Ticking miniscule locomotives

7
2011JULY
vol. 03
FREE
QUALITY REVIEW SPECIAL
Micro-locomotive Pendant Watches
Ticking miniscule
locomotives
JQR FASHION
Dressing Up
[ F E A T U R E ]
包む
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QR Quality Review
Rechargeable batteries for immediate use
eneloop
Energy-saving fan produces a natural breeze
Sient
eng.jqrmag.com
C o n t e n t s
July 2011(distributed 6.7, 2011)
NEW OPENING
05 Jozankei Tsuruga Resort Spa Mori no Uta
06
C o m b i n a t i o n
Asaba, Izu Shuzenji Onsen
Photograph/ Satoru Naito
F e a t u r e
匠 Master Manufacturers of Small & Medium Businesses
Toward Environment Friendly Minimum Packaging
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32 Ecopackaging Evolves for the
Future
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● Kanepackage Ltd.
JQR FASHION
36
QUALITY REVIEW 1
Dressing Up
Rechargeable batteries for
24 immediate use
eneloop
Quality Japanese Inns and Hotels
52 Asaba
New serial［Es s ay］
54 Japan and Me:
QUALITY REVIEW 2
Energy-saving fan produces a natural
The Modern is in the
Traditional
Francoise Morechand,
Essayist
26 breeze
Sient
28
QUALITY REVIEW SPECIAL
Shozo Izuishi Selection
In Praise of Fine Sake
56 Hakusan
Micro-locomotive Pendant Watches
Ticking miniscule locomotives
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief
Jun Shinozuka
Editors
Jun Nakaki
Editorial Committee
Syozou Izuishi
Tanehide Egami
Kyoko Ohtsu
Shinichi Hanawa
［Fashion Critic］
［Executive Producer, Ecole De Cuisine Egami］
［Joint Representative Director Ramsar Network Japan］
Maki Taguchi
Ryuichiro Matsubara
Fashion Director
Souta Yamaguchi
Humio Maruyama
Assistant
Dai Furusawa
Yumi Yamaguchi
Web Director
Tokuhisa Maruyama
Additional Editing
High-Tech Industry Innovation Agency
Designer
Wakako Kawasaki
Advertising
Integral Corp.
Masaya Mutoh (No Design)
Akari Sugawara(No Design)
［Economist, Professor at the University of Tokyo］
［High-Tech Industry Innovation Agency］
［Travel Writer］
JQR editorial department
2-1-14 Sarugakucho, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 101-0064
03-3518-2270
JQR advertising department
2-1-14 Sarugakucho, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 101-0064
03-3518-4488
eng.jqrmag.com
This Month’s New Opening
Jozankei Tsuruga Resort Spa
Mori no Uta
Photography/Satoru Naito, Text/JQR
ROOM
LOUNGE
The rooms especially for women are 42㎡ wide, with beds on wooden
floors and Ryukyu tatami matting. Prices start from 21,000 yen per
person (service and tax included) in a twin room.
Take off your shoes and relax in this lounge equipped with a stove that
extends to the ceiling like a huge tree. Enjoy sitting around the fire at
night and toasting marshmallows.
MAP
BUFFET
鴨
↑巣
Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort
東京ドーム
壱岐坂下
東京ドームシティ
小石川橋
後楽園
東京ドーム
ホテル
壱岐坂上
駅
道橋
線水
三田
都営
小石川
後楽園
本郷二
新壱岐
坂
`Long life and health`
Foot Bath
Jozankei Gensen Park
A1出口
水道橋
←新宿
Iwato
Kannondo
Temple
Yu Waterfall
外堀通り
東口
Nakayama Pass
神田川
秋葉
原→
Toyohira River
Shiraito
Waterfall
Jozankei Tourist
Association
230
Sapporo
Jozankei Tsuruga
Resort Spa
Mori no Uta
Jozankei
Lake Abashiri
Sapporo
Lake
New Chitose Akanko
Airport
庭のホテル 東京
三崎町
通り
白山
Approximately one hour and twenty five minutes by car from New
Chitose Airport. About forty minutes by car from the Sapporo city
center. The charter bus service for transport to and from the airport is
recommended. http://www.cool-star.jp/index.html
An Enjoyable Resort
Surrounded by Forest
Last August a new resort appeared in
the forests of Hokkaido. Mori no Uta,
in Jozankei, is a resort that exudes an
atmosphere of happy times.
With a green and brown color
scheme and abundant use of wood in
the interior, the inside of this
establishment really does feel like
being in the woods. At the restaurant
entrance you’ll find a leaping rabbit
objet d’art, while the carpet is
patterned with a scattered trail of
rabbit’s paw marks. In the lounge,
with its stove that soars to the ceiling
like a giant tree, you can lie around
The buffet has an amazing selection of Japanese, Chinese and Western
dishes, with plentiful seasonal ingredients. Local Ezo ※
abalone and
wagyu beef also make appearances in the dinner menu.
*Note that there may be extra charges according to the availability of
seasonal foods.
on the grass-like carpet and enjoy the
good location to enjoy skiing in
fire. It’s just like being in a forest
winter. It’s perfect for families, or a
clearing.
trip with the girls.
The morning and evening buffet has
an array of Japanese, Chinese and
Western foods. Enjoy delicious pizza
fresh-cooked from the oven with
toppings you choose yourself. The
rice that’s cooked in a Dutch oven is
another surprise. Choose several of
the petite-size sweets from the many
varieties available, and before you
know it you’ll find a smile on your
face.
The Mori Treatment Spa is
reasonably priced and open until
midnight.
This resort is cool in summer and a
Jozankei Tsuruga Resort Spa
Mori no Uta
Jozankei Onsen Higashi 3-192, Minami-ku,
Sapporo, Hokkaido, 061-2302
Telephone: 011-598-2671
http://www.morino-uta.com/
2 011 July
05
Combination Feature
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Tsutsumu means to wrap or bundle up.
The character originated as a representation of a child
enclosed in its mother’
s womb.
That which is precious, we wrap up to protect.
Glimpses of this sentiment can be seen in scenes from
everyday life, showing that it is still being passed on in
Japanese culture.
The act of tsutsumu is revealing of the Japanese people’
s
consideration and aesthetics.
Photography/ Satoru Naito (pp. 1-8, p. 13), Satoshi Osaki (pp. 9-11, p. 17)
Interview and text /Kyoko Ohtsu
Production and Supervision/ Keiko Kikuta
06
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07
包
Wrapping
With a
Furoshiki
A Convenient Cloth of Ever-Changing Appearance
Furoshiki are the Original
Japanese Eco-bag
These basic methods are all you need to know
The Two Basic Methods of Tying
1
2
Match up the tip so that the
back of the furoshiki is not
visible.
