The Kyoto Dyeing and Weaving Cultural Association opened an exhibition at the Bunka Gakuen Fukushoku Museum last Thursday dedicated to traditional Japanese women’s clothing and the traditional dyeing and weaving techniques of Kyoto over the past 1500 years.

Nara Period garments

Edo Period garments

19th century garment from the Edo and Meiji periods

19th century garment from the Edo and Meiji periods

Dyeing and weaving festival procession

On the first floor of the exhibition, the museum is displaying a collection of rare and valuable traditional garments from across Japanese history, spanning from the Edo (1603-1867) to the Showa (1926-1989) eras. Visitors will also be able to observe Kyoto-style dyeing and weaving techniques in-person as well as get involved on a workshop.

Up on the second floor, mannequins will line the floor wearing traditional female dress from the Kofun period (300-710 AD) to the early Meiji period (1868-1912). The clothes have been restored and so allow visitors to see what each piece would have looked like at the time.

In the early Showa period, the Senshoku Matsuri, or Dyeing & Weaving Festival, was held to help promote the dyeing and weaving industry of Kyoto. It stopped as a result of the Second Sino-Japanese War and was never revived, resulting in it having become something of a legend in Kyoto history.

WAX&WANE is the name of a new project that has launched in an effort to support ARCADE TOKYO, an ‘online shopping arcade’ stocking countless must-grab products from Tokyo, due to the impact COVID-19 has had on participating businesses having to close down, resulting in a drastic decrease in shipping and consumption.

12 breweries pour 12 unique sake beverages

Pair your drinks with foods outside Japanese cuisine to change things up

Bottle clothes with designs showcasing each sakes’ personality

The project was launched on June 10 via the crowdfunding website CAMPFIRE as a way to pay back thanks to 12 sake breweries in Japan who produce sake you can’t get anywhere else. It aims to spread the word of Japan’s sake culture the world to preserve its future and create even more brands, thereby adding new value to sake.

As part of the project, tie dye creator YUKIDYE, who has worked with many different street brands, has produced a collection of tie dye cloths which take inspiration from each of the 12 sake flavours and the characteristics of each brand.

Yukihana Lamy, a Virtual YouTuber associated with hololive, launched her own Japanese sake project in February to bring her dream to life of making her very own sake by hand. That sake has now been released by the name of Yuki-Yo-Zuki, a premium brand daiginjo sake.

The sake was created in collaboration with Meiri Shurui, a Japanese sake brewery which has been around since the Edo Period. Every single ingredient in the drink was considered from scratch including the type of rice, the ratios, yeast, alcohol content, and so on. The sake is made by hand in a brewery located in Mito, Ibaraki.

Yuki-Yo-Zuki uses Fukushogun Daiginjo as its base, a sake that won Gold in the Sake category at IWC2020. It’s made with a combination of Yamada Nishiki and Biyama Nishiki rice as well as ginjoka, the highest quality daiginjo, known for its light spicy kick and fruity notes. The bottle features an illustration of Yukihana Lamy drawn by Abara Heiki, an artist Lamy likes, with a fusion of black and silver inspired by the meaning of drink’s name: ‘Snowy Evening Moon.’

haccoba launched its new sake brewery, haccoba -Craft Sake Brewery-, in February. It released its first product last Monday: a limited restock of Hanauta Drops, a sake that uses unrefined sake brewing methods which first originated in the Tohoku region.

Hanauta Drops

©︎ Puddle Inc.

Humulus lupulus hop

The sake crafted by haccoba uses the same techniques found in traditional Japanese sake brewing, including the rice and yeast used, but throws in a variety of fruits and herbs during the fermentation process. This upholds the traditional culture of Japanese brewery which was formerly carried out in homes while adding some fun flair. The brand plans to make its main product a fusion of hops used in beer making and classic Japanese crafting methods.

The secret ingredient that was so enjoyed in Japanese homes in the past when making sake is the humulus lupulus, a type of hop that makes this brewing process to making beer. Hanauta Drops uses the very same technique. It also enjoys a blend of yellow koji mold which has a sweetness similar to refined Japanese sugar found in rice, and white koji mold for a lemony tang. The result is a refreshing experience with every sip thanks to the bubbles that occur naturally during fermentation.

This year’s Earth Day Tokyo will take place at Yoyogi Park from April 17-18 where messages of eco-friendliness, organic products, sustainability, ethics, and inclusiveness will be at the core of various events held as part of the festival.

