Kazeno-Mori Junmai Shibori!

Descartes once said that “I think, therefore I am!” And with that one phrase he became the father of modern philosophy. “I drink good sake, therefore I am” is what I say, and boy, did I choose a good one.

(This oil painting was rendered by one of my Jukujo moms….H.M.)

Another gem of a sake has been discovered once again, but this time from a prefecture in Japan called Nara which hardly ever gets any attention for its sake, but rather for its temples and shrines, most notably Todaiji, which is regarded as the largest wooden temple structure in world! Nara, the ancient capital, is also regarded as the Mecca of Japanese Buddhism, and the cradle of civilization for much of the country; the place where the samurai became civilized and enlightened, actually.

The sake once again is called Kazeno -Mori, a Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu Shibori. Muroka means it’s not charcoal filtered. What charcoal filtering does to sake is clean it up and make it look clearer. Some experts argue though that the sake looses some special quality about it if it’s filtered. I agree….

Nama means the sake is unpasteurized, but rather micro-filtered instead. Genshu means it’s undiluted. Most normal sake is diluted down in order to lower the alcohol content, this sake isn’t. Junmai means that this sake belongs to a premium class of sake where the rice is polished to about 70%. What this generally does to the flavor is give it a full fruity body, nice structure and a well roundedness. Shibori means squeezed or wringing.

Generally, premium grade sake uses either Yamada-nishiki or Go-hyaku-man-goku rice grains, this sake however, is using something called “Tsuyuba-kaze” a privately grown and cultivated brewers rice from Nara which is virtually unheard of in the sake world.

The nose on this sake was just wonderful. I must’ve sniffed it about three or four times before the first sip. The bouquet on this sake was so alluring with its hints of floral and pear that was so soothing to my senses. Goddddd….I’m still sniffing it.

The fruity flavors just fills the whole mouth up. The nihonshu-do or sake meter value is plus 2, making it fairly sweet, but pleasantly sweet and dainty, even. Oh, she’s beautiful. I’m talking to her right now. I’m looking at her through my Riedel Daiginjyo sake glass.

I am being assaulted by pears and flowers left and right. Beau Timkin where are you? You need to try this one! Man, I’m not saying this is the best sake, but it’s one that should be features on your site!

The tail finish is excellent leaving the mouth clean. No unnatural flavors. Even as I start to binge on this sake, there are no unnatural or unusual flavors. My tongue doesn’t start to loose the sensation of taste.

Hulking Bovine Beauty

Towering at 186cm/or 6’2, Erika Araki is one of my favorite volleyball players.  She’s also a favorite type of mine. 

Her dominance on the floor is only second to Oyama Kana’s, I think.  Nevertheless, she has proven her worth as an excellent addition to Team Japan and a formidable spiker against her Western rivals. 

I have always enjoyed watching the infusion of  strength and beauty at work.  Asian female athletes have always had this dynamic, I think, where they can play hard in one sport while maintaining a sense of natural feminine beauty off the court, as opposed to female Western athletes who tend to appear a bit… masculine on and off the court. 

(“There are just some female athletes in the sporting world that even I would shy away from in a cage match….The Olgas and the Eva Brauns types….”)

 

This reminds me of the time when I was playing a one-on-one in Santa Monica with this spry young Japanese girl I had met at a language school in the area.  I took her out to play basketball with me just before her class had started.  She was very cute indeed and she had a gorgeous pair of well developed thighs.  As I recall this story,  it’s a miracle I am not cockeyed now because when I picked her up on that early Saturday morning she was wearing biker tights!   I had to literally drive with my cocked left eye, while the right eye cocked and bobbling to the side looking down at those gorgeous hams.  She made it to the park with me safely, don’t worry.

 

We played one-on-one three times and she beat me all three times!  How much was I to bare this early in the morning?  Getting bumped and grinded by hips, ass, and thighs, and then slapped in the face with that fine thick black mane as she dribble the ball into position moving into the key.  I can still remember the smell of her shampoo.  I can still remember the look of determination in her eyes, she was playing for keeps and bragging right that she was able to beat this POOR and distraught and confused American guy.   

After that, there were chances to further explore her athleticism, but I didn’t seize the opportunity she had offer to me on several occasions.  

The ideal of Japanese beauty is the infusion of strength, beauty, and determination.  This is the hallmark of Asian beauty.

