Osaka Ferris Wheel at the Dock

On the first day in Osaka, I went to the Aquarium and at night went up on the huge Ferris Wheel where we got an amazing night time view of the Mariner.

Seven Seas Mariner From Above

While the Whale Shark is the star attraction at the Osaka Aquarium (“the biggest fish in captivity”), I was entranced by the school of silvery sardines that swim in a huge school in an endless loop around, around and around. It was mesmerizing to watch.

Osaka's Amazing Aquarium

Visiting Daimon Brewery
One of the thrills of visiting Osaka was to finally Visit Daimon Sake Brewery. Daimon-san makes the world famous Mukune brand of sake and is also well known for sponsoring a sake brewing internship program starting in 2009. Daimon-san greeted us personally at the gate and beautiful entrance to his brewery. Lucky for us there was a local craft fair being hosted that day in the Brewery, so we got to see some beautiful crafts along with our tour.

Beautiful Mukune Brewery

Daimon-san walked us around the brewery and showed us where the rice was washed and steamed, where Koji was made using advanced technology and where the Brewing tanks and sake pressing were done. The overall feeling was of a true artisanal brewery.

Daimon-san with His Koji Computer

After the Brewery tour, Daimon-san invited us to have lunch and sake at his restaurant located in the brewery called Mukune-tei. The Restaurant is small but wonderful with a wonderful course menu of simple, honest home cooked style meals. At this point we also sampled some Daimon Sake including a divine Shizuku, some fall nama and wonderful Junmai Ginjo sake, too.

Having Lunch at Daimon-san's Restaurant

As we finished up our meal and bid farewell to Daimon-san, I felt so lucky to be enjoying such wonderful food and sake in such beautiful surroundings. Getting out to the countryside on our own was quite an adventure and now we had to do it all in reverse. The Adventure never stops in Japan. Very special thanks to Daimon-san for such wonderful hospitality and for welcoming us so graciously. I hope I can return and visit again!

Takoyaki
In New York City we are super lucky to have a great and authentic Takoyaki stand on 9th street. I love it. Well, now I found myself in the home of takoyaki and I had to test how they tasted in Osaka. The final report? What we can get on 9th street is super realistic and just as good as the Osaka Street vendors… and it saves you the airfare.

On the hunt for True Osaka Tokoyaki

Sake Party
I was lucky enough to be invited to a sake party at a wonderful Osaka restaurant. My host was Mr. Sano who runs a well known Sake retail website called Jizake.com. Now, Sano-san really hooked me up. He arranged for dinner at Takochaya, a well known restaurant that specializes in Octopus or “tako” in Japanese. The owner is also known as a sake fan.

Toasting with Sano-san

The sake dinner at Takochaya was a wonderful treat and Sano-san gave me many wonderful sakes to try and everything I had was delicious and made me love sake more than ever. However there was one moment that I will never forget. Once course of our sake dinner involved getting served live Octopus tentacles that was still wiggling around and grabbing on to anything in sight. To see what I’m talking about Check out my video of our main course:

I actually really enjoyed the squirming octopus and everything I ate at Takochaya. Sano-san is a huge sake fan and a wonderful person, too. I was happy to meet him on this trip and some new sake friends too.

Goodbye Japan
Osaka was my last stop on this wonderful sake cruise so it’s the end of this trip to Japan and to Sake Cruise ’09. I had so many wonderful experiences! I will always think of this trip as my “Rainbow Tour” of Japan as the followed us where ever we went, just like this one on my first day on the ship:

The Rainbow Tour

Thanks to everyone who made our stay in Japan so wonderful and a special thank you to Scott for being such a constant support and steady guide through it all. ( Can you believe we found Yama-san together? )

I literally cannot wait to get back to Japan on another sake adventure! Until then – Kanpai one and all.

Taiko Welcome

The cruise company provided a shuttle but that took us from the dock to the Ginza shopping area. When I heard they were dropping us in Ginza, I got all excited because I what was there – one of my favorite sake tasting bars!