This year marks Earth Day Tokyo’s 20th run as part of the global Earth Day initiative and brings together environmental NPOs, charities, and locals. Due to COVID-19, in-person events will only take place on April 17 and 18 but the festival will run online from April 17 to 25.

Earth Day Tokyo 2021 Concert

Concerts will take place across the two-day Yoyogi Park festival. Many musicians and guests have committed themselves to the future of the planet at the Earth Day Tokyo’s concerts, with past line-ups including Japan’s King of Rock Kiyoshiro Imawano, UA, BONNIE PINK, and more.

This year will see performances from Itou Seikou ITP, Kenichi Nagira, yae, scoobie do, Taiji Sato, Nozomi Nobody, hachi_Aigoz, tico moon, Rokuta Yanagiya, and Ichido Ryutei.

Market area

Every single product at the market booths has a story, and visitors will be able to hear about them from the makers in-person as they shop. And the items sold at the market will be different each day, stocking something to add a little environmental consideration into our lives.

C. W. Nicol’s “Nicol’s Forest Kitchen” sausages help plant forests

The late Welsh-born Japanese writer, actor, and singer-songwriter C. W. Nicol was the Executive Committee Chairman for Earth Day Tokyo from 2000 until his passing last year. He also launched Nicol’s Forest Kitchen in 2011 which has been a regular at Earth Day Tokyo to help protect Japan’s forests. The food stall will make an appearance this year too.

C. W. Nicol began to wonder how he could help raise people’s interest in forests as well as help revitalise forests that had been destroyed. Nicol’s Forest Kitchen project was his answer: to spread awareness through food, and in doing so, the project could help build up forests.

Visitors separate garbage themselves with the help of volunteers

At the Eco Station, volunteer staff will help direct visitors in separating garbage properly, raising awareness on the proper procedures which they can take away home with them.

After the success of the hit Ikkon-Fugetsu event held at Perie Chiba Ekiue Hiroba last autumn, a permanent nihonshu Japanese sake lounge is set to open at JR Chiba Station on April 28, offering the same kind of atmosphere as inside a luxury airport lounge.

CHIBASAKE.COM SHOP with PERIE Onliine SHOP

A sake shop will also open at the same time at the lounge where customers can scroll through different drinks they’d like to purchase using their smartphone or tablet. You can purchase sake that you enjoyed drinking in the lounge as well as pick up exclusive and original beverages available online only at CHIBASAKE, sake from different regions across Japan, and more.

That’s not all for customers’ sake experience however. Umami is a big part of Japanese food culture, and so in order that all who visit can enjoy their drink to the fullest, Japanese wineglass makers RIEDEL, who have been in the business for 260 years, have provided their special junmaishu glasses which were developed over a period of eight years. Food will also be on the menu made with ingredients local to Chiba Prefecture, and more.

Spring has arrived at TREE by NAKED Yoyogi Park, a cafe run by NAKED that’s located in Yoyogi Park in Shibuya, Tokyo. On Monday, the cafe launched a seasonal menu which incorporates a variety of spring flowers like cherry blossoms, showy’s baby breath from Kumamoto, keiou-zakura from Yamagata, and more.

TREE by NAKED Yoyogi Park first opened in July 2017. It’s an experience-based art restaurant where customers can enjoy Japan’s latest cutting edge technology and next-generation gastronomy. Its popularity has risen rapidly, earning itself a reputation for offering an experience that stimulates all five of the senses, as well as for its photogenic interior decor.

With the pandemic restricting travel in Japan, people are unable to visit places far away across the country, and so the cafe is bringing a little bit of different places around Japan, namely their flowers, in collaboration with JA Kumamoto Uki and JA Yamagata.

Kumamoto is the only place in Japan that grows show’s baby breath. They are raised with the prefecture’s rich water and soil to blossom beautiful white and pink. These flowers can not only be enjoyed at TREE by NAKED Yoyogi Park as decorations, but customers can actually buy a bouquet of them too. Thanks to the skills of producers, the flowers can be grown out of season over a long period running from December to April, allowing people to enjoy their gorgeous springtime hues even if it’s not spring.

Açaí Lemonade – Eat In ¥825 / Takeout ¥810

Cherry Blossom & Strawberry Nicecream – Eat In ¥770 / Takeout ¥756

“Power & Healthly” are the concepts for the lunch and cafe-time menu which includes both food and drink. The cafe’s popular homemade açaí lemonade has been turned into a springtime version with fresh cherry blossom petals. There’s also a vegan-friendly ice cream made with banana, avocado, soy milk, and a blend of strawberry and cherry blossom. It has a slight salt tang to it.