Furoshiki are the original Japanese
In modern times furoshiki are still
so many materials, sizes and patterns,
eco-bag. In terms of versatility they
utilized in a variety of ways. In the
that I’d love to see them being used
are far ahead of the paper bags and
past, the sight of anyone dressed in
imaginatively more and more in
wrapping used nowadays. Any object,
western clothing clutching a furoshiki
everyday life.”
even irregularly-shaped ones, can be
would have given an odd, mismatched
Once you learn the basic tying
wrapped. Furoshiki are easy to tie and
impression, but recently an increasing
method, making simple but attractive
the finished product looks beautiful.
number of people are using furoshiki
bundles is surprisingly easy. Mid- and
They can be folded up compactly
instead of a simple bag or purse. This
end-of-year gifts have long been sent
after use and used many times over.
writer is one such person—I always
by parcel delivery service, but to
Could any other wrapping material be
have two or three furoshiki in my
really show your feelings wrap a gift
so practical?
travel bag. They are perfect for
up in a furoshiki and deliver it by
bundling up changes of clothes, and
hand.
also for wrapping up small objects or
Four examples of the many methods
things I buy when I’m away. They’re
of tying furoshiki are shown here. Try
also handy to scrunch up and stuff
them! Furoshiki are an eco-bag that
There are various theories about the
into the gaps inside my luggage as
we can proudly show the world.
origins of the word furoshiki
cushioning.
The Convenience of
Furoshiki
(furo[bath] + shiki [spread out]), but
records from the Muromachi period
(1333-1568) show that feudal lords
wrapped their clothing in a cloth
marked with their family crest at the
08
1
3
Wind the tip around in one
hand and make a loop.
2
Cross the tips over.
5
Single Knot
Basic Knot
3
Wind the topmost tip over
and around the other once.
4
Pass the tip through the
loop.
Pull both ends to tie once.
Hold the tip and pull firmly.
4
Tilt the frontmost tip to the
opposite side, pass the rear
tip over and through the
loop.
Undoing basic knot
6
1
2
Use Them for Whatever
You can Think of
“Furoshiki are popular not only with
Pull on both ends to make
firm the knot, then adjust
the shape.
bath house, and used this cloth to
the Japanese, but also with people
stand on afterwards while dressing
from overseas,” says Keiko Kikuta,
and grooming themselves again. In
owner of the furoshiki specialty shop
the Edo period (1600-1868) furoshiki
Furoshiki-ya Yamatonadeshiko.
■ Furoshiki-ya Yamatonadeshiko
marked with brand and trade names
“Furoshiki are so beautiful in
apparently became popular and were
themselves, some people use them for
used as a form of product advertising.
table cloths or scarves. They come in
6-15 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku
Telephone: 03-3266-1641
http//www.yamatonadeshiko-tokyo.com
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Finished. The knot should
lie horizontally.
Hold the section below the knot
with the left hand, and pull the
left tip with right hand in the
direction of the arrow until you
feel resistance.
Hold the knot from above
with the right hand and pull
to the right.
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09
Basic Wrap
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For a formal impression using one basic (ma-musubi) knot. This method is
useful for carrying things because the shape holds well.
包む
Wine Bottle
Wrap
A decorative method of tying with tucks
around the neck of the bottle. The surprise
element makes this perfect for a gift.
The Furoshiki
1
2
Spread the furoshiki into a
diamond and place the
bottle in the middle. Put a
rubber band on the neck of
the bottle.
Lift up the closest corner
and fold at the top to match
the bottle’s height.
3
● The
Furoshiki
Method of Tying
1
This shade of light green (Rikyu) has
a strong Japanese image and was
popular in the Edo period. It is
beautifully designed with a flowing
water and chrysanthemum pattern.
(Chrysanthemums and water, grayish
green, 75cm width, 15,750 yen).
Lift up the left corner while
neatening the sides and bring
it over the box.
10
2 011 July
2
Fold in from the edges to
make pleats in this section,
then hold in place with the
rubber band.
3
● The Furoshiki
Place a box in the center of
the furoshiki, decide the
position in accordance with
the pattern.
5
4
4
Cover the box neatly with the
frontmost corner, and tuck the
extra material underneath.
6
Do the same with the right
side.
5
Bring the back corner over to
cover the box in the same
way.
Pleat the other side in the
same way and hold in
place with the rubber band.
6
7
Straighten out the angles on
both sides and tie a
ma-musubi over the box.
Tidy the knot to finish.
Made by contemporary dyer Yasuko
Sato. A bold modern design that
changes in appearance according to
how the furoshiki is tied. (Iceflower
blue, 70cm, 2,625 yen)
Lift up the left and right
tips, cross over behind the
bottle and bring to the front.
Tie a ma-musubi knot
around the bottle neck.
Spread the pleats out and
straighten the shape.
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11
Suitable for wrapping long objects. The two basic (ma-musubi) knots give a
decidedly elaborate air.
● The Furoshiki
Method of Tying
A typical fine-detail pattern from the
Edo era. Versatile usage because of
patterning on front and reverse
sides. ( Same komon [shark
fine-pattern], red/yellow, 68cm
width, 6,300 yen)
Spread the furoshiki into a
diamond and place the article
in the middle.
Lift up the two edges on the
left-side.
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Method of Tying
2
3
12
Can be slung over the shoulder or carried by hand. Wide objects or even small
pets can fit neatly inside.
● The Furoshiki
1
1
Lift up front and back corners and take to
opposite sides while crossing over in the
middle. Pull both ends to make sure the
crossover point is in the center.
4
Straighten the angle on the right-side
and tie a ma-musubi knot.
包む
Double Knot Wrap
Simple Bag
A large, rather thick furoshiki with a
motif from Scrolls of Frolicking
Animals (Japan’s oldest manga).
(Choju-giga, dull orange-brown,
105cm width, 2,100 yen)
2
Spread the furoshiki into a
diamond.
3
Fold in half to form a triangle.
4
5
5
Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the
right-side.
Tie a hitotsu-musubi knot on two
corners at the base of the triangle.
These determine the bag’s depth, so
balance the length of the knots on both
sides.
Tie the two sides together at
the top with a ma-musubi
knot.
Neaten the shape while using
the ma-musubi knot as a
handle.
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13
Items wrapped specially for
JQR. Essence Plus, located
on the first floor of the
Matsuya Ginza Department
Store, has a range of
women’s accessories just
right for early summer.
All Purchased Items are Wrapped
包
Department
Store
Wrapping
The Extra Measure of Service
that Comes with the Wrapping
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“We have boxes and wrapping paper
in the right sizes on hand, so we can
wrap anything we sell. Essence Plus,
a women’s accessory shop on the
first floor, has wrapping paper and
paper bags in five different sizes.