Fukumitsuya Sake Shop
One of my first stops off the bus was to stop into Fukumitsuya Sake Shop and Tasting Bar. This place is amazing and I’ve loved it since my first visit here in 2008. The style of the shop is clean, elegant and modern. They have a shop that sells Fukumitsuya brand sakes such as Kagatobi and Kuro-obi along with artisan made sake carafes and cups. In addition to the retail side, the shop also features a tasting bar to sample sake and snacks.

Sake Ice Cream with Koshu

After a little Sake Ice cream powered shopping spree, I headed off on a a little urban safari hunting for the elusive tokyo cup sake.

Ajinomachidaya Sake Shop
Anyone who knows me well knows that I love sake, and that I really love cup sake. All my research indicated that there was a small but hard to find sake shop that specialized in cup sake… and come hell or high water, I was going to find it.

After a lot of help from a local resident and a little boost from Google maps, we arrived at Ajinomachidaya Sake Shop.

Ajinomachidaya Sake Shop

A kanpai with Kimura-san

I loved this little sake shop and look forward to the day that I can return. As we bid Kimura-san goodbye, I was looking forward to one more big tokyo adventure!

Sawanoi Brewery Tour
Day 2 in Tokyo, we found ourselves meeting up with Etsuko-san of TokyoFoodcast fame to trek to the outskirts of Tokyo to visit that one of that prefecture’s most famous breweries: Sawanoi.

Kodama-san, Tim, Scott and Etsuko-san at Sawanoi

Quaint Bridge and Shrine at Sawanoi

Kodama-san started our tour in the brewery area with a visit to the unique and state of the art rice steaming and cooling machine. It made it clear from the get go, that Sawanoi makes their sake on a larger scale than smaller breweries. Everything at Sawanoi was impressive and Kodama-san was an expert tour guide to the facility.

Etsuko-san Sampling freshly steamed sake rice

Kodama-san explains Pressing sake

After our Brewery tour, we had a noon reservation at Mamagotoya Tofu Restaurant. The views from our dining room at Mamagotoya were breathtaking. We had a white heron hunting for fish in the stream below as we enjoyed course after course of delicious tofu based food. The setting, food and overall ambiance was a 10 out of 10. If you get to Tokyo, I would recommend you take the time to visit Sawanoi in any case. Charming doesn’t begin to describe…

The Beautiful Stream at Sawanoi

Sawanoi Souten Nama

As we bid farewell to Kodama-san and headed back to the train and to the ship, I took a moment to look around and take it all in. I wanted to truly appreciate everything I had seen at Sawanoi. What a fantastical place. My special thanks to Kodoma-san and Sanwanoi for receiving us so kindly and for all their hospitality, which I won’t soon forget.

Next it’s back to the boat and on to Osaka! I’m looking forward to the sake adventures that await in that city.

Urakasumi

Picturesque Brewery Passageways

As luck would have it Saura Sake Brewery, located in Shiogama town is only a 20 min drive from the ship’s pier, actually much closer than downtown Sendai itself!

As I climbed down off the gangway, Saura-san was there to meet me on the pier and I was so happy to see him again and of course looking forward to seeing the home of delicious Urakasumi Sake!

Urakasumi

Washing and Steaming room

The Saura Sake Brewery is nestled in the middle of Shiogama and is a picturesque place. After some tea, Saura-san began the tour of his beautiful brewery.

First, I saw his newly built office building that had an entrance way that was made from a reclaimed section of a temple that would have otherwise been lost. It’s absolutely stunning and I think this demonstrates something I saw time and again at this Kura – Saura-san is someone who, however far away his sake travels in the world, cares deeply about his local community and home town. Beautiful! I think this caring and focus on community come across in the honest and pure flavors of Saura-san’s delicious sake.

Scooping Rice

Next onto the koji room which at Saura Brewery is lined with Japanese Cedar (sugi). The area where the sake yeast starter (moto) is made, introduced me to a new contraption that is plunged into the moto to chill it – it looks like a star shaped ninja sputnik radiator. Very cool, Mr. Moto!

In the brewing room, I was able to see Kurabito (brewery workers) stirring in additions of freshly steamed rice into the big brewing vats. Saura-san also introduced me to the sake pressing area where sake and lees part ways. This brewery had a beautiful old wooden fune and a stunning giant wooden lever as big as a tree that was once used to press the sake by hanging a large stone from the far end.

