Japanese brewers call for sake parties to help economy

Sake brewers from quake-hit northeastern Japan have called on residents to enjoy the traditional cherry blossom party season and drink sake in an effort to help the regional economy recover.

Speaking in a YouTube appeal, Kosuke Kuji, of the Nanbu Bijin brewery in Iwate prefecture, said: "I would like you to support the Tohoku (northeastern) region by drinking sake.

"We would appreciate if you enjoy ‘hanami’ (flower viewing) parties rather than restraining yourselves."

Another sake brewer from Iwate, Hiroko Yokosawa, echoed the sentiments in her own appeal on the video-sharing website.

"We would like to continue brewing Japanese sake, thinking about people enjoying our sake under flowers," she said.

The blossoming of cherry trees in Japan in spring is usually celebrated with sake-heavy picnics.

However, the aftermath of the massive quake on 11 March and the following tsunami, which killed over 12,000 people with a further 15,000 missing has led authorities to call for restraint among revellers, saying that this is no time for celebrations or parties.

But sake breweries in the affected areas are concerned that such restraint would be bad for business, as well as the morale of the suffering locals.

"I completely agree with Mr Kuji of Nanbu Bijin," said Fumitaka Kitsu, who runs a liquor store in Hachinohe, northern Aomori prefecture. "We want to see people lead their usual life."

Kitsu said many of his customers had asked specifically for sake brewed in the disaster-hit northeast in an effort to support those worst-affected by disaster.

Of around 2,000 sake breweries across the country, the most serious damage has been reported from those in Iwate, Fukushima and Ibaraki, all in the north east of the country, which was closest to the 8.9 magnitude earthquake’s epicentre and whose coastal regions felt the full force of the tsunami.

A report from the Japanese Sake Brewers Association has confirmed that some breweries have been completely destroyed, while many others have seen their facilities severely damaged, often resulting in spoilt or lost stock.

Across Tokyo, the atmosphere is downbeat, with the traditional red-and-white lanterns that would usually be hanging from trees at this time of year missing, while signs across the city request people to refrain from drinking alcohol in public.

Alan Lodge, 13.04.2011