There are more than 20 different
types of boxes, for everything from
handkerchiefs to hats (from 50 yen
per box [without tax]). We also have
long thin bags for umbrellas.
Wrapping paper and box sizes are
different on each floor as every floor
sells different products.”
Akiyo Torii is stationed in
customer service to welcome
customers and wrap goods.
She is an expert in wrapping
items quickly and attractively.
Japanese people are used to the
exterior walls that were completed in
several items for us. That’s when I
perfectionist wrapping service
2006.
noticed that the wrapping wasn’t just
provided by Japanese department
purchase we ask if it is for home use
her that “the stole is a present but it
are amazed by its attractiveness.
or as a present, as we try to
needn’t be put in a box,” she first
Wrapping that is so precise it could
differentiate the wrapping. If it is a
enveloped it in a double layer of thin
have been done by machine is a
present then we ask if they would like
paper before encasing it in wrapping
unique service of Japanese
it put in a box before beginning to
paper. In answer to my question “Why
department stores. It’s fair to say that
wrap,” said Yuka Ogasawara of the
the thin paper?” she replied, “because
to see a shop attendant spread the
Public Relations Department in
while you’re carrying it there might be
paper out diagonally, place the item
Matsuya Ginza.
some kind of impact that will tear the
in the corner and then fold the paper
At Matsuya Ginza, staff must undergo
wrapping paper, so it’s to prevent the
along the lines of the box, is to watch
wrapping training before they are
item fraying in case that happens.” I
a skilled craftsman at work. Her
assigned to a section, and practice
gained a new appreciation for the
fingers are nimble, there is no wasted
daily even after that.
quality control and thoughtful
movement. The wrapping always
“A certain level of speed is necessary
consideration that lie behind this
finishes up on the reverse side, with
because we can’t keep customers
service.
no slackness in sight. If ten of the
waiting too long. We also always try
*Please also watch the video images I
same article were to be wrapped, all
to keep in mind which wrapping goes
recorded of Ms. Torii’s fast work.
ten will finish up looking almost
with which item, or which
exactly the same. It is probably only
combinations require what wrapping,
in Japan that such a miracle unfolds
and the order of wrapping, so that we
at department stores throughout the
can deal with whatever comes up
whole country.
quickly and without hesitation. We
Many Ginza department stores are
thronging with visitors from overseas.
Matsuya Ginza is an old established
store that opened there in 1925. In
14
2 011 July
beautiful. For example, when I told
stores. Travelers to Japan, however,
Practice Wrapping
Nimbly and Neatly
Wrapping examples: It could be for home use, a boxed present, or
a present without a box… whatever kind of wrapping the customer
wants, the store will oblige. Putting the wrapped item into a paper
bag for ease in carrying it home is also part of the service.
“When the customer pays for their
2001 it switched to a white-toned
wrapping paper and the look was
unified with the LED embedded white
have several kinds of stickers
available to put on presents, which
overseas guests particularly enjoy
choosing,” said Ms. Torii in Customer
Service.
Protecting the Purchase
is Another Purpose of
Wrapping
■ Matsuya Ginza
3-6-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Telephone: 03-3567-1211
(main switchboard)
http://www.matsuya.com/
Ms. Torii promptly proceeded to wrap
2 011 July
15
包
Specialty
Store
Wrapping
Leave it to the Experts to Find a Match for Any Style
Great Tricks
from the Wrapping Experts
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Creative advisor/ Naoko
Honda. Business
Department Manager,
Tokyo Main Branch
Store, Tsutsumu Co. Ltd.
“When you’re wrapping
everyday, your hands feel
comfortable with paper
after one or two months.”
A Wedding Gift
“Because wedding wrapping is mainly white, the trick
is to make a difference with a ribbon. This was a
wedding present for a man, so I used blue-tinted
paper as the base, with two kinds of ribbons of
different thicknesses. A thin gold ribbon layer on top
pulls the whole look together. Adding flowers and a
pale corsage made it much fancier.”
Total cost: 2,583 yen. Materials
(pearl paper 315 yen, wide white
ribbon 336 yen/m x 1 meter, gold
mesh ribbon 378 yen/m x 1.5
meters, white rose corsage 315
yen x 2, pearl corsage 315 yen) +
technical charge 420 yen.
Wrapping for a photo frame. “I thought
the original wrapping was quite plain
and not suitable for a wedding present.
It’s an expensive gift so I’d like
something equally fancy to match.”
(customer’s request)
Located in Shibuya, Tokyo, Tsutsumu
consultation with the customer. There
combinations, and we also have lots
Factory is a store that specializes in
are material charges and a technical
of samples in the store. We’re happy
wrapping materials. The store interior
service charge. The technical service
to be consulted any number of times
overflows with various wrapping items
charge is set at three levels according
until the customer finds what they
and gift cards. You can also take
to the combined length of three sides
like,” Ms. Honda said.
something along to the store and get
of the package: up to 100 centimeters
Next, she demonstrated her wrapping
it wrapped with the materials available
is 420 yen, 101 to 150 centimeters
skills for me on two celebratory gifts.
there.
is 630 yen, and 151 centimeters
You can see the video on the internet
“Recently we’ve had a lot of requests
upwards is 1,050 yen. On the day of
showing how a pro handles this task.
to wrap wine and local beers, because
my visit there I was surprised to see a
Please take a look.
bottles are hard for novices to wrap.
male customer bring in a black
There’s also been an increasing
kimono sash. An austerely elegant
number of customers who bring
wrapping in deep green tones gave a
unwrapped items purchased from
striking finish to this gift intended for
electrical stores that they want
a man. If you had started out trying to
wrapped,” said Naoko Honda of
create a wrapping with such an
Tsutsumu Factory.
elegant color combination, it would be
A Clear System of
Payment for Services
16
“The soft fluffy toy inspired me to use a soft
paper as the wrapping material. I doubled two
shades of pink soft paper over to form a bag, so
as to reveal the color gradation. At the customer’
s request I decorated the knot with a large flower.
This used up the leftover soft paper, which I
made into large flower petals.”
difficult to find the materials. I can
Total cost: 1,533 yen. Materials
(dark pink soft paper 294 yen/m ×
1 meter, light pink paper 294 yen/m
× 1 meter, pink ribbon 357 yen/m
× 1 meter, yellow ribbon 168 yen/
m × 1 meter) + technical charge
420 yen.
understand why he came to this shop.
Incidentally, black wrapping paper has
apparently been in high demand the
The system of charges for the
past few years so the store has a
wrapping service is very clear.
wide variety in stock.