Chilling The Yeast Starter

Saura-san then let me taste 3 of his fantastic sakes that were really stunning. He was kind enough to provide a spittoon, but I declined to make use of it as I wanted to really drink & experience all of them!

• Urakasumi Hiyaoroshi: The Fall Nama hiyaoroshi was plump and delicious with hints of plumy fruits and really delicious.
• Urakasumi Junmai Daiginjo Koshu: Ding, Ding, Ding! We have a winner!! OMG, this sake knocked my socks off. It’s a limited production run of a delicious Junmai Daiginjo that is then aged at a very cold temperature for at least 3 years. The flavors literally danced on my palate – complex, smoooooth, elegant and deep: I’m in love.
• Urakasumi Zen Junmai Ginjo: This sake is the Urakasumi brand flagship and understandably so. It has wonderful structure and balance. Accessible with hints of rice, it’s a wonderful sake for beginners and serious sake sippers alike. It’s hard not to like this brew.

Tasting Urakasumi Sakes!

Shiogama Shrine
Saura-san then took me to see Shiogama Shrine which is one of the largest in the area and is a big attraction for this area. One way to enter the shrine is up 200 stone steps that lead directly to the main building. Luckily for me, in interest of my need to get back to the ship before sailing time, Saura-san drove us to the shrine.

Shrine Entrance

This shrine is stunning and one of the oldest in northern Japan. It has beautiful views of the city and bay and it even has a special area near the parking lot where you can get your new car blessed! I was lucky enough to see this ceremony in action. I also bought an “omamori” or Shinto amulet (good for one year) from Shiogama which will ward off bad luck and which I will carry with me in my bag until it’s time to get a new one next year!

Worship at the Shrine

After such a wonderful afternoon, it was time to say goodbye and Saura-san wisked me by car past the most beautiful Miyagi views on the way back to the ship. My most sincere thanks to Mr. Saura for his wonderful hospitality and for welcoming me to his Brewery.

New Car Blessing at the Shrine

Samurai on the High Seas
When I was back on the boat and we were sailing for Tokyo, it was time for a special onboard event. I was asked to present sake at a special Japan-themed cocktail party aboard the Mariner. At this pre-dinner event for select guests, I gave a short speech to introduce myself to those I hadn’t met in the seminars, explain a bit about sake and explain my fancy kimono getup!

With Daniela, Mariner's Head Sommelier

Daniela is the Mariner’s delightful Head Sommelier. Dedicated, hard working and also a big sake fan, Daniela help tremendously in encouraging the guests to enjoy some super premium sake. I think everyone did! Thank you Daniela!

I had a lot of questions from the guests about my kimono. ( I dressed myself – how’d I do Hiro-sensei?!!) Many people asked me about my “haori himo” or puffy white pompom string closure for the haori coat.

All in all, this was a day was very memorable. Hey, it’s not every day you tour a world class sake brewery then find yourself on a luxury cruise ship, sailing through the night to Tokyo, sipping premium sake, and dressed head to toe in formal men’s kimono… but when you do, how about a picture:

Samurai on the High Seas

ON TO TOKYO!

Sailing In
My first views of Japan during our sail in were of stunning Mount Hakodate in the morning rays of the sun. It was a beautiful day and the seas were teaming with ships. A small fire boat set off it’s water cannon in salute as we approached the port of Hakodate. After overcast skies and rocky seas of the Bering Sea, Hokkaido loomed beautiful and welcoming .

Sailing into Japan: Mount Hakodate

Ika, Ika, Ika

Morning Market

Just a few steps from the main train station, the Asa Ichi morning market was indeed charming with lots of vendors selling just about anything you can pull from the oceans around northern Japan. Lots of crab, fish, uni and of course, the star of the show, Squid.

Squid Tokkuri and Cup

One of the more unbelievable squid creations I saw on this trip was a dried squid tokkuri (sake carafe) and sake cup. Fashioned litteraly out of dried squid, the vessel is meant to be filled with hot sake that will infuse with the taste of squid and then, to top it off, you can eat the tokkuri, ala a Willy Wonka tea cup.

