in Okinawa are passionate about sharing their products and one of the most innovative brands is Chuko, who’ve created the awesome Yokka Koji awamori. I was recently able to get my hands on a bottle of the stuff and it blew me away.

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Flights Of Fantasy

Flights Of Fantasy: Geralt Of Rivia

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Geralt of Rivia.

When it comes to sake, there’s something magical about drinking Japan’s national drink. The same can be said for shochu, which is produced from a huge range of ingredients that create different flavour profiles. 

Geralt of Rivia is a character who’d develop a taste for shochu and here’s a Flights Of Fantasy edition that showcases the kind of styles The White Wolf would enjoy.

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Guest Posts · Sake Reviews

Guest Post: Kanpai Brewery Kumo Tokubetsu Junmai Nigori Review

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Kanpai Brewery tokubetsu nigori sake.

As the only affordable sake brewery currently operating in the UK, all eyes are indeed on Kanpai. Yet, the Peckham-based business have much more to recommend them than simple default.  Sake enthusiasts Lucy and Tom Wilson opened the trendy microbrewery in 2017, and quickly won the respect of other aficionados across the country, and most impressively of all, from industry operatives and experts back in Japan.

Covered several times already in Yamato Magazine (along with several gushing pieces in the national press), there’s no need for another extensive history here. It’s enough to say that all of the praise is deserved and that Kanpai are in no small part responsible for the ever-increasing interest in sake across Britain.

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Oubaitori Life · Pop Culture and Japan

Oubaitori Life: Johnny Silverhand

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Learning about Japanese philosophy is a great way to discover new life lessons and apply them to daily routines. Oubaitori Life examines the Japanese concepts that fictional characters apply to their routines and an interesting character to focus on is Johnny Silverhand from the Cyberpunk franchise.

A soldier turned anti-establishment rockstar and freedom fighter, Silverhand surrounded himself with Japanese concepts on a regular basis. 

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Japanese Cuisine

Native Soil: How The Earth Affects The Flavour Of Sake

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Yamada Nishiki rice.

Sake production is a magical process that requires a great amount of skill, with the ingredients being a key factor in the finished product. Rice, water, yeast and koji are the main ingredients for brewing nihonshu. 

Another important factor to producing great sake is soil, yet it’s often overlooked. Soil imparts different nuances into sake, differentiating by region and rice varietal. Here’s why the earth should never be taken for granted when it comes to making sake.

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Japanese Cuisine · Pop Culture and Japan

Making The Case For Koshu Sake

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Embarking on a journey into the sake world means coming across a countless number of varietals.  From the type of rice used to the final flavour, there’s so much variation across the categories and a type of nihonshu that’s gained traction in recent years is koshu.

Known as aged sake, koshu can be recognised by its distinctive dark colouring and depth of flavour. Although there are no official rules for the category, sake must be aged for a minimum of three years to qualify as koshu. 

While considered a niche product today, there was a time where koshu was considered the cream of the crop, signifying its potential to rise to the top of the mountain again. The history of koshu is like the drink itself: intriguing, complex, full of contradictions.

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Women Warriors

Women Warriors: Masami Odate

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Japanese history is filled with stories of onna-bugeisha and kunoichi, proud warriors who fought for what they believed in and those stories continue to repeat themselves in the modern day. 

Wrestling is a medium where many Japanese women are leaving their mark, redefining the industry and kicking down doors. A woman at the forefront of this movement is Masami Odate, better known by her ring name Io Shirai.

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