Shochu is one of my favourite spirits and the amount of ingredients that can be used to make it is one of its main appeals. On my shochu journey I’ve tried sweet potato, rice, barley, kokuto (brown sugar) and a category that’s blown my mind recently is soba (buckwheat).
Specifically, Takara towari soba shochu blew my mind because of how good it tastes and here are my thoughts.
Continue reading “Takara Towari Soba Shochu Is A Mind-Blowing, Shape-Shifting Sort Of Spirit”
As an industry, marketing is huge in the west and is the foundation for which popular culture and products are built on. I’ve always been curious how it’s perceived in Japan and it was great to have all my questions answered by Johnny Pawlik.
Co-founder of Mantra Media, Pawlik have worked on many international marketing campaigns centred on Japan and infuses Japanese philosophy into his view of marketing.
In terms of ingredients, shochu may well be the most diverse spirit on the planet. Japan’s best kept secret can be made from lots of unusual substances. I’ve gravitated to more niche varieties of shochu and Tantakatan shiso comfortably sits in that camp.
A shochu with a fishy tale behind it, there’s a lot to enjoy about this delightful drink.
When it comes to running your business there are only so many hours in the day and in today’s fast-paced digital world it’s vital that you have a high-quality website. And the content on your website can make or break your brand because it’s key to how your customers interpret your products and services.
From web pages to blogs, every little piece of content counts and devoting time to focus on all that detail isn’t everyone’s cup of tea! That’s where a copywriter comes in and Yamato Magazine happens to be run by a content writer who loves getting to the heart of a brand’s story and sharing that story with the world.
That’s why Yamato Magazine offers copywriting services to Japan-related, hospitality and travel businesses. If you’re curious about content writing then you’re in the right place, so read on to find out more about these services.
Ever tried Japanese shochu? If not, you’re missing out on a world of incredible flavour and history. Yamato Magazine has become something of an evangelical space for Japan’s indigenous spirit and diving down the shochu rabbit hole continues with the beautiful kinjo shiro shochu from Takahashi Shuzo.
Continue reading “Kinjo Shiro Shochu Review: Sweet And Savoury Heaven In A Glass”
They say some drinks are an acquired taste and with shochu that rings true. Because once you’ve developed a taste for Japan’s national spirit, you’ll fall down the rabbit hole and want to discover as many varietals as your hands and wallet will allow.
One of the latest drinks I’ve tasted on my shochu odyssey is Kaido blue from the Hamada Syuzou distillery, which is also responsible for the glorious Daiyame sweet potato shochu.
Continue reading “Kaido Blue Shochu Review: A Savoury Crowd Pleaser From Hamada Syuzou”
When it comes to Japanese ingredients, koji is one of the most versatile and misunderstood food products out there. I like to think of it as the Batman of the fermentation world because it’s the hero mould we need and deserve. It elevates everything it comes into contact with and makes food and drink more delicious.
So, it’s always great to see more brands spreading the koji love and that’s the case with Koji Soupe. I caught up with owners Yota and Noriko Suzuki, who are on a mission to bring more koji awareness to Montreal.
Read on to learn more about the business, what got them interested in fermentation and where they see the future of Koji Soupe.
In the UK, sake is experiencing something of a revolution through the likes of places like Moto and Kanpai Brewery in the South of England and The Sparrows in the North. Distributors are also leading the charge for getting nihonshu into the hands of the masses, with London Sake being at the forefront of the conversation.
With an ever-growing and diverse portfolio of sake and shochu to choose from, London Sake is a brand that should be on the list of sake fans across the UK and beyond.
Continue reading “Why London Sake Is One Of The Best Places In The UK To Get Your Sake Fix”
The life of a sake brewer
Is somewhere between science and poetry
Harnessing nature on the smallest of scales
Living, breathing, organisms, working, together,
Stop watches, singing, koji spores blooming,
See the moromi dance and bubble
Controlled and perfected over centuries
Terroir of the land
Terroir of the people
Filtered down into mythical proportions
Stories bottled and shipped
Spreading the message one sip at a time
Kanpai
In Japanese culture, few images are more enduring than the geisha. A romantic symbol of classical Japan, geisha are traditionally shown as enigmatic, elegant, powerful, sexual and even lonely figures who have become a shadow of their former selves in the modern day.
Literature and popular culture has over romanticised geisha, though it’s also made it harder to determine what is fact and what is fiction. So, who are the geisha truly? What makes them stand apart in Japanese culture? What were their duties and how did they function in daily society?
Continue reading “Understanding The World Of The Geisha And Their Place In Japanese Culture”
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