The Sake Boutique
Since I was coming to Hokkaido for the first time, my thoughts wandered to some Hokkaido sake friends I met. Carlin-san and Rie-san both work at a fantastic Sake shop in Sapporo, Hokkaido called Meishu no Yutaka. I didn’t have time to visit them in Sapporo, but they were kind enough to introduce me to a sake shop in Hakkodate.

Sake Boutique Echizenya

The sake selection at Echizenya was curated and elegant with a strong showing of Hiyaoroshi (fall nama sake), given the season. Hisashi did a great job at explaining his recommendations and I did my best to talk to them in my broken Japanese. My luck turned when another customer turned up who had lived for two years in the states and spoke fluent English! This allowed us all to communicate more freely and was really wonderful. Everyone was so kind, I was just delighted.

Thanks to Rie, Carlin and all my new Hokkaido sake friends who helped me enjoy such a wonderful afternoon on my first day in Japan this year. I’ll be back!

Sake History

This history of sake goes back thousands of years and ties intricately into the history of Japan itself. Once used as a way to commune with the Gods, sake has long been revered and holds a special place in Japanese society to this very day. My Seminar explored how sake came to Japan and how it moved from use during religious ceremony into everyday life and commerce. We also discussed how the sake industry was brought to the edge of destruction during the Second World War and how sake came back and expanded in the late 20th and early 21st centuries to gain a loyal following again in Japan and beyond.

Sakes tasted:
Kurosawa Kimoto Junmai
Murai Sugidama Taru Junmai Ginjo
Wakatake Junmai Daiginjo

Sakes for the Seminar

The Kimoto sake we are tasting today represents the traditional Kimoto method that was used for hundreds of years in Japan. Without understanding and appreciating Kimoto, we miss a huge piece of what sake is.

Next we tasted a taru or cedar-aged sake. This style is a very nostalgic taste for Japan. Cedar barrels was used for centuries in Japan to brew and store sake. Undertanding taru gives us window into Japan’s past.

I included a modern, clean and pure sake such as Wakatake Junmai Daiginjo as a part of Sake history to demonstrate how far sake as come with rice milling and modern brewing methods to create the sakes we know and love today.

I’ve absolutely loved working as a guest lecturer on the Seven Seas Mariner. This really was a once in a lifetime cruise. I’m so grateful to the crew and the beautiful guests who learned to share my love for sake over the last 10 days. It’s been a joy to drink and discuss sake with you. Now – it’s on to Japan for up close encounters with sake. Next stop: Hokkaido.

Teaching Sake History

Three Unique Sakes

Beyond the standard brews, there are may alternate production methods that offer unusual tastes and unique flavors!

Today I talked to the class about unique yamahai and kimono sakes, which use a natural yeast starter to gain a funky edge; Sparkling sakes that surprise the palate and Koshu sakes, which are naturally aged and a study in richness.

Karen Coy Junmai

• Karen “Coy” junmai
• Harushika Tokimeki Sparkling Junmai
• Hanahato Koshu

These what we could call ‘fringe’ style sakes engendered a fair amount of discussion. I heard some absolutely loved the bold, rich sherry-like Koshu, but some found it challenging. It was the same story for the tokimeki sparkling and sweet, low alcohol Karen Coy.

Actually, I was happy to hear this because one of my main goals in this series of seminars was to encourage guests to develop their own sake palate. Tasting some more unique flavors such as these really helps people zero in on those tastes, flavors and textures that appeal to each person individually.

Mariner Formal Night

Scott and I started the evening at the “Horizon Lounge” which is located on the aft section of the boat, deck 6. It has a great view of the churning water that the powerful engines produced as the Mariner powered through the water. Horizon had a dance floor and stage and often had live music for cocktails.

By far our favorite music on the ship was the Natural Rhythm Trio. They were three guys who respectively played bass, rhythm guitar and lead guitar each taking turns singing. They were all great, but the bass player had a really amazing voice and we enjoyed their performances a lot. They played lots of classics and standards and one song we heard often was My Funny Valentine.