Customers tell the staff their budget,
“Many customers have a firm idea of
the present’s purpose and their mental
what they want the finished item to
picture of the finished wrapping. Staff
look like. But if that is not the case,
then select wrapping materials in
we can suggest a few different
2 011 July
A Baby Gift
■Tsutsumu Factory, Shibuya Store
Tsutsumu Building 1F, Udagawa-cho
37-15, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Telephone: 03-5478-1331
http://www.tsutsumu.co.jp/
Wrapping for a small soft toy.
“The toy shop put it in a clear
bag with a ribbon, but that has
no surprise element (laughs). I
want it to give a soft loveable
impression.” (customer)
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17
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A Visit to a Traditional Packaging Exhibition
包
The Japanese
Culture of
Wrapping
Traditional Packaging Born of
Resourcefulness and
Craftsmanship
Graphic designer Hideyuki Oka
chimaki (bamboo wrapped cakes) and
convenient to carry around, and
(1905-1995) was also a collector of
monetary gift envelopes, mixed with
opening them up was simple. The
traditional Japanese packaging.
objects that are probably no longer
items on display are a testimony to
Fascinated by the beauty of cake
made such as egg holders. Some
the highly advanced wrapping skills
boxes and various other food
were beautiful and some were richly
behind them.
containers, he spent many years
amusing—it was never boring. I just
Oka’s perspective has one more
traveling the country to add to his
had to admire anew the ingenuity of
aspect to it, which is the aesthetic
collection. This collection was
Japanese in the past. And, without
angle. The packaging did not have to
inherited by the Meguro Museum of
realizing it, I found I had gained an
be simply practical, it had to be
Art, Tokyo, which put part of it on
aesthetic Japanese sense of beauty
beautiful as well. He sought out
public display in an exhibition entitled
and spirit.
things that became even more
“Tsutsumu—Exhibition of Traditional
Japanese Packaging” (closed May 22,
2011). The great many examples of
packaging on display there could well
Practicality and
Aesthetics
beautiful through being wrapped. I felt
as if I had seen the roots of the
Japanese aesthetic that strives for
beautiful wrapping, which has been
be called a testament to Oka’s
The materials used for packaging
passed down all the way to the
commitment and tenacity.
were those found close to hand in
present.
The exhibition was separated into
nature. Much of the packaging was
sections according to material; tree,
born out of necessity, practical things
bamboo, bamboo grass, earth and
that were deeply rooted in daily life
straw. Every section was full of
and passed on through the
deeply fascinating designs. Packaging
generations. Functionally they were
that you can see even today such as
also superb, as wrapping made things
Left: In the paper section. Inventory of a set of betrothal gifts. Second generation style Kanezawa mizuhiki-ori (folded red and white paper) by Ume Tsuda
(1907-2004). Made in 1988. Above right: In the bamboo section. Bamboo utensils, baskets and chimaki wrappings made of bamboo grass, woven baskets
and other objects reveal much about bamboo’s versatility as a material. Below right: Sawa no Tsuru sake barrel displayed on the first floor of the museum.
The character for rice forms part of the design, and the barrel is packaged decoratively for use as a gift.
18
2 011 July
Straw egg holder/ Foodstuffs/
Yamagata prefecture. A work
of art in itself, this packaging
was made by farmers well
versed in the properties of
straw, and born out of long
experience. There were many
variations of this packaging
method, and eggs were also
packed horizontally,
depending on the region.
Contrived so that even if the
topmost egg is taken out, the
next one won’t break. Made
by Seiji Ishikawa (19211997). Photograph by
Michikazu Sakai
2 011 July
19
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Bamboo whisk-shaped candies/ sweets/ Miyagi
prefecture. A simple work made of small sarashiame
sweets speared on the tip of thin bamboo strips, and
placed in a bamboo pipe. Like a lovely bunch of flowers.
Believed to have been based on a tanabata festival motif.
Not made anymore. Photograph by Michikazu Sakai .
Kin Senryo/ toothpicks/ Saruya, Tokyo. Even more
singular than the paulownia wood box which imparts a
sense of luxury are the eye-catching bold characters
Kin Senryo (meaning “gold senryo” [old Japanese coin].
P h o t o g r a p h y : Michikazu Sakai .
Ohineri (monetary gift wrapped in paper)/tossed coins.
Ohineri has its origins in the custom of throwing
monetary gifts to actors on the stage after a play
finished. It is an expression of the Japanese belief that
gratuities should be wrapped in paper. Money wrapped
in paper also has the advantage of being easy to
control. Photograph by Michikazu Sakai .
Chimaki (rice ball or cake wrapped in bamboo grass)/
foodstuff/Fukushima region. Chimaki are found all over
Japan, and are known by various names such as sasamaki or
sasadango. Glutinous rice or balls of steamed rice are put in
bamboo grass and tied into a bundle with a strong fibrous
grass. Mainly used nowadays for wrapping sweets.
Photograph by Michikazu Sakai .
“The Japanese people’s attitude toward daily living shows in a
mindset that has an accurate grasp of each material’s inherent qualities,
and utilizes them while trying as much as possible not to impair it.”
Hideyuki Oka, Nihon no Dentou Pakke-ji (Traditional Japanese Packaging), Bijutsu Shuppann, 1965
■ Meguro Museum of Art, Tokyo
Meguro 2-4-36, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
Telephone: 03-3714-1201
http://mmat.jp/
20
2 011 July
2 011 July
21
包
Hotel
Service
Even Items Bought Outside Can be Wrapped
A Free Wrapping Service
for Guests
包む
Wr a p
The Royal Park Hotel in Nihonbashi,
Tokyo is adjacent to the Tokyo City Air
Terminal, and as a result many who
stay at the hotel are from overseas. The
first floor Royal Gallery, a gift shop
selling items with the hotel logo, offers
guests a special wrapping service.
They will even wrap items purchased
outside the hotel free of charge.
“We get all kinds of requests for
wrapping, like wine that was bought
duty free, or t-shirts bought in bulk that
guests would like wrapped individually,”
said Ms Hirano, the assistant manager
of the Royal Gallery. When I pressed
the point about whether this was free
even if the guest brought in a large
There are two types of wrapping paper. White paper printed
with the hotel logo is used for items bought in the hotel shop,
and a plain moss green paper is used for items bought
outside. Stickers that hold the paper down are also either
printed with the hotel logo or left plain.
number of items, “Of course,” she
replied. “We can’t do it at short notice,
but if a guest requested to have it done
by their departure the day after
tomorrow, we would take the items and
deliver them to the guest’s room the
night before departure.” It’s all part of
the hotel service. The only problem is
that the hotel cannot use paper or
stickers with the hotel logo on it for
wrapping items purchased outside,
since the quality of the wrapped item is
unknown. Nonetheless, there are
Attaching a label to
identify the contents
when items the same
size are wrapped is
another part of the
service.
absolutely no shortcuts taken with the
wrapping.