Vegan Cherry Blossom Latte – Eat In ¥770 / Takeout ¥756

Vegan Avocado & Sprout Sandwich – Eat In ¥1,100 / Takeout ¥1,080

The cafe’s popular cherry blossom latte from last year returns with a soy milk base. There’s also sandwiches, including a vegan one fried in coconut oil.

Strawberry Mille-Feuille – Eat In ¥1,650

The cafe’s strawberry mille-feuille is so popular that they have to make a limited batch each day. It’s even been featured on Instagram. With the strawberry season here, customers can enjoy fresh whole strawberries topping their dessert.

The cafe will also be running an evening cafe and bar experience with a range of desserts, food, and alcohol.

SAKEICE is an ice cream shop that offers a new kind of ice cream experience, combining Japanese sake and alcohol together with the frozen treat. The shop opened in Akusaka, Tokyo in March this year.

However, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the store has had to close temporarily. SAKEICE wants to cheer people up during these turbulent times with their ice cream, and has therefore announced the launch of a crowdfunding campaign so they can set up a website where people can order ice cream in Japan and have it delivered to them.

I tried out their ice cream

Otokoyama / Nihonshu Ice

SAKEICE’s ice cream is laced with lots of Japanese alcohol. I tried the Otokoyama and the Nihonshu Ice, the latter of which is an original ice cream flavour exclusive to SAKEICE. They both contains around 4% alcohol. I were curious exactly how they would taste.

I started with the Nihonshu Ice. The moment the ice cream hits your tongue, your taste buds are met with its smooth texture, and your nose is filled with the full bodied flavour of nihonshu. The velvety texture on your tongue as it melts is to die for. The Otokoyama has a refreshing kick to it when compared to the Nihonshu Ice. It’s creamy, but the aftertaste is refreshing, so we recommend it for people who aren’t a fan of sweet treats. Both are sure to leave you feeling satisfied, and maybe a little flushed afterwards.

These ice creams contain alcohol, so keep that in mind when coming here with minors, kids, pregnant women, or if you’re driving.

They have non-alcoholic flavours too!

Matcha / Cherry Blossom

Of course, they have non-alcoholic options too. I tried out the matcha and cherry blossom flavours.

The matcha one has an irresistible bitterness layered inside the sweetness. You get that real rich matcha taste too. The cherry blossom ice cream is a cute light pink colour and has a subtle sweetness to it. If you don’t like alcohol then you’ll definitely want to try one of delights.

Morinaga Sweet Sake will release their new TV commercial for their chilled sweet sake “Hiyashi Amazake” on July 5th.

Hiyashi Amazake is made using a blend of carefully selected sake lees produced when making sake, malted rice, and Hakata salt. This drink will provide you with a refreshing aftertaste to keep you cool during the hot summer. To share the news of this wonderful drink with the rest of Japan, Ryuhei Maruyama and You Yokoyama from Japanese boyband Kanjani Eight will feature in the brand’s new advert as promotional characters. Watch the two idols as they muster up all their passion to sing a song about their undying love for Hiyashi Amazake whilst dressed in Hiyashi Amazake-themed Yutaka, leaning against the trees.  

You just have to hear the intense rap, too. The boys manage to sing it all the way through to the end without breaking their serious face into fits of laughter.

Please check out the incredibly entertaining Hiyashi Amazake advert!

A regional KitKat Pairing Bar called “Gotouchi no KitKat Pairing Bar” is currently running in Roppongi Hills, Tokyo. The pop-up bar features an AI’s recommendations of regional KitKats with Japanese sake from among 1,650 combinations of pairings.

You can also witness the event vehicle covered in 15 varieties of Gotouchi KitKat prints at the event in Roppongi Hills.

The sake brands featured at the event are brands carefully selected by famous Japanese former football player Hidetoshi Nakata, who has been promoting sake to the world. He has built his expertise by visiting more than 350 breweries nationwide. Nakata was also present to kick off the event! Nestlé’s managing executive officer Cedric Lacroix also makes an appearance.

Cedric Lacroix commented that the products created with the help of Nakata have a favourable reputation in Japan. He stated that he is incredibly pleased to be working with Nakata for the pairing bar, as he is full of knowledge in the field of sake.

