Rainy season & SAKE &Shigaraki ware
The rainy season has already started in Kyoto.
Every year, we are drawn into the rainy season in June, but this year, it is too early!!
We could have enjoyed lush greenery by walking around the Riverside and after that, we enjoy drinking SAKE in the comfortable Japanese style bar...
However, we are in the difficulty because the pandemic and the early start of the rainy season made a further attack to stay at home...
We really miss the natural air, the scent of trees and soil, lively atmosphere in the bar.
Even though these difficulties, we positively find something fun to enjoy this season at home.
Today, we will introduce one of the way to enjoy staying at home, "IENOMI or Banshaku while enjoying Shigaraki ware".
"IENOMI" means simply drinking alcohol at home.
"Banshaku" means drinking alcohol at home quietly in the evening.
Hearing the sound of rain drops through the shoji (paper sliding door), we enjoy drinking SAKE with a bottle and cup of Shigaraki ware QUIETLY.
What do you think of that?
Enjoy alcohol quietly at home without chattering loudly is one of the traditional IENOMI style in Japan.
Please try it!
You wil have a merit to hear the sound of nature you do not usually hear.
■SHIGARAKI WARE and SAKE
Shigaraki ware was born in the Shigaraki area of Shiga prefecture which is just next to Kyoto prefecture and the place that the land surrounds the largest lake in Japan "Biwako".
The soil of Shigaraki is thick clay inclusive of feldspar and it is appropriate to produce not only small tableware like cup, bottle, and plate, but also the hand wash basin, large flower vase, and big statue of raccoon dog.
Shigaraki ware is baked at high temperature without glazing, the color is reddish like flame. This reddish color is by the reflect of iron in the clay.
And we remark that the small dot on the surface which is called as "eyes of crabs". These eyes of crabs appears by the melt of several minerals in the clay and it became naturally as a decoration on surface.
If we see well Shigaraki ware, you will discover the fertile soil itself and you can imagine the desolate land of Shigaraki area, but at the same time,
this slope area of Shigaraki (we generally call there as the East area of lake) well known as a place of clean water.
This is why, the soil is also appropriate for the rice farming and produce good quality of SAKE.
You can discover a lot of Sake breweries around Shigaraki.
Anyway, not only Shigaraki but also almost all place of Shiga prefecture produce good quality of SAKE because of the clean water from mountain and fertile soil.
So, if you find SAKE from Shiga Prefecture coincidentally in your country, we recommend you to try it with a sake cup of Shigaraki ware.
If you can not find easily Japanese SAKE in your country, we recommend you to take some liqueur like the absinthe, amaretto, Jägermeister etc...
You will discover our Shigaraki ware from here.