“We often get asked to wrap souvenirs
for children, so we always ask if it’s for
a boy or girl, and choose the ribbon
color accordingly. Once when I was
Yoko Hirano,
Royal Gallery
Assistant
Manager, is
engaged in
buying as
well as sales.
asked to wrap a lot of baseball caps, I
wrote a label for each with the team
name on it because I thought it would
be hard to know which team was in
which package, and the guest was
delighted by this.”
Everything purchased outside the hotel
that is wrapped here is still handed over
in a carry bag. “We feel that it would be
■ Royal Park Hotel
Kakigara-cho 2-1-1, Nihonbashi,
Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Telephone: 03-3667-1111
http://www.rph.co.jp/
22
2 011 July
such a shame if the pleasure of giving
a present was spoiled because the
wrapping tore during transit.” That’s the
kind of hospitality which could well be
called service beyond the call of duty.
2 011 July
23
QR 1
Quality
Review
The simple eneloop
design – a blue package
and white batteries
– ensures consumers
can use the batteries
for years without tiring
of the packaging. The
outer package doubles
as the storage case, so
storing and carrying the
batteries is easy.
eneloop
eneloop
Rechargeable Batteries
for Immediate Use
Photography/Satoru Naito, Text/JQR
Saves power,
discharges less and
charges 1,500 times
they only placed importance on battery
After the Great East Japan Earthquake
capacity and strength.
occurred, shops ran out of eneloop
Since surveys showed many consumers
batteries due to panic buying. Have
saw recharging as a nuisance, Sanyo
peace of mind when disasters hit with
began placing more importance on
charged eneloop batteries on hand. As
developing batteries with greater
the Japanese proverb says, “Well
retention.
prepared means no worries.”
Though common today, rechargeable
The result was eneloop, a simple
batteries were not popular when first
rechargeable battery that retains 75%
released in Japan over 20 years ago,
of its energy after three years. In
because they could not be used off the
contrast, standard rechargeable
shelf. While they were a more cost-
batteries have zero capacity two years
effective option, few people had the
after being charged. Like dry-cell
time to charge rechargeable batteries
batteries, eneloop batteries have
after buying them.
enough charge when they arrive in the
In 2005, Sanyo released revolutionary
shops to be used off the shelf.
nickel-hydride batteries consumers
A further boost to eneloop’s popularity
could use straight away.
was its unprecedented simple design
Until then, all existing rechargeable
and catchy name, a combination of the
batteries would self-discharge, so even
words energy and loop.
though they left the factory charged,
In 2009, Sanyo released an improved
their power would be low when they
model that recharges 1,500 times, up
reached the shelves. Engineers had
from the original 1,000 times. An
previously believed that rechargeable
eneloop battery will last approximately
batteries were made to be charged, so
28.8 years if recharged once a week.
● Enquiries/Sanyo Electric Company Tel: 06-6994-6289
24
2 011 July
Charging one battery takes 75
minutes using a Sanyo eneloop AA/
AAA Quick Battery Charger (current
price approximately 3,000 yen)
(right) eneloop AA battery
(pack of two – 1,155
yen). (left) eneloop lite AA
battery for remote
controls, alarm clocks,
and other low- to mediumpowered devices (pack of
two – 780 yen).
2 011 July
25
QR 2
Wind Rhythm Pattern (Airflow Level 7)
Quality Review
Airflow
0
20
40
60
80
Time (seconds)
100
SIENT
120
(left) The 120 seconds/cycle wind pattern reproduces the
flutter of a natural breeze.
(right) The seven thinner blades produce less wind noise.
SIENT
Energy-saving Fan Blows Natural Breeze
Photography/Satoru Naito, Text/JQR
running at full blast, power consumption
in rotations also produces a finer, more
is less than half of conventional electric
natural breeze. Other new functions
fans. Sient uses as little as three watts
include a 3D oscillating function, which
when running at the lowest airflow,
randomly oscillates vertically and
which surprisingly is lower than the
horizontally.
standby power consumption of a
No more stress about saving electricity
telephone fax machine.
or losing sleep on sultry nights with the
East Japan will no doubt suffer from
The reason for Sient’s excellent energy-
combined use of a Sient electric fan
electricity shortages this summer, so
saving performance is its DC inverter
and an air conditioner.
the private and public sectors must
motor. This motor contributes greatly
both strive to reduce their power
towards energy saving when compared
consumption. Electronics shops have
to the AC motors used in other electric
even set up “energy-saving consultation
fans. The fan’s control efficiency
counters” in anticipation of customer
produces a fluttering, soft breeze and
enquiries on the ideal combined use of
enables seven airflow settings.
air conditioners and electric fans
Sient also has a four-level ‘rhythm
through summer.
breeze’ function to produce a more
As a result, environmentally friendly
comfortable breeze. Strong and weak
electric fans are now attracting
breezes blow at random in
attention. Sient by Toshiba, the pioneer
approximately 120-second cycles.
of domestically produced fans, is one
Sient’s seven blades, as opposed to the
model enjoying strong sales. When an
four blades in other Toshiba electric
editorial staff member went to buy one
fans, make fewer rotations to produce
on May 27th, she was told it would be
the same amount of wind. This not only
delivered on July 17th. Surprising when
realizes low energy savings, but also
you consider the expensive price tag of
less noise. At its quietest, Sient
approximately 25,000 yen.
produces 16 decibels of noise – quieter
An attractive feature of this electric fan
than the 20 decibels produced by
is its low energy consumption. When
leaves rustling in a tree. This decrease
Latest energy-saving
Toshiba electric fan
blows a fresh breeze
● Enquiries/Toshiba Lifestyle Consultation Center Tel: 0120-1048-76
26
2 011 July
Turn the dial to adjust the airflow.
Convenient, fine level adjustment with
seven continuous airflow settings and four
rhythm airflow settings.
Sient F-DLN100(W), open
price (current market price
approximately 25,000 yen).
W37.3cm x D37cm, H81–
110cm. Electricity
consumption: 3–20W. Sient
was named after the
Spanish for seven (siete)
and wind (viento) and the
English word, silent.
2 011 July
27
QR
SPECIAL Selection
The Shozo Izushi Selection No. 4
Listen to the ticking of the miniscule locomotive inside
A Micro-locomotive Pendant Watch
Photography/Satoru Naito
Wind-up dolls (karakuri ningyo) have
as ‘complex clock.’ Giemon began
clockmaker uses a file and other
a long history. Some credit Izumo
working on the clock in 1850 and
tools to give these parts an
Takeda as the patriarch of wind-up
finished it the following year, at the
elaborate finish and then assemble
dolls. Takeda traveled to Kyoto in
age of 53.
them. The founder makes the bells.