Asia is only as strong as its weakest link

With the departure of Taro Aso, the 59th Prime Minister of Japan, who had only proven to be just a "flash in the pan" and a major let down for many including his staunchest supporters, Yukio Hatoyama has now assumed the helm as The Boss.

Japan is now faced once again with the same bleak prospects of having to choose which resource laden country it wants to foster relations with, along with whatever concessions that comes along with those choices. Once again, Japan is placed in the international spot light of having to either play the traditional double hegemony role between America and America's foes in a bid to bolster its fledgling economy and its depleting natural reserves, or to seek a new direction, one that could possibly usher in a new era of prosperity for Asia through the possible emergence of a new and dynamic type of Asian co-prosperity sphere where America plays a supporting role rather than a leading one.

Never in all of modern history as Asia ever been poised to take front and center stage as the new “Rome of the East” and the leaders of the free world through its aggressive style of market economics. Japan has been the missing link, which has weakened the progress of this Asian economic unity. However, The Boss is looking to the East, and like the late Emperor Showa who once shared an affinity with the last Emperor of China, Puyi, is now embarking on reconciling those relations with the new leaders of China who too are eager to embrace Hatoyama’s Japan as the prodigal son and the missing economic link to all of Asia.

China, with its economic and military might, could be a formidable backer for Japan’s political interest in areas that it had traditionally depended heavily on the U.S. for, like its bid to secure a seat on the U.N. Security Council whereby China could reverse its previous decision to reject Japan’s bid, could now see Japan as a formidable Asian ally in an all “white” dominated security council. And quite possibly the interest of Asia can be front and center once again while restoring dignity to the world by lessening America’s power base.

It’s America that’s indebted to China, not the other way around. There are huge stakes in keeping America afloat, though, but this time with, and I’m sure the Europeans would also agree, a less powerful and less influential America is better for world peace.

(“ Striking while the iron is hot!”)

The question still remains, though. Is Japan ready to make its own foreign policy decisions for its own economic interest, even in the face of scrutiny, or will it once again bow down to the West...? Not under Yukio Hatoyama’s watch! but then again, that's what I said when Taro Aso took office and look at what became of him and his administration.

However, in recent years, Japan has been fine tuning its double hegemony practices by exploring oil interests in Libya, a country with 39 billion barrels of crude oil reserves, and a country once regarded as an enemy of the United States, a terror state. For the first time in history five Japanese oil firms were awarded contracts to drill for oil in Libya. Now, from an economic stand point this presents a long term benefit for the country. As to what impact these contracted oil fields will have is left up to speculation, though.

Now, back in 2004, there was another project to tap Iran's giant Azadegan oilfield, a deal that was worth 2 billion dollars. Japan came under strong condemnation by the U.S. for making back door deals with America's enemies. Thankfully Japan didn't back down under U.S. pressure over its own deals. Thank goodness Japan was able to show some balls on this one and to not allow itself to be intimidated and bullied by America’s interest.

The big question now that’s facing Yukio Hatoyama’s Japan is how far it is willing to develop its relations with China, a country which has had a long and thriving relationship with Iran, for centuries even. Iran aligns itself politically with the PRC and the PRC supports Iran’s interest in nuclear energy, which the U.S. claims is nothing but a cover up for Iran’s attempt at acquiring a nuclear weapon. China condemns this claims as a groundless accusation by the United States and its Allies, and has asked that such rhetoric be rejected from discourse on Iran. “Way to go,” I say. Noone ever questions America’s nuclear arsenal, America should follow suit and not question other nations.

It’s this rejection of the West that I am liking now. Asia is showing that it has teeth and that it can create and carry out its own initiatives. I think Mr. Yukio Hatoyama was right in choosing to deal first with his Asian neighbors, and by choosing to do this is showing that he is willing to break from tradition, which shows that he is a maverick in his own right.

I do believe that in the next six months some major policy shifts will begin to take form. With wars waging in Iraq and Afghanistan America has its hands tied in one of the biggest quagmires since the Vietnam War, even bigger perhaps. And while thousands of American soldiers who have all died spilling blood for oil in vain, with purple colored trigger fingers, Asia remains capable of solving it’s own issues, especially in regards to N. Korea, and some smaller Asian nations in the South-East. Asia has my VOTE of full confidence to be the next leaders of the world.

