991211nada

Japanese

December 11: From Kobe to Tatsuno　　　　　　　　by Mie

Our ferryboat arrived at Rokko Island of Kobe City before 7 a.m. The city has just awakened.

It is our rule to take breakfast at a familiar hotel, Sheraton Kobe. After we parked at the basement, we went up by an elevator and found ourselves at a pleasant place - Santa World.

On the way to the entrance of Sheraton, we came up to Starbucks Coffee shop, one of the hottest points now in Kobe. Unfortunately the shop was still in preparation.

What is this large gate? The arch reads "Imported Car Christmas Sale." It is not a place to dropping in for an impulse buyer.

Those round shaped wonderful buildings contain many fashion stalls. There had been an Internet meeting in it. I joined it with the members from COARA and other sections to make a presentation on my homepage. It is my dear old memory.

Finally, we found the entrance to the hotel. A pretty decoration of Christmas tree welcomed us. We took breakfast at the garden coffee shop on the first floor by looking the outside street.

We then visited a sake brewery in Nada district, a famous place called "Five brewers of Nada" They are from east: Imazu, Nishinomiya, Uozaki, Mikage, and Saigo.

This is "Sake Spirit House of Kobe" in Mikage district.

"Fukuju" sake brand is produced here like those casks.

The show room wasn't open yet, but I could hear many interesting histories of Fukuju from Mr. Yukio Yasufuku, a managing director.

He explains "The Fukuju brewery dates back to 1751, with a long tradition handed down for 248 years. Cold downblow from Rokko mountain range in winter, the most suitable rice for making sake, pure underground water called Holly Water, and ideal ports for delivery have been producing famous brands called Nada in general.

Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1993 hit the area, giving deathblows to the sake plant. We have finally recovered from the devastation today."

Sake Spirit House of Kobe: PO 658-0044 1-8-17 Mikage Tsukamachi Higashinada ward, Kobe City, Japan
phone:078-841-1121

Next we stopped at Sawano-tsuru (crowns in the marsh) museum. The museum was opened in 1978 on the old sake brewery plant. The museum was also destroyed completely by the Great Hanshin Earthquake, but was restored after three and seven months of the tragedy.

making sake is one of the valuable cultures in Japan. The museum intends to hand down the history of sake brewing to the generations to come. There are many old exhibits of documents and tools for sake making since Edo era.

On the left are the samples of rice plant: the rightmost rice is called Yamada-nishiki, the king of sake-rices. Right picture is a reproduction of the fermentation room, including many tools.

A lot of beautiful lacquered sake cups was displayed like this. Right picture shows a miniature of sake transportation boat called "Taru Kaisen." Sake produced in Nada was transported to Edo (today's Tokyo) in 5-7 days by the boats. During the sale, sake became more mild and tasty. In this way, Nada sake became very famous in Japan.

There are many other displays such as huge unrefined sake casks, squeezers based on the principle of lever, and sake vessels.

This corner exhibits the samples of old and new posters.

In the adjacent souvenir shop sells many kind of sake. I bought one of it for my father. The brewer, Sawa-no-Tsuru, was founded in 1717 as described before. As the Chinese characters of "Sawa" and "no" in traditional style were so difficult to read for young people, they were changed to simpler letters with the same meanings in 1991.

Sawa-no-Tsuru museum
PO 657-0852
1-29-1 Oishi Minamimachi Nada ward Kobe City, Japan
phone 078-882-7788
http://www.sawanotsuru.co.jp

On the way to Tatsuno, we passed by Akashi Bridge newly opened this year.

Passing Himeji City, we came up to a steel company Nippon Steel Hirohata Works. My husband Ken had gone out into the world from here 37 years ago. My father and elder sister had once been working here as well. I took a commemorative picture.

I entered my dear old town at last. A low mountain called Keiro-san welcomed us with still beautiful autumnal colors on the slope.

My mother, left, 81, welcomed me with delight. My father, 88, has weakened a little, but he was also delighted and welcomed us, however. My son and his wife will arrive here at late night. We will have pleasant days after tomorrow.