The cabinetmaker makes the base
1658 and presented the Imperial
and the cover. Other craftsmen make
Palace with a wind-up doll, and was
“The overall conceptual design and
bestowed the name Yakumo Takeda.
assembly is, of course, the work of a
the side sculptures and inlays,
clockmaker. The groundwork of
respectively. Of all these, Omi took
We must not forget inventor
creating the crude machine parts is
much pain with the springs and cogs
Hisashige Tanaka, who made wind-
contracted to a founder, a
– the heart of the clock. He
up dolls many years later. Born in
diligently filed the cogs himself by
Kurume, Kyushu, on 18th September
the dim light of a mujinto lamp. But
1799, Tanaka was also known by
he was not completely satisfied with
the name Karakuri (lit: gizmo,
the springs.” (Biography of Hisashige
automaton) Giemon.
Tanaka by Toyota Mori, published by
Giemon made, among other items, a
the Hisashige Tanaka Biography
wind-up doll that serves sake. The
Publication Society)
beautiful doll holds a tray carrying a
sake cup. When the cup is filled
The Omi in the text refers to Tanaka,
with sake, the doll starts walking
who was bestowed the name Omi
towards the customer and stops in
Daisho in 1849 by the Saga Imperial
front of them. Once the customer
Palace and was often known
has drunk the sake and replaced the
thereafter by that name. This name
cup to the same spot, the doll
was the greatest honor to be
returns.
bestowed on a karakuri craftsman.
Of all his creations, his myriad year
The mujinto oil lamp, which emitted
a steady light by replenishing the oil
clock is a masterpiece. The ‘myriad
28
year’ in the name of this wadokei
cabinetmaker, a painter, a lacquerer
itself, was also invented by Tanaka
(Japanese clock) is best understood
and other subcontractors. The
and was widely used.
2 011 July
The top of the pendant, crowned with a large pink
tourmaline and a small emerald, is reminiscent of a
Corinthian column. Twist it to give the watch life.
K18YG/K18WG Tourmaline, emerald and diamond watch
Model: 2-50-04690-A001
2,415,000 yen incl. tax
2 011 July
29
The brace on this elaborate brooch
with a Grecian-cross motif does not
show on this unique Cisey setting.
( L ) K18W G d i a m o n d r i n g M o d e l : 0- 50- 02117- A011
1, 386, 000 y e n i n c l . t a x
( R) K18W G d i a m o n d p e n d a nt b ro a c h
M o d e l : 3- 50- 04232- A051
1, 155, 000 y e n i n c l . t a x
K18/K18WG Diamond pendant brooch
Model: 2-50-03029-A041
1,617,000 yen incl. tax
The combination of tanzanite and gold create
a beautiful contrast on this double ring. The
setting itself, which holds the large emerald,
looks like sand ripples on the edge of a
desert.
This shield-shaped ring also resembles a
dolmen built by the Ancient Celts. The
symmetry between the left and the right, and
the top and the bottom, is as beautiful as a
baroque music performance.
K18/Pt Tanzanite diamond ring
Model: 0-50-00005-A001
17,640,000 yen incl. tax
(L) K18/K18WG diamond ring
Model: 0-50-00002-A071
2,887,500 yen incl. tax
(R) K18/K18WG diamond pendant
Model: 2-50-04095-A021
630,000 yen incl. tax
The completed myriad year clock
cost 1,000 ryo, an astronomical
Kiyota envisioned the movement for
Kiyota obtained this miniscule
winding knob. The ruby – the roof
was a mantelpiece clock, 83 cm
price at the time. No one since has
this watch to be part of the jewelry
locomotive and decided to make
of the transparent case – is the
Shozo Izuishi
high and 65 cm wide at the base.
bought the myriad year clock
as well as the mechanism. Kiyota’s
the watch see-through, using a
winding knob. The watch can be
Each dial had a different function;
because it is difficult to place a
search for this movement, which
design that allows the locomotive
wound by touching this beautiful
this hexahedral clock was indeed a
price tag on it.
would become part of a piece of
to be seen from any angle. To
ruby, which is more like a tiara than
art, lasted 10 years. Kiyota
achieve this, he needed a
a roof.
Born 1944. Joined the fashion industry in
1964. Izuishi has forged a career as a
fashion designer, consultant, and critic.
Author of numerous books including Otoko
wa Naze Nekutai wo Musubu no ka (“Why
do Men Wear Neckties?”) (Shinchosha),
and Bruu Jiinzu no Bunkashi (“Blue Jeans:
a Cultural History”) (NTT Shuppan). His
recent work Suutsu no Hyakka Jiten (“An
Encyclopedia of Suits”) (Banraisha)
lecturing males on how to wear a suit
properly has attracted favorable reviews.
myriad year clock. The most
30
This woven piece of jewelry inspired
b y Ve n e t i a n l a c e i s i n f a c t e x q u is ite
a n d s u p p l e , g i v i n g a c o m f o rta b le fit.
distinctive feature of this
I was reminded of Tomoaki Kiyota
eventually met Hisa Hara. As an
transparent, cylindrical case. When
complicated clock was the
while researching Hisashige Tanaka
independent watchmaker, Hara is
Kiyota finally found one, a spark of
16-jewelled inlaid Swiss pocket
and the myriad year clock. Kiyota is
unique in modern Japan. He created
inspiration hit him, and he rapidly
watch. The movement of this
a jeweler, but he has much in
an unprecedented baguette-shaped
completed the design. The resulting
pocket watch and the overall
common with Tanaka. Kiyoto
movement. Most standard
pendant watch with an encased
mechanism of the clock were
always wanted to create the perfect
movements are round but are
micro-locomotive is without equal
interlocked.
jewelry watch. Despite the millions
unsuitable for the avant-garde
either in Japan or the world.
As one might expect, this myriad
of jewelry watches in existence,
design of jewelry watches. The
The perfect beauty of this pendant
year clock was quite topical. The
Kiyota dreamt of a gem that
baguette movement resembles a
watch contains a secret. The watch
lord of Matsue, Dewanokami
embodied its own perfect beauty.
micro-locomotive, and the rotary
is solid and has total bilateral
Matsudaira, wanted to buy it but
To achieve this, he wanted a
motion is like ripples radiating out
symmetry, without any breaks,
changed his mind after learning it
unique movement.
over the surface of a pool of water.
because the watch has no obvious
● Enquiries
Studio Kiyota
TEL: 055-251-4100
http://www.cisey.jp/
2 011 July
31
T A K U M I
匠
From the Workshops of
Monozukuri Manufacturers
V o l
3
← An example of packaging that
holds 40 hard disc drives. Top
is the old packaging before
downsizing. Bottom is the
current packaging that holds the
same amount of HDDs.