:Akita Komachi Hyouten Junmai Ginjo

On the way home the other day I stopped over at this neighborhood liquor store just to poke my head in the door to see what kind of stuff they had.

Within seconds I was greeted by throngs of old Japanese men who almost drug me into the store. Of course after I had said konnichiwa they swore up and down right then that I was fluent in Japanese! So rather than get barraged by countless questions I started talking about sake. Then they were really impressed. They treated me like I was the prodigal son who at long last returned home from living in the world.

(This is her robed)

The oldest of the five went for the fridge and snatched out about five different sake, most of which were from either Akita or Yamagata. Now, I love all of the sake that comes out of this region of Japan, but there were two that I had to get and the one I’m drinking now is my feature sake for today.

(unrobed)

First off, the sake brewery is called Tenju and it’s located near the beautiful Chokai Mountains in Akita prefecture, home of the Akita bijin ( fair skinned ladies written about in folklore in Akita). It’s a sixth generation sake brewery replete with all the history of old Japan. The brewery was established in 1874, which was also in the same year Japan’s first political party emerged called the Aikoku Koto (Public Party of Patriots). Sometimes it’s good to add an historical reference just to get an idea of the Times.

The Sei-Mai-booh-Ai (精米歩合) or the ratio of rice removed during the milling process is 50%. Standard table rice, the stuff you eat, is 10%. The actually rice used to brew the sake is called, which is very popular, Akita Komachi and is widely sold through-out Japan at very reasonable prices. The alc. content is at about 17.5%, which is something I really like because I hits you very gradually and then lets you down very sofly. The SMV or nihonshudou (sake meter value) is at plus 1.0, which is a measurement of the relative density of a sake. Simply put, normal sake at plus 2 is fairly sweet whereas plus 6 and up tend to be dry, of course this is not a RULE so to speak. There are sake out there with lower SMV and that are not dry.

(Ridel Daiginjyo Sake Glass Ware. Every sake geek should have one)

Another neat thing about this sake is that it was brewed in the most extreme cold temperatures, more than average actually, almost freezing temps.

Sake made from Tenju is excellent for having an elegant nose with full and well rounded tastes.

About the taste:

[What you are looking at is indeed an Akita Bijin, albiet, from a much older generation and without the make-up and without the costumes that are worn up there. Just simple, nice, and dignified!]

The nose is very elegant, almost like a fine white wine. The taste is complex, fruity, and dynamic. It fills the entire inside of the mouth up with flavors and aromas. I really enjoyed drinking this sake. The after-taste is clean and smooth.

On This Day in History: United Nations, 1971

A lot of things were happening all over the world in 1971. The President of the United States at that time was Richard Nixon, Republican, who was the first U.S. president in history to resign from office amid scandal. He was also the first U.S. president to not only visit China but the first president to ever normalize relations with that country which it had considered a foe for quite some time.

In 1971, war was also raging on in Vietnam as Asia was being swallowed up by the Communist and as a result China for years had branded Vietnam the "Cuba of the East" and had regarded its brand of Soviet style communism dangerous not only to China but to all of Asia. China eventually attacked along Vietnam's borders in an unsuccessful attempt to force the Vietnamese out of Cambodia. This action by the Chinese was an attempt to show the world that it wasn't just a paper tiger but a leader on an international level, and a country that could prove its might for the greater good of world peace in the Asian-Pacific region. The other reason worth mentioning is that China initiated this military action unilaterally without drawing support from the United States.

This was a unilateral act by Beijing to show its force against the Soviet threat of communism. And this is specifically why I believe is the real reason why Japan, even though a member of the United Nations, has never been able to garner enough votes to secure a seat on the U.N. Security Council.

Under Kofi Annaan's general assembly, Japan wasn't able to act in its own interest on a military level during and after the Cold War, and that this was a deciding factor in its rejection on the Security Council, despite Japans generosity to the U.N. I do believe that China has shown some initiative in being an international presence, but I do not think that that warrants them the right to a seat on the council, let alone as a member of the U.N., especially with its human rights abuses.

I do believe, however, that the Japanese deserve a seat just for having the willingness to assist the international body in international affairs. There's plenty of reason why it could be argued that the Japanese are not ready; their present day constitution which contains over 50 entries from the American Bill of Rights, which also prevents them from having the collective ability to wage war in the interest of peace.

