Please enjoy sake from Iwate

The Japanese has a tradition to have a flower appreciation picnic under the cherry blossoms called “ohanami” in the spring. The party is usually accompanied by sake.

NHK reported: 4/4/2011 (21:57)

There has been a buzz on YouTube in Japan about a couple of videos that carry the message from sake makers in Iwate prefecture. They are asking people not to forbear Ohanami because of the recent disaster in northeast Japan.

One of the sake makers who’s encouraging people to have Ohanami is Kosuke Kuji, the executive director of the maker of 100 years in Ninohe city, Iwate prefecture. This two-minute video was shot and edited by his friend, Mr. Kuji is speaking in the video. Although a part of the sake factory was affected by the earthquake, the sake production line was relatively unharmed. He worries, however, that the sales of sake has been down due to the disaster, and there’s been a movement to forbear Ohanami in the metropolitan areas, and decided to send this video message out on YouTube. In the video, Mr. Kuji says, “If the situation stays, we will face the secondary damage of declined sake sales. While we understand and appreciate the notion, we’d rather see people enjoying sake at Ohanami picnics.” He urges people to help by consuming the local products. The video has more than 100,000 hits (at the time I checked the YouTube, and significantly more than since the NHK reported this news earlier), and getting favorable comments from viewers like “We’d like to have Ohanami with the sake from Tohoku.” Mr. Kuji also says, “We’d like to help and support the harder-hit disaster areas by first getting our local economy healthier. Please support us for a long time!”

The following YouTube videos are in Japanese, one of them is currently trying to add the English subtitles, as I see the conversation in the comment section.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY0FtSqrMBc (Mr. Kuji starring)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHucTlBohfg

Notes

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