Nakata stated:

“We don’t have the mindset of creating a new product, but we intend to focus on the act of celebrating with people from the region by creating something new.

Besides the KitKat Nihonshu Masuizumi and Umeshu Tsuru-ume, there is now a third collaboration KitKat flavour being released!

You can experience 150 different pairings of KitKats and sake that have been carefully chosen by Nakata before they are on sale anywhere else! The AI will be introducing regional (Gotouchi) KitKats such as Kyushu Amaou strawberry and Gunma Asian skunk cabbage KitKat!

“The sweetness of the chocolate combined with the sharp aftertaste of the dry alcohol is very interesting. The taste differs from person to person so I would like everyone to try it for themselves”, continued Nakata.

“Having chocolate with alcohol is quite a normal thing to do, however, both chocolate and Japanese sake have a long, deep-rooted culture in Japan. There’s the impression that Japanese sake only goes well with traditional Japanese food (Washoku). Hopefully, this event helps people to discover this new combination of chocolate and Japanese sake”, he continued passionately. 

The Gotouchi KitKat Pairing Bar will be running until national holiday Monday 29th April. Come try this brand new experience involving regional KitKat flavours and their matching Japanese sake!

The Gotochi KITKAT Pairing Bar will be open at Roppongi Hills from April 19 to 29 serving KitKat and sake pairings chosen from 1,650 combinations by AI.

Japan is known for its KitKat flavours, with a total of 350 having been created to date, 40 of which are always available. Many of those flavours are made using ingredients from local regions across the country where they sold at those places’ souvenir shops. Their unique flavour combinations and colours have tickled the fancy of Japanese people and foreigners alike.

The KITKAT Pairing Bar offers a new way for both locals and overseas visitors to enjoy eating KitKats by picking which flavour will go best for them when paired with sake.

You must answer 5 questions at the bar from which the AI will filter your tastes from 150 combinations chosen that day. There will be a total of 1,650 combinations available across the 11 day period.

Of course, you can purchase your local flavour KitKat there and then. The sake combinations were carefully selected and curated by Hidetoshi Nakata, a former soccer player and experienced sake expert who has tried well over 350 brands of sake all over Japan. The sake pairings are supervised by CRAFT SAKE WEEK.

Have the AI find your flavours!

Sake brands from all across Japan are set to gather at Roppongi Hills in Tokyo for “CRAFT SAKE WEEK at ROPPONGI HILLS 2019”; an eleven-day event celebrating top-class Japanese sake that will run from April 19 to 29. The venue will be decorated with the Japanese essence of traditional handicrafts. During these 11 days, Roppongi will be transformed into a magical artistic space.

CRAFT SAKE WEEK is where you can enjoy an atmosphere of a total of 110 carefully chosen Japanese breweries and numerous top-class restaurants. The venue was designed with this intention and has been designed with meticulous attention to detail. There will be a special guest attending the event; Yuko Nagayama! Nagayama designed the Japan Pavilion for Expo 2020 which is a worldwide innovation exhibition that will be held in Dubai.

Hidetoshi Nakata worked alongside Nagayama to create the concept for the design of the venue and after much debate, they decided to base the design on something that represents the origin of the essence of Japanese culture: rope. Hemp rope is featured in the design as it has a variety of applications in Japan from festivals to everyday purposes and has been used since ancient times. The hemp rope used for this venue design is flexible and has excellent durability. Hemp rope has a sense of volume and is also light and weightless. No matter what perspective you view it from, its appearance has a dynamic impact.

A Statement by Hidetoshi Nakata

This event space created by Nagayama is not just high quality, but creates an atmosphere of the warmth of everyday life in Japan. You can feel this unique world she has created. This is a unique world that only Nagayama is capable of creating as a female architect. It is stylish and you can feel the comfort. I requested that she creates something that depicts and allows you to physically experience the wondrous essence of Japanese culture.  

A statement by Yuko Nagayama

I created this environment out of sustainable materials that have been used by Japan for many, many years. This environment is a place intended to lightly embrace those who love Japanese sake. I took advantage of the height of Roppongi Hills Arena. It’s 16 km tall and 570 hemp trees were used to make the three large canopies that cover the event space. The canopies naturally curve due to gravity. This natural curvy shape can be seen from afar and has become the symbol to represent the event.

One by one, experience a range of Japanese breweries, and discover the depths of the flavours of Japanese sake. Not only is the alcohol the attraction, but the venue design is entirely new and magical. People from Japan and around the world will be gathering at this event so please come take your fill!