China never had to make any compromises in order to be inducted into the Security Council nor the U.N. Even with its Maoist style of Communism, which is just a euphemism for the PRC or nationalist, and its quasi-free market economy, China is still very much so a communist regime in the broader sense. In the case of Japan, a country with the second largest trade surplus in the world, which also has a vibrant economy and a workable Democracy is very much, in my opinion, deserving of its own seat on the council, not just a membership in the U.N.

Having assisted the United States in the war against terror and its refusal to acquire nuclear weapons, along with its initiatives on the environment, Japan has certainly earned its right to be considered a member of the international community with full entitlements and benefits. The problem is is that Japan hasn't proven that it can wave a gun in somebody's face yet, and that it can do so without the approval of their "big brother" the U.S.A.

(" Wave a gun and get respected...mabye? Until then your membership in the United Nations is limited to fake smiles and cold fish handshakes. Thanks for being the largest donor to this organization.")

Basically, the general assembly said "HELL NO" to the only country in the world with a war renouncing constitution that prevents it from acting in its own interest. A country, Japan, which has sworn to never wage war again is not worthy of a seat on the security council because it cannot prove to be an effective member of a group of nations that wage wars in their own interest. Which leads me to question the merits of the Security Council....and its legitimacy in the world as a peace maker or a peace breaker...., but that's another argument.

In closing, I do believe that Japan, having been a member of the United Nations governing body for over fifty years, has most certainly earned it the right to be a member of the security council, too. In the case of China, having been one of the original members of the U.N., and then acquiring security council membership in 1971, has not done much to further peace at home and in the world. So where is the merit in being a member of the security council, or the U.N. for that matter? How has being a member of either of these organizations furthered world peace and stability…? Where was the U.N. and the security council during the mass genocides in Darfur and Sudan, after 70,000 people were butchered to death?

I often times wonder what kind of country Japan would’ve been like had it gotten a seat on the security council thirty years ago!? I wonder what the general “psyche” of the nation would've been like had the country played a more active role militarily in world affairs instead of being a lapdog for the U.S.….?

Porn: Non Pro Obasan Club!

Shinjuku is literally flooded with porn shops that sell and rent porn flicks 24 hours a day. I remember stopping by one particular shop that was selling Jukujo DVDs for 1000 円, the guy behind the counter sold a few of his favorites to me, and this cover is from one of them. The lady in the read coat was the very first time I had ever seen a “Jukujo” on video, and I think that was back in 1998…..

Her name is Hirata Ritsuko; age 46; 3 kids. She has absolutely no talent when it comes to acting in my opinion. In fact, It’s her lack of acting ability that makes her so appealing to me. She can’t act! And this is another reason why I chose this DVD, no acting is required, hence the name ‘non pro obasan club’. I’m not much for story lines either and I absolutely can’t stand when music is played in a porn flick. Just the natural sounds of two people making it out is best.

Porn is no stranger to Japan. I mean you can watch any kind of smut flick out here, anything! In America, it’s the same, but here in Japan, well, the Japanese take things to a whole new extreme. A whole new dimension of sickness exists out here in terms of the porn industry. Porn has been around in Japan for quite a very long time, actually, so, it could be said that there is some cultural relevance there.

I’m not sure I want to delve into some of the different types of porn, actually. Perhaps the rarest DVD I have seen has something to do with a nose fetish where some Japanese guy gets off by torturing women’s noses by attaching hooks to their nostrils then pulling until the actresses faces are distorted. I have no idea how anybody can get off on that….

There’s a favorite porn shop I frequent around my area, and it’s the only one since it has an entire section devoted just to ‘Jukujo' and at fairly reasonable prices. In addition to that they also sell the Japanese version of ‘easy glide’ at 100 yen a bottle, pocket sized, since you’ll never know when you’ll be in a tight situation.

Just up the street and around the corner there is an adult movie theater which features mostly Jukujo and Gay porn. I haven’t mustered up enough courage to go there, yet. I will, though, as soon as I can get a free day. You see, they operate on banking hours! That’s right, 9 to 5. Not like in America where most adult movie theaters stay open all day and all night long. That’s probably has something to do with where I live, but then again the night life where I live is vibrant every night.

