Japanese Sake-GOTOCHI KITTY-

Today, Hello Kitty is loved by the people in all of the world.
In this blog, we will introduce to you "Gotochi Kitty" and including Japanese culture also.

☆Japanese Sake（We call NIHON-SHU）☆

As you know, Japanese Sake is one of the most famous traditional drink in Japan.

At the beginning, I'm going to explain to you what is Japanese Sake.

Sake is made by fermenting rice. It's the most typical Japanese brewage.

We can say that it is like wine as brewage, and also like whiskey as made by staple food.

Today, many many people in the world likes Japanese food much more than before, so Japanese Sake is also getting famous as Japanese beverage.

Well, do you know why Sake is traditional brewage in Japan?

The making of rice has been performed flourishing in each places of Japan since the ancient time, therefore there are a huge number of Shuzo(the warehouse for making Sake, it's like wine cellar) in various parts of Japan, and the many kinds of local brand Sake exists now. It is very difficult to grasp all of them even for the authorities of Japanese Sake.

Especially in Nigata Prefecture, where is famous area of making good quality rice. There are many of beautiful rice fields and long-established famous Shuzo also.

This Gotochi Kitty comes from Nigata prefecture.

We usually keep Sake in a brown color bottle(much bigger than wine bottle.) at home, and the traditional cup for drinking Sake is called "Masu"(square cup which made by wood) or small cups of ceramics.(like shot glass of tequila !) but we usually don't use "Masu" for daily.

Sake bottle image

Masu image

Sake cup image

Look at this image, Kitty wear the cloth of the brewer of Sake(who the person works at Shuzo.)

and has a big barrel of Sake.

This Sake barrel is used for important events in Japan, for example, traditional wedding ceremony, celebration of opening store, and moving party for new house. People breaks the wood lid of Sake barrel and drink Sake of inside with everybody for celebration!

Unfortunately, we cannot see this event every time on anywhere, It's kinda very special now, so I can say that you are so lucky if you have a chance to see this during visiting in Japan.

How to open the Sake Barrel.

(This Sake barrel is only use for event, so barrel bottom is raised.)

I guess, this Kitty had a glass of Sake already...her cheek is turned to pink...lol

世界中で大人気のハローキティ、このブログではそんなキティ発祥の地、日本で大人気の「ご当地キティ」を日本の文化も含めて紹介します。

日本酒キティ
日本酒は米を発酵させて作る醸造酒で、日本の伝統的な酒の一つです。醸造酒という点ではワインに、主食を原料とする点ではウィスキーに似ているかもしれませんね。健康志向の高まりから、世界各地で和食が親しまれてきている今日この頃ですが、その流れを受け日本酒の認知度も上がってきているようです。

日本では、各地で米作りが盛んにおこなわれてきました。それゆえに日本各地で膨大な数の酒蔵があり、酒通でも把握しきれないくらいの地酒が存在しています。その中でも有名な米どころ・新潟県はもちろん有名な酒蔵がたくさんあります。写真のご当地キティはその新潟のものになります。
一般的に飲む場合、酒が入っているのは一升瓶（ワインの瓶より、大ぶりのもの）で、そこから枡（木で出来た四角い入れ物）やおちょこ（ウイスキーのショットグラス程度の大きさの陶器のコップ）に入れて飲みます。

※一升瓶の画像
http://images.google.co.jp/images?hl=ja&lr=&um=1&sa=1&q=%E4%B8%80%E5%8D%87%E7%93%B6&aq=f&oq=&start=0

※枡　画像
http://images.google.co.jp/images?hl=ja&lr=&um=1&sa=1&q=%E6%9E%A1&aq=f&oq=&start=0

※おちょこ　画像
http://images.google.co.jp/images?hl=ja&lr=&um=1&sa=1&q=%E3%81%8A%E3%81%A1%E3%82%87%E3%81%93&aq=f&oq=&start=0

杜氏（酒蔵で酒造りに従事する人）の格好をしたキティが寄りかかっている「樽酒」は、現在の日本では新築、結婚、お店の開店など、大切なイベントで、大きな樽の蓋を木槌で割り、皆で中に入っているお酒を枡で飲む風習に使われています。それは日本人でも人生に数度しか体験できない特別なものです。日本に来た際にそんな機会に恵まれたら、ラッキーと思ってもいいかもしれません。


※下記のページに樽酒の開封の仕方が載っています。
http://taru.naniwamasamune.com/product/open.htm
通常イベントなどで行われるのは、最後の２枚の部分です。
（イベント用なので、上げ底されています）


樽に寄りかかったキティのほっぺがほんのり赤いのは、すでにお酒を飲んでいるからでしょうか…？（笑）