Moving on to our formal night dinner, Scott and I dined at Prime 7, which as the Mariner’s top notch surf and turf restaurant. As we recently left Alaska, I went for Surf and was rewarded with TWO pounds of the most delicious king crab legs I’d ever had in my life. Life is good!

Tomorrow will find us sailing the Sea of Okhtsk (try saying that three times fast) and will also be my final sake seminar before landing in Japan!! We’re almost there!!

Natural Rhythm Trio

It's Siberia, Commrade

Sake Cruise ’09 sailed into the Siberian port of Petropavlovsk located on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The of the port looked stunning as we arrived. Petropavlovsk has incredible natural beauty. With three active volcanos and sweeping low mountains, the city created a charming backdrop from the boat as we enjoyed breakfast onboard the ship.

Lenin

Our first stop was at the monumental statue of Lenin that dominates the town’s main square. Every Soviet Union town had one and I guess the folks of Petropavlovsk decided to keep him around. The mist coming in off the ocean provided a dramatic backdrop to the photogenic Lenin. What you can’t see in the photos is the utter state of disrepair in the plaza. Steps and walkways were crumbling, crooked and deteriorating.

Gold's Gym, Siberia Branch

Sake easy as Cake

What arrived was a room temperature big box sake that lacked subtlety, but hey, I was drinking sake in Siberia, so who’s to argue. After the big sake adventure, we took our small boat back to the cruise ship and hunkered down for the evening. The trip to Petropavlovsk left me feeling so grateful for all the luxuries (and sake) I was enjoying aboard the Mariner but I did receive some memories I won’t soon forget.

Tomorrow is a full day of cruising the Kuril Islands and another sake seminar! I’m hoping for calm seas and delicious sake.

Mariner off the shore of Russia

Don't Rock the Boat

Today was my fourth sake lecture on board for the guests of Regent Seven Seas Cruise line’s Seven Seas Mariner. Today we tackled one of my favorite topics to teach about: the Sake Production Process!

Presenting Kirinzan

The captain came on the intercom to announce we were experiencing 20-25 foot high waves. Kind of unreal, but once I got into teaching I was able to ignore the waves and get into sake! I thought because of the rough waves, we would have a meager turn out, but we had a full class and I was just delighted!

Today we tasted:
Murai Nigori Genshu
Kirinzan Junmai
Akita Chokaisan Junmai Daiginjo

The guests loved all the sakes today! Tomorrow, there is no sake lecture as we are spending the entire day in port in Siberia, comrade! Da!

Sake for today's tasting

You might think that this leads to a feeling of being bored and all cooped up, but quite on the contrary, the staff organizes lots and lots of activities: games, lectures, dancing, bridge, tea, concerts, comedy, and of course, SAKE TASTINGS!

Coffee Connection

Explaining the Masu

Akita Dewatsuru kimoto Junmai
kiminoi Junmai Ginjo Yamahai
Murai Family Daiginjo

We also had an in-depth discussion of sake temperature. Is all hot sake bad sake?! Not by a long shot. The guest and I enjoyed a fun hour together discussing all these points. since we are on our way to Japan, there is an extra level of interest in learning about sake and there were lots of questions which I just love.

Tomorrow is more cruising, more sake and crossing the international date line! Hello Tomorrow!

Compass Rose Restaurant

Dutch Harbor

Dutch Harbor was fascinating – this fishing town is best known as the home base for the crab fisherman on the Discovery Channel’s series “the Deadliest Catch”.

Russian Church

One of the star attractions of Dutch Harbor is the Russian Orthodox church which was first built in 1826. Photos are not allowed inside, but I had the thrill of a lifetime when I saw an American Bald Eagle land on the church spire and then leap into flight with it’s 5 food wingspan. It was breathtaking!

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

Sake Ingredients Seminar

Yukikage Show Shadow Junmai
Ichishima Honjozo
Kakurei Daiginjo

The guest in attendance at the tasting seemed surprised to learn that Koji Mold is used in making sake and is one of the primary ingredients! We have a fun hour together and it left me looking forward to Tomorrow’s lecture which will be “how to taste sake”. Should be fun!

sake for today's tasting