About two weeks ago, this student/customer of mine handed me three DVDs; one bootleg movie called Grand Tourino which he had copied and the other a porn flick that had way too much mosaic. After about three minutes I stopped watching it and threw it away. Some skinny anorexic was on it and you know I am not into the anorexic types who squeal like little babies at the mere sight of a penis.

At any rate, for my own personal record I had to document my first Jukujo! She is still number one for me.

The Law of Contradiction

The U.S. of A.  It's difficult to understand America. 

The law of contradiction is what governs America.  It was the slave owners who declared " We hold these truths self evident that all men are created equal."

I mean, we are the most godless and the most religious; the most puritan and the most lascivious; the most charitable and the most heartless of societies; we are interventionists to the degree that we are isolationists; we espouse Thoreoux's Maxim that government governs best which governs least, yet we look to Washington to address our every problem. 

 

Our environmental conscientiousness  is out matched by our environmental recklessness; we are outlaws obsessed by the rule of law; we are individualist who speak of family values; we are a nation of fat people with anorexic standards of health and beauty; the only things we love more than nature's wilderness are malls and hyper-technology.

Twisted Fujiさん

This is a picture of Mount Fujii from start to twist. I think it’s lovely, don’t you?.  I think so much of the human  body goes under-appreciated.  Smooth tofu complexioned   skin, a full head of thick black hair, well developed and well toned hamstrings are just examples of really nice things one can appreciate here in Japan.

In most of my entire corpus I have always written about this  affinity towards a kind of natural order and balance in day-to-day living.  I liken things like sake and food to the female body in many ways.  I think what’s best enjoyed is when one can experience the taste of good sake, delicious food,good sleep, and Jukujo, and of course onsen  all together.  

There is just something about Jukujo who love sake.  I mean they just liven up and release themselves and allow fate to carry them into a natural direction.  My direction.  The last sake event I had attended did just that.

Have human beings forgotten about the order of being natural to the point where material things replace the nascency of human evolution and the development of our conscious awareness of human sexuality and sensuality?  You humans all still have a very long way to go. I mean,   something as pure and as simple as breathing and sweating….Are these things not beautiful?  I do believe that the greatest evolutionary challenges facing mankind is his/her own mind.

Let me tell you, the day  humans become so prudish that they no longer love their own bodies, and the sensual pleasures that come along with it, because of some quirkish morality switch in their minds that tells them to shun such natural things, will be the undoing of everything that’s natural, pure and beautiful.  We were fearfully and wonderfully made, almost with god-like qualities.

The greatest challenge of evolution is if humans can live up to those qualities.  Being godly is sexual.

“Daijirou!”

Back in the day when I was traveling all over Japan, I remember seeing old Japanese men drinking either beer or nihonshu for breakfast.  In fact I recall a time when I was staying at an onsen ryoukan overnight once, a very old rustic onsen actually, where the only people who frequent such places are old people, I could see these old people ordering up sake with their breakfast—imagine that.  Eggs, fish and sake.  

For me, there is nothing like waking up on a dazzlingly beautiful Sunday morning, tucked away  in an old rustic onsen hotel in a deep valley somewhere with nothing to do and with no care in the world, no schedules, no appointments—just free.   The morning sun is so radiant and so powerful this time of day, but even the radiance of the sun is calmed by the deep blue hues of the clear cloudless morning sky.  I exhale. 





The  best smells in all of life for me are Japanese womb, nihonshu, hot rice, onsen, coffee, smegma, biore shampoo, lion heart cologne, brown tea, green tea, broiled fish, chicken karaage, and tatami, sometimes even tabacco.

I can also recall the aroma of onsen  from a mineral rich  natural hot spring  permeating from my bath towel from last nights dip. 


Today, now that I am officially living in my new mansion, alone, thanks to my connections I am inaugurating this day with a nihonshu breakfast of champions; sashimi, sake, and homemade miso soup! 
The sake in the picture is called “Daijirou” and its from Shiga prefecture, home of Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan.  The sake itself came highly recommended from the store clerk yesterday when I was browsing around for a seasonal sake for breakfast.    The guy mentioned that this is not only good, but organic.   The sake is a Jyunmai Ginjyo, Nama Genshu, and it is brewed by Hata Shuzo in Shiga prefecture.  The rice used is organic Yamadanishiki.  I can even taste  faint hints of pine and hinoki in the after-taste.   Just lovely.


Alc: 17.5
Nihonshudo: plus 3
Acid 1.8

The flavor profiles were excellent and quite typical of a sake of this class; Fruity, complex, well balanced, clean finish.  One of the best sake I have had since the Shimane tasting event.   Actually, this is the best sake I have had all year.  It’s almost 11am and I’ve already drunk half of the bottle down.
What better way to spend a weekday morning than in a clean new mansion, fresh sashimi, pipe and hot miso soup, and very cold sake!?  There’s even a clear blue sky out today.

1,000ml Special Sake from Miyazaki!

This is exactly how it came in the mail this morning, in bubble wrap.

1000ml of a rare “doburoku” type sake from Miyazaki prefecture. As you can see it looks half full, which is by design, not a mistake. A standard bottle this size is usually 1800ml or 1.8L(isshoubin) in size and is about 90% full of sake.

This sake is called "Chiyo-no-Kame Moonshine Doburoku - Oyaji's Moonshine! Or, homebrew type sake.

Sent to me chilled. It is an active Junmai Daiginjo cloudy pure Sake where natural yeast from Shiiba Village of Miyazaki Prefecture has been carefully fermented at low temperatures. Right in the middle of the brewing process.

A pure sake where the Sake mash that is fermenting has been scooped with a ladle. It makes you feel that you are truly drinking “Doburoku".”

The lively acidic flavor from the fermentation really compliments its creamy sweetness.

Recommended for ladies.

1 liter has been poured in a 1.8-liter bottle so the yeast does not make it overfill, and Sugi leaves are used as the cork for degassing.

It can also be enjoyed frozen. Do not topple over: KEEP REFRIGERATED Best drunk at: 0 to 10 degrees ◎The cork has a hole in it because there is no worry about spilling with Sugi leaves.

【Quality Level】Junmai Daiginjo Pure Sake 【Quantity】1000ML 【Raw Materials】Rice / malted rice 【Percentage of Polished Rice】50% 【Sake Meter Value】-20 【Alcohol Content】 14.0 to 14.9% 【Brewer】KAMEOKA Sake Brewery 【Address】Ehime-ken, Kiga-gun, Ikazaki-cho

純米大吟醸生酒1000ＭＬ「千代の亀密造酒どぶろくおやじの密造酒」名称募集という名前のお酒です 発送はクール便を使います。 宮崎県の椎葉村の天然酵母仕込み、丁寧に時間をかけて低温発酵させた純米大吟醸活性生酒のにごり酒です。 仕込みの真っ只中。発酵している醪をひしゃくですくった生酒です。「どぶろく」て感じです。 クリーミィな甘さのなかに発酵している活き活きとした酸味が全体をひきしめます。女性の方におすすめです。 ●酵母が活発に活動してもふきこぼれないよう、1.8Ｌ瓶に1Ｌを詰め、ガス抜きのため杉の葉の栓をしています。 また、凍らせても美味しくいただけます。 横倒厳禁：要冷蔵品 【酒質内容】純米大吟醸 生酒 【容量】 1000ML 【原材料】 米/米麹 【精米歩合】 50％ 【日本酒度】-20 【アルコール分】 14.0～14.9％ 【醸造元】 亀岡酒造（株） 【住所】愛媛県喜多郡五十崎町 飲用温度：0～10度

The first video showcases the bottle and the second pictures showcases the glass I use.

In the end, this is a delightfully delicious “doburoku” sake, which in actuality comes from Ehime prefecture. Only the yeast is from Miyazaki prefecture.

There is also a pink version of the same sake.

Oktoberfest German Beer Festival

I just love walking to Aka Renga Soko, so tonight I took a little night stroll.

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This event will last until Oct. 18th 2009, and it starts from 12 to 9pm; entry is 200 yen.

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The prices for beer average around 1,000 to 1500 yen for these large ones.

Great time to be had, lots of music and great energy. Dress warm and get there early. Tickets sell out quickly.

Shimane Sake Tasting Event Oct, 09’

 
Just around these giant sake containers I entered into another of Japan’s prefectures.  Shimane prefecture to be exact, a place with a long history of culture, great sake, and home of the portentous looking Japanese Black Pine and the Whooper Swan. 

Here, there were over 17 breweries  exhibiting a variety of different sake, each with its own unique flavor characteristics.  I was not disappointed at all over any of the choices that were offered.

