“We Will Take on an Anybody’s Challenge”
The first brewery on the tour is the Original Matsuura Brewery、 which stands across from Ryōzanji、 the first temple of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage Circuit on the island of Shikoku、 which visits 88 sacred Buddhist temples and serves as the inspiration for the brewery tour. Which is not to say that ours is a fake tour、 but I’m sure you’re all thinking that anyway、 aren’t you?
There are two readings of the kanji for the area、 one of which (“taima”)、 means marijuana in Japanese. People who aren’t familiar with the area might think、 “I’d surely think twice about reading the town name out loud in front of the police station.” But the truth is the town name is actually pronounced “Oasa、” not “taima.” It is a town where many waterways come together and、 since a long time ago、 was a location where rice and other products were gathered and distributed using the upstream waters of the Yoshino River. Before beginning to make sake in the middle of the Edo Period、 the Matsuura family is said to have run a boat business that traversed the local waterways. There used to be many sake、 miso、 and soy breweries、 which utilized the area’s rich resources and the waters flowing from the Asan Mountain Range. However、 there is only one sake brewery remaining here today.
At 44 years of age、 Mr. Matsuura is the young company president and the 9th generation leader of the family business. He says、 “The most fun thing for me is making new、 delicious sake by maintaining traditions plus incorporating new points of view.” Starting with the development of “sudachishu、” which was a huge hit throughout Japan a long time ago、 Mr. Matsuura is now searching for the technique of sake production called “mist making.” Centering around a core of young workers、 the employees at this company work very diligently.
The company as a whole is also really taken with playing softball、 and they’re looking for a worthy opponent to play. “Welcome、 anyone who will come and play us. If you win、 we’ll give you anywhere from 18 to 72 liters of sake. If you lose、 you have to buy that same amount from us!” That’s the policy of this dangerous team、 much like a mass-eating contest challenge from a curry restaurant.
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「The brewery and the peaks of the Asan Mountain Range」
The brewery and the peaks of the Asan Mountain Range
「Apparently during his school days、 President Matsuura would spread his tent and spend the night、 practicing a his own brand of vigorous meditation in a certain distant spot where unnatural phenomena would occur.」
Apparently during his school days、 President Matsuura would spread his tent and spend the night、 practicing a his own brand of vigorous meditation in a certain distant spot where unnatural phenomena would occur.
「If you can beat the Naruto-Dai softball team、 then you will receive this barrel of sake. However、 if you lose、 you will have to buy it! Good luck!」
If you can beat the Naruto-Dai softball team、 then you will receive this barrel of sake. However、 if you lose、 you will have to buy it! Good luck!
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思いついたらおうちの近くから。さあ出かけよう。四国の酒蔵88箇所巡礼の旅