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December 11: From Kobe to Tatsuno　　　　　　　　by Mie
	Our ferryboat arrived at Rokko Island of Kobe City before 7 a.m. The city has just awakened.
It is our rule to take breakfast at a familiar hotel, Sheraton Kobe. After we parked at the basement, we went up by an elevator and found ourselves at a pleasant place - Santa World.
	On the way to the entrance of Sheraton, we came up to Starbucks Coffee shop, one of the hottest points now in Kobe. Unfortunately the shop was still in preparation.
What is this large gate? The arch reads "Imported Car Christmas Sale." It is not a place to dropping in for an impulse buyer.
	Those round shaped wonderful buildings contain many fashion stalls. There had been an Internet meeting in it. I joined it with the members from COARA and other sections to make a presentation on my homepage. It is my dear old memory.
Finally, we found the entrance to the hotel. A pretty decoration of Christmas tree welcomed us. We took breakfast at the garden coffee shop on the first floor by looking the outside street.
	We then visited a sake brewery in Nada district, a famous place called "Five brewers of Nada" They are from east: Imazu, Nishinomiya, Uozaki, Mikage, and Saigo. This is "Sake Spirit House of Kobe" in Mikage district.
"Fukuju" sake brand is produced here like those casks.
	The show room wasn't open yet, but I could hear many interesting histories of Fukuju from Mr. Yukio Yasufuku, a managing director. He explains "The Fukuju brewery dates back to 1751, with a long tradition handed down for 248 years. Cold downblow from Rokko mountain range in winter, the most suitable rice for making sake, pure underground water called Holly Water, and ideal ports for delivery have been producing famous brands called Nada in general. Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1993 hit the area, giving deathblows to the sake plant. We have finally recovered from the devastation today." Sake Spirit House of Kobe: PO 658-0044 1-8-17 Mikage Tsukamachi Higashinada ward, Kobe City, Japan phone:078-841-1121
	Next we stopped at Sawano-tsuru (crowns in the marsh) museum. The museum was opened in 1978 on the old sake brewery plant. The museum was also destroyed completely by the Great Hanshin Earthquake, but was restored after three and seven months of the tragedy. making sake is one of the valuable cultures in Japan. The museum intends to hand down the history of sake brewing to the generations to come. There are many old exhibits of documents and tools for sake making since Edo era.
On the left are the samples of rice plant: the rightmost rice is called Yamada-nishiki, the king of sake-rices. Right picture is a reproduction of the fermentation room, including many tools.
A lot of beautiful lacquered sake cups was displayed like this. Right picture shows a miniature of sake transportation boat called "Taru Kaisen." Sake produced in Nada was transported to Edo (today's Tokyo) in 5-7 days by the boats. During the sale, sake became more mild and tasty. In this way, Nada sake became very famous in Japan.
	There are many other displays such as huge unrefined sake casks, squeezers based on the principle of lever, and sake vessels. This corner exhibits the samples of old and new posters.
In the adjacent souvenir shop sells many kind of sake. I bought one of it for my father. The brewer, Sawa-no-Tsuru, was founded in 1717 as described before. As the Chinese characters of "Sawa" and "no" in traditional style were so difficult to read for young people, they were changed to simpler letters with the same meanings in 1991. Sawa-no-Tsuru museum PO 657-0852 1-29-1 Oishi Minamimachi Nada ward Kobe City, Japan phone 078-882-7788 http://www.sawanotsuru.co.jp
	On the way to Tatsuno, we passed by Akashi Bridge newly opened this year.
Passing Himeji City, we came up to a steel company Nippon Steel Hirohata Works. My husband Ken had gone out into the world from here 37 years ago. My father and elder sister had once been working here as well. I took a commemorative picture.
	I entered my dear old town at last. A low mountain called Keiro-san welcomed us with still beautiful autumnal colors on the slope.
My mother, left, 81, welcomed me with delight. My father, 88, has weakened a little, but he was also delighted and welcomed us, however. My son and his wife will arrive here at late night. We will have pleasant days after tomorrow.