JQR
Selection of Japanese Skills
Toward Environment Friendly Minimum Packaging
↓ The packaging surface was a
big factor in successfully
lowering the impact value. The
sides were molded into waves
and partially cut away
diagonally. This shaping
disperses outside forces.
Ecopackaging
Evolves for the
Future
Photography/ Susumu Nagao Interview and text/ Kyoko Ohtsu
Kanepackage President,
Yoshikazu Kanesaka. He
paints a clear picture of
the company’s future, and
takes the lead in
environmental business.
All at once the times are changing
aims for in the packaging it
develop packaging that can
toward a more ecologically
produces. These can be summarized
withstand the particular environment
sustainable lifestyle. In the
in four points: 1. downsize, 2. save
for each distribution route. This was
packaging industry the Kanepackage
resources, 3. reduce weight and 4.
an unprecedented business
Group, whose headquarters are in
be recyclable.
development for Kanepackage, but it
the city of Iruma, Saitama
packaging technology in order to
comprehensive manufacturer of
pursue ecopackaging.
improve transport efficiency,” said
packaging materials to come up with
Kanepackage President, Yoshikazu
a succession of remarkable
The company’s basic business is the
Kanesaka. “If transporting goods
products. For example, by improving
provision of total packaging, from
safely were the only consideration
the shock-absorbing properties of
product packaging suggestions to
then we could simply fill a box with
cushioning used to pack HDDs, they
design and manufacture. Usually the
lots of cushioning, but transport
were able to achieve a 50%
job of getting products packaged
efficiency would naturally go down.
downsizing for packing the same
means having to deal with several
Because we’re a company that
amount of HDDs. CO2 use was
companies, such as cardboard and
originally used cardboard and
successfully reduced 40% . This
cushioning makers. But
cushioning, we'd be shooting
cushioning made it possible to
Kanepackage’s strength is having
ourselves in the feet to change
double carrying capacity for the
unified all these specialist tasks into
direction and do away with that
same space, which meant lower
the one company, giving it the
altogether. But if we develop
distribution expenses for the client
capacity to pay close attention to
replacements, then downsizing and
company, and a large cut in costs.
the finest detail in packaging
saving resources can be achieved,”
The cushioning that made this
production. Another point in the
he continued with a smile.
downsizing and weight reduction
company’s favor is that it is able to
Eco-packaging is a simple word for
possible was created by tweaking
greatly reduce CO2 emissions by
something that takes a multitude of
the materials and using a trick in the
making lighter and more compact
forms. If you have 100 products,
surface finishing. The surface of the
packaging materials.
you’ll have 100 types of packaging.
original cushioning material had
And the distribution route for each is
corrugations several centimeters
also different. Some goods go by air,
deep to mitigate impact when a box
while others make a long journey by
is dropped. After refinement, the
ship. While striving for eco-friendly
corrugation depth became less than
products, the company still has to
one centimeter. You might doubt
Kanepackage has particular goals it
2 011 July
技
made the most of its strengths as a
prefecture, was amongst the first to
Packaging Called for
by the Times
32
“We also worked on distribution
TAK U M I
↑ Cardboard is trimmed on the
sample cutter according to the
design. The ability to make trial
products in-house is one of the
company’s strengths.
→ Examples of cardboard
cushioning. Designed to hold the
product with no space wasted.
Designers show off their skills in
working one piece of cardboard to
raise its protective ability and
make it compact.
J Q R
S e l e ct i o n
o f
J a p a n e s e
2 011 July
S k i l l s
33
Emergency Shelters Made of Reinforced Cardboard.
Examples of Recently Developed Products
株式会社クマクラ会長・熊倉賢一さん。
興味の対象が幅広く、
話は無限に広がる。
→ Packaging
to send mobile
phones to the
factory for
repairs. The
puti puti bubble
wrap is folded
in two and has
a gentle
adhesive to
hold the phone
neatly in place
so it won’t
move.
→ Packaging
for a Geiger
counter. A
special film
attached inside
the lid gently
holds the
Geiger counter
in place when
the lid closes.
← The vibration test machine.
Packaging can tested at the
level of vibration expected to
occur during transport, to
verify if there is any shifting or
tilting of the contents,
rupturing, or rubbing on the
printed side. There are various
other testing machines too.
↑ Drop testing from different heights
and directions can be carried out on
the drop test machine. After
confirming many times over that
there is no damage to the contents if
the package is dropped and a corner
squashed, the reliability and utility of
the package product is verified.
Packaging products are checked on various testing equipment
Cube Shelter 8.0
This cube shelter for
6 people can be
assembled in about 4
minutes. Several
people can stand on
the roof and it won’t
collapse. It has been
tested to last for 3
months outside, but
with a plastic sheet
covering could be
used for more than 6.
T A K U M I
匠
From the Workshops of
Monozukuri Manufacturers
Assembling the Basic Bathroom
Thickness when folded up.
Basic Toilet Bowl 1.0
The cardboard is treated
with water repellent and is
safe even if it gets wet. The
bowl lid opens and shuts.
Plastic bags are placed
inside the bowl for use.
Two adults can easily unfold it.
Portable Bed 1.0
whether this could safely protect the
are dropped off a truck while being
CO2 emissions were lowered 70%
contents of a box at the receiving
transported, but a packaging
because of the dramatic reduction
end of an impact, but “that’s the
company will produce a design to
in weight. That is a unique property
trick,” said President Kanesaka.
anticipate this.
of this material. Sculpting of the
“When we developed a stronger
“Making products is the
box surface enables them to be
material, we were able to make the
manufacturer’s job, but the final
connected together vertically and
partition spacing narrower. We’d
finishing-off is the work of the
horizontally like a puzzle. When
been convinced that corrugations
packager. Packaging methods will
boxes are stacked like this it forms
several centimeters deep were
differ depending on what the product
a mass that makes it difficult for
necessary, but when we tried cutting
is made of and the position of its
the load to shift or collapse, and
the wall surface diagonally, the
center of gravity. Despite this, the
the improved strength means the
material was stronger even with a
time allowed for developing
contents do not break even if a
thickness of one centimeter. By
packaging materials is very short,
palette is dropped from a truck. It
slowing the speed at which the
and perfection is demanded on top
also prevents theft. Apparently there
impact comes, the impact value was
of that,” said President Kanesaka
is a surprising amount of theft of
company is now putting effort into
lowered.”
with a laugh.
new products stacked near ports
recyclable cardboard cushioning.
and airports waiting to be freighted
Cardboard cushioning made from
out.
one sheet of cardboard wound round
But this kind of foam cushioning is
and round will likely be a packaging
made from oil, and there is a limit
staple in the near future.