This event, which was organized by Etchan, of TokyoFoodcast who did an excellent job of explaining about the event and the sake, was glowing with joy over the anticipation of this sake event.  Thank you for spreading the joy around.

Of the 17 different breweries present, there were a few that really impressed me, actually all of the sake was good, but namely was Izumofuji.  Their junmai ginjo received full marks by me and a few others too.

Izumo is located in 出雲市今市町（Izumo City, Ima Ichichyou Town),
Special Note For Japanese Readers
[ 出雲富士 純米
         
山田錦
お待たせしました！出雲富士の純米酒の入荷です。
中身もラベルもリニューアル！島根県産山田錦（70）、純粋な熊本９号酵母を使用し、米の旨味をどこまで上手に引き出せるかをとことん追求した１本！味わい深く、心地よい酸味が特徴。
飲み続けたくなる酒です。
原料米：島根県産山田錦(70)]

My other favorite, and one which I fell in love with because of its bamboo taste and texture was called  Nitamai Daiginjyo or 仁多米大吟醸 by Okuizumosyuzou.  The last time I had a sake like this was about four years ago from a buddy of mine.  In fact, he had hand-crafted a sake tokkuri and masu from a bamboo tree in his yard.  The next day he gave it to me along with a sake from Gifu and asked me to drink sake from it straight away.  I did and was immediately impressed with the aroma of freshly cut bamboo and sake.  It was a perfect combination I thought to myself.   The perfect marriage between nature, sake, and friends. 

To order it just go here
As the evening wore on, the sake started to take effect, I noticed people smiling more and coming alive.


I had to assume that there were either a few people driving their own cars, or they had a very low tolerance for alcohol.  These things you see are used for spitting. 

All of the sake representatives were so warm, friendly and generous.  They were all eager to explain their products.

Other excellent sake were Gassan.  The Kobetsu was a real hit with me and it’s also quite expensive.  It’s here.  In fact, I do plan to order this bottle very soon.
Every good sake tasting event offers atsukan 熱燗, or warm sake


An then a little more traditional way of warming sake


What an excellent evening people were having

Blue collar and white collar workers were all present.

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On a final note, I look forward to attending more of these in the future.  I have a new found respect for Shimane sake.   Oh, let me not forget Toyo No Aki Tobinogori awesome hiyaoroshi seasonal sake for autumn! 
All of the sake were great.  I know I left out some really big names, sorry about that.

故郷 (唱歌)

Today's Song Furusato 1. 兎（うさぎ）追いし　かの山 I hunted rabbits on that mountain. 小鮒（こぶな）釣りし　かの川 I fished for minnows in that stream. 夢はいまも　めぐりて I still dream about those days I spent when a child. 忘れがたき　ふるさと How I miss and long for my old country home. 2.　いかにいます　父　母 Mother and father　―　are they doing well? つつがなしや　友がき Is everything all right with my old friends? 雨に風に　つけても When the rain falls, when the wind blows, I recall 思いいずる　ふるさと My happy childhood and my old country home. 3. こころざしを　はたして Some day when I have done what I set out to do, いつの日にか　帰らん I will return to where I used to have my home. 山はあおき　ふるさと Lush and green are the mountains of my homeland. 水は清き　ふるさと Pure and clear is the water of my old country home. Anyway, I really love this song. Even when I was traveling around Japan for so many years, this song was always perfect for those journeys.

Kochutenchi こちゅうてんち

高橋酒造 長岡市
大吟醸（酒米：山田錦） 精米40％
２００９年春は、残念ながら入賞するも、金賞を逃しました。
そのお酒を無ろ過で６０本だけ、瓶詰めしていただきました。
無ろ過のためオリが少しありますが、オリジナルなおいしさをお楽しみください。
ラベルは入賞酒になっています。画像は昨年の金賞受賞のものです。
２００８年春、全国新酒鑑評会金賞
２００８年秋、関東甲信越清酒品評会金賞
ダブル受賞の酒です。

Roku No Esshu

Junmai Daiginjo:
Green apple; rice; Senshuraku rice; complex taste;
使用米：千秋楽４０％精米
使用酵母：協会１４号酵母
日本酒度：＋２
酸度：１．１
アルコール度：１４．０～１４．９
仕込み水：宝水（軟水）
杜氏：木曽健太郎 郷正博
I enjoyed drinking this sake a lot.  I enjoyed the full range of complexity in every sip.   The after-taste was interesting, though.  I picked up on hints of rice….

