NAKAGO held its annual Yamada Nishiki rice field event on the 17th October, this time hosting a group of wonderful guests from Taiwan.
Yamada Nishiki rice is renowned for its suitability for producing Sake, or Japanese rice wine, due to its ability to absorb water and dissolve quickly. Introduced in Hyogo-ken in Japan in 1936, it is the perfect rice for brewing Sake and what better place to sample this fine beverage than in an actual Yamada Nishiki rice field!
The Yamada Nishiki rice field with a lane way cut through the middle of the field for guests to sit and have lunch
NAKAGO Shop & Workshop have arranged a full day of activities in and around a specific Yamada Nishiki rice field near the town of Ono, in Hyogo prefecture. Guests will take part in polishing their own Tin Sake cup (included in the tour package) and even harvest Yamada Nishiki rice 'the old fashioned way' with a sickle!
Guests enjoying specially made Bento box lunches with NAKAGO's own brand of Sake
A special 'lane way' has been cut out and tables set out on tatami mats for the guests to sit and have lunch, which includes a Bento box and served with Sake which was produced from the very rice that was harvested from these fields.
After lunch in fine sunny weather, the guests were invited to sit at a table alongside the rice field to learn how to finish polishing their very own Tin sake cups (produced by NAKAGO at their nearby facility), which they will use later to drink NAKAGO's own brand of sake produced with Yamada Nishiki rice.
NAKAGO's range of Tin drinkware was on display and able to be purchased by guests
Once the guests have finished polishing their tin sake cups, they are invited to return to the rice field to harvest Yamada Nishiki rice themselves. Boots, gloves and a rice cutting sickle are provided and guests can cut the Yamada Nishiki rice with their own hands at their leisure. The cut rice is then bundled and placed on a rack for collection by staff.
Guests are able to cut Yamada Nishiki rice themselves using tools provided by NAKAGO
By now the guests must be getting thirsty again, and what better way to experience cold Sake than to drink it from their very own Tin sake cups produced by the company that produced the Sake! The unique quality of tin is due to the ion action where it smooths the taste of the sake taking out bitterness. The cold from the sake is easily transmitted through tin, so even holding the tin sake cup is pleasant on a hot day. Guests are invited to experience those qualities side-by-side drinking the same sake from a glass decanter into a glass cup, and from a tin decanter into a tin cup. The difference is quite noticeable and is well worth trying it out for yourself.
Glass and Tin sake cups are used side-by-side to compare the difference when drinking sake. The difference is surprisingly noticeable and for some people, preferrable
While the guests are enjoying delicious Sake made from Yamada Nishiki rice from the field right beside them, NAKAGO's Executive director Kouzo Fujiwara talks about the processes involved in producing Sake with Yamada Nishiki rice, the unique qualities of Tin cups and about the NAKAGO brand history.
NAKAGO Executive director Kouzo Fujiwara and a representative from Hyogo Prefectural Office
With that the guests are invited once more to return to the Yamada Nishiki rice field for a group photo with NAKAGO staff. The Yamada Nishiki rice field experience by NAKAGO is the perfect way to not only get "hands on" with Yamada Nishiki rice in Japan's #1 rice growing region, but also to drink Sake made from Yamada Nishiki rice in the way it should be experienced!
By all means please contact our English speaking staff for more information about the Yamada Nishiki Rice Field Experience by NAKAGO or any other inquiries you may have:
inquiries@oemsoko.co.jp
Check out the video by OEM Sōko covering the day's events: