Japan Affairs Forum

Visiting rice fields at Miyakambai brewery

From the 11th to the 25th of September 2011 the Japan Affairs Forum sent eighteen volunteers to the Tohoku region of Japan. The focus of the trip was sake, traditional Japanese rice wine, and for two weeks our volunteers were able to work in actual breweries and came into contact with those inside the industry who had been affected by the March 11 Tohoku Earthquake. The trip proved not only educational, but also poignant. Hearing the stories of those whose lives had been torn apart by the disaster was an often sobering experience. Nonetheless there was also optimism in their accounts, bravery shining through, thinking about how best to recover and to get back on their feet.

For the first week of our trip we worked at Niizawa Jozoten brewery in Osaki, Miyagi prefecture. The details of this section of the trip can be found here. Volunteers got hands on experience in the process of making sake and were shown around two other breweries in the area thanks to introductions from Mr Niizawa. All three breweries had been severely damaged by the disaster though fortunately repair work was already under way. It was a heartening sight to see so many people banding together in order to do good.

Brainstorming at Suisen Brewery (from left: Mr Kubota, Alex Parsons, Mr Konno, Rob Okpuru, Mr Kanda)

The second week of took us from Osaki up to Ishinoseki and Rikuzen Takata, both in Iwate prefecture. We spent two days with Mr Konno, President of Suisen Brewery, along with our NPO partner Social Concierge. Suisen’s old factory had been completely destroyed by the tsunami in March and as a result they moved down to Ichinoseki to temporarily work in facilities lent to them by a competitor. Mr Konno was truly open-handed and gave us a tour around both his new premises and also the town on Rikuzen Takata. The coastal sections of the settlement were wiped out, a harrowing site for all. The President’s land, once home to a proud brewery, was now being used only to stack rusted cars and refuse. However, hope has not entirely faded. Despite the extensive damage, areas of the town which had been sheltered by hills continued to persevere in the face of adversity. Indeed, this courage was typical of the spirit we encountered throughout our time in Tohoku. All the volunteers were eager to discuss how they could play a part in the future reconstruction of both Suisen and Rikuzen. We were lucky enough to be accompanied by the acclaimed management consultant Masanori Kanda, and under his guidance (and the input of Mr Konno), we were able to sketch out some future initiatives we could spearhead including website development of local industry and sites. Stand by for more in the coming months! We were also fortunate enough to be visited on by the Deputy Mayor of Rikuzen Takata, whose input proved to be invaluable to the process. Before our parting of ways Mr Konno gave each volunteer a laminated card, each bearing a four leaf clover and beautiful drawn Japanese kanji. The sentiment touched everyone’s hearts and we left Iwate with our eyes opened and our minds filled of bright ideas.

The destruction in the town of Rikuzen Takata

Our final few days in Tohoku were spent at the town Ishinomaki and Urakasumi brewery, in Shiogama. Typhoon conditions prevented us from working on one of the planned days in Ishinomaki though this did not stop the volunteers from leaping into action on the second day. The jobs at hand were road and gutter clearance and, despite the slight whiff and muddy conditions, everyone was soon having fun, chatting to other workers and getting their hands dirty. An exhausting but thoroughly enjoyable day, it was certainly gratifying to see all the great work done to support the town which had been so badly damaged by the tsunami.

Our last port of call was to Urakasumi brewery where we were treated to some smashing hospitality. After an introduction to the brewery we were shown around the reconstruction areas and discussed with the Master Brewer (Toji) the problems sake producers are facing both before and after the earthquake. His frank answers and optimistic outlook spoke great depths about his skill and knowledge of sake, as also did the later sake tasting session!

Sake tasting at Urakasumi

Our two weeks out in Tohoku passed in the blink of an eye. The sake industry in particular seemed to have been hard hit, the breweries themselves having often being housed in vulnerable old buildings and, perhaps more importantly, already slumping sales being affected by the austere mood which engulfed Japan in the aftermath of the earthquake. Nonetheless, the attitude of the breweries we met was unfaltering: courageous and dedicated. Whether it was through reviving lost drinking culture or targeting new niche markets, they all had plans for the future. They were all focussed on improving the lot of not only sake brewers and their workers, but also their local communities. This solidarity was palpable throughout out trip and left a marked impression upon us all. Expect great things form the brewers of the Tohoku region and make sure you are supporting them every step of the way!

Many thanks go out to Natsuki Kikuya, Timothy Sullivan, Rina Komiya, The Embassy of Japan in the UK, Tamiko Hayashi and Social Conceirge, Mr Kubota, Mr Kanda, Mr Konno and Suisen brewery, Mr Niizawa and Niizawa brewery, Miyakambai brewery and all of our fabulous volunteers. Photos are property of Timothy Sullivan 2011 (www.urbansake.com)