The Letourneau Effect

Ok, so maybe that's a bit of a stretch since I'm not young anymore, at least not young enough to be victimized by a female teacher. I mean, I was always a ' teacher's pet' all through out my primary school days, but in my thirities...? Is there even such a term called The Letourneau Effect?

In 1997, Mary K. Letourneau was arrested on charges of statutory rape of a 13 year old boy(student) whom she was impregnated by. The boy was 13 at the time. Mrs. Letourneau, because she had been married to her first husband Steve Letourneau at the time of the incident, was sentenced to 89 months in prison, but her sentenced was eventually reduced down to 6 months and then reimposed after she had violated her terms of parole.

Since the Letourneau affair there have been many such similar incidences of ' teacher student' relationships. In fact, the courts have become more lenient in how they sentence teachers who are involved in physical relationships with their students. Of course, female teacher and male student only...

( It's never acceptable for a male teacher to prey on a female student in any court).

Teacher student relationships have always been taboo in America. However, Just about every student has fantasized about being with their teacher in an intimate way, in one way or another. Since as early as elementary school I have always had such fantasies, but have never lived them out until I came to Japan.

My first Letourneau experience happened here in Japan back in early 2000, even though I wasn’t in grade school. I was always a really good student, nevertheless, and was never late for my lessons and, always did my homework. I loved my teacher not only because she was a ' Jukujo class ' but because she was good at teaching. Occasionally I would bring her some sweets or add some extra money to her hourly rate. I enjoyed our lessons and everything was professional until she allowed her personal life to get in the way of her teaching.

I was having dinner with one of my girlfriends at the local yakiniku when I suddenly receive an email. "Who could this be?", I said to myself. At dinner I never check my e-mails or accept phone calls, but something felt different about this e-mail because I received it at around midnight, and I don't know anybody who would e-mail me at around this time, either. So, I excused myself and went to the restroom. Flipping my cellphone open I discovered it was her! My teacher....at around midnight? The e-mail read, "I feel so sad." All kinds of thoughts were going through my head. At first I thought it was such a cruel joke being played on me.

I called her up immediately and she was sobbing. She had told me that she needed to see me first thing tomorrow afternoon and that her future was uncertain. So, I went to Tokyo where we met at a coffee shop. She explained to me that she needed someone to talk to, and that her life as a single 46 year old Japanese woman with two kids can sometimes be unforgiving. I was not sure why all of a sudden she was telling me this.... It sounded like some drama was being played out, or rehearsed. This couldn't be real.

Of course I put everything through a litmus test, especially here in Japan where a smile and flowery words can mean absolutely nothing at all. Often times in order to test things out I may ask a woman to do certain things in order to prove that she is not lying to me. I would either ask her to buy something very expensive for me, or head straight for the love hotel. In this case, I had asked her to walk with me towards the love hotel. Every Westerner who is familiar with Shibuya knows the route. They know where to walk the ladies. They know where to go, believe me.

Once I got within 1 second of the nearest love hotel I pointed in its direction. She looked, then looked at me and understood. When we entered the lobby there was a man who had appeared to be in his 70s. He was walking with a cane and the lady who was paying for the room was no more than 20 or 21...I think. A burst of laughter came from my teacher. I was like, why are you laughing? Didn't she realize that we were about to engage in such intimate activities, and that it's shameful for the both of us to be in this hotel lobby? The money I just paid you an hour ago for that lesson is being used to pay for this room....We really shouldn't be laughing.

The three great features I liked about her was her very large breast, her hair, and skin. Another nice thing about her was that she allowed me to do 中出し。。。 which is rare. I never do that, but not only did she encourage me to do it, she begged me and would say things like " good boy!" afterwards, or something along those lines. I didn't exactly pick up on what she was saying to me until the second and third time.

We continued these wonderful meetings for four months. I always thought it was strange though. I mean, every time I had paid her for the Japanese lesson, she’d use it to pay for the room; she’d open the same envelope with the money I had given her to pay for the room. I was standing there looking at the front desk lady knowing that she knew what the hell was going on.

The one thing I just can’t get out of my head though were the breast. They were so huge and natural.