The company has various types of
testing equipment, such as drop
testers and rupture testers. For
example, when a ship passes
through the equator the humidity and
34
Boxless Packaging:
Cushioning Material
that Functions as a Box
to natural resources. That’s why the
A 1.2m² single bed. It folds
in two down the middle and
can be put away when not
in use.
The finished article. (The company’s
Basic Bathtub 1.0 fits in this space.)
Protecting Human Lives
temperature inside onboard
The pinnacle of Kanepackage’s foam
containers increases oddly.
cushioning technology is its boxless
Packaging for goods transported
packaging materials. No exterior box
Cardboard that is quite flat before
under those conditions would
is necessary because the cushioning
use but becomes a box in two or
therefore have to be designed to
itself functions as the box. Until now
three steps: this simple process was
take failures in adhesion and
some kind of exterior packaging has
applied to reinforced cardboard to
swelling of paper into consideration,
been necessary, such as cardboard,
make the Cube Shelter. Like a tent,
and it would also have to be
EPP cushioning, and individual
the assembly is not complicated, nor
confirmed that there were no design
vacuum trays, but boxless packaging
does it take a long time. The
deficiencies. It is not the packaging
is all in one. Unit price was reduced
company’s responsibility if goods
approximately 15% , and transport
2 011 July
↑ Boxless packaging integrates the
box and cushioning.
shelters can last outdoors for about
six months.
The company developed this shelter
in 2004 after the Chuetsu
earthquake, when they learned of
victims sleeping in their cars
because evacuation centers were
full and developing deep vein
thrombosis as a result. Later
Kanepackage also developed a
series of products for emergency
use. And sadly, these products were
required this year in the immediate
aftermath of the March 11
earthquake. The company donated
20 sets of basic shelters, toilet
booths and bowls, and beds, which
Kanepackage Ltd.
(head office and factory)
Minamimine 1095-15,
Iruma-shi, Saitama,
Telephone: 042-936-3031
http://www.kanepa.co.jp/
are probably protecting the lives of
disaster victims somewhere even now.
2 011 July
35
OMEKASHI
Dress Up
JAPAN QUALITY REVIEW
JQR FASHION
Worldwide Online Media Publication
2011 June Vol.1
包む
Wrap
T he La n g ua g e o f Dre ssin g Up
We continue to create our outer layer by wrapping and dressing our bodies.
Text: Hiroshi Ashida
TEXT
meanings. The main purposes, according
another means of covering up. The act
surface.
to various theories, were protection,
of applying layers of skin lotion,
(The Logic of Sense , Gilles Deleuze)
decoration, rituals, or as a symbol of power
emulsion, foundation and other
and station. But no matter the reason,
cosmetics to the entire face can, at
clothing also had various additional
times, blur or obfuscate facial
at night, and inside our homes. These
functions. One is concealment. By
expressions and at other times,
clothes, complicated in design, are
wrapping their bodies, they hid their until-
emphasize facial features. Alternately,
fragments of fabric sewn together to form
then exposed flesh. When something is
needles can be inserted into the skin
sleeves and a body. However, the first
hidden, man by nature develops the desire
(i.e. tattoos) thereby creating new
clothes were made from simple cloth and
to see what is inside. In other words, our
original design patterns. Cosmetics,
simpler in their design. Cloth is familiar to
bodies would not attract sultry glances if
tattoos and, of course, clothes all have
modern man and easy to obtain. Yet, if we
they were uncovered. The eroticism
a common feature; they all create a
stop and try to imagine ourselves weaving
surrounding the body no doubt was born
new outer layer. Our existence is not
the fabric from yarn, we realize just how
when the body was wrapped.
static, but forever changing. This
Today, we wear clothes during the day,
involved the process is.
Another interesting function arising from
change manifests itself on the surface.
the act of wrapping the body relates to form.
Things happen on the surface. We can
said to have been pelts, but just how and
Be it a pelt or fabric (hereafter referred to as
only see a thing s surface. If we want
when did man begin using them? We can
cloth for convenience), wrapping the body
to look deeper, our only alternative is to
imagine our ancestors reaching for the pelts
gives a two-dimensional piece of cloth
push aside the clothes, make-up, and
of their catch and shrouding their bodies.
three-dimensional form. Once removed from
other wrappings. Even so, yet another
Wrapping is the fundamental function of
the body, cloth reverts to its two-dimensional
surface is revealed. Playing with these
clothes.
form ‒ easily switching between two- and
multiple layers is what we call fashion.
The material used as the first clothes is
After our ancestors began wrapping
their bodies, they gave this action various
three-dimensional. But wrapping is not
unique to cloth. For example, make-up is
Hiroshi Ashida: Born 1978. Ashida quit his Ph.D. research program at the Kyoto University Graduate School. He is now assistant curator at the Kyoto Costume Institute.
01
Now, everything again comes to the
Sunglasses
Jeremy Scott × Linda Farrow
A ccoutrements
This range is a collaboration
between Linda Farrow, a popular
brand with celebrities, and Jeremy
Scott. The wearer peeks through
the fingers, which adds charm to
the eyes.
Sunglasses 20,000 yen (reference
Shirt
price)
Jeremy Scott x Linda Farrow
yoshio kudo
(Diptrics)
An elegant scarf covers the
shirtfront. For a rough image,
release the scarf using the fastener
Wrapping to hide.
Wrapping to show.
on the left shoulder.
Scarf shirt 30 ,450 yen
Haori gown
yoshio kudo (yoshio kudo)
Full Nelson
coat design, accentuates feminine
delicacy and dignity.
Photography /Satoru Naito,Text / Dai Furusawaa
Stole
This gown, based on a short-kimono
Faliero Sarti
Haori gown 35,700 yen
This colorful stole from Italy’
s
Full Nelson (Agosto Inc.)
established textile brand Faliero
Ring
Sarti is light, soft and comfortable.
Stole 32,550 yen
YOSHiKO CREATiON
Faliero Sarti (Guild Prime Shibuya)
YOSHiKO CREATiON is popular for
its accessories with flora and fauna
motifs. This entwined rose ivy ring
adds glamour to your finger.
Rose Ring (black, gold)
23,100 yen each
Umbrella
YOSHiKO CREATiON
(RE.BIRTH information Desk)
senz × minä perhonen
ITEM
This range is a collaboration
between Minä Perhonen fabric
High heels
United Nude
Drawstring bag
THEATER PRODUCTS
A spangled drawstring bag for
an urbane look. Change the
configuration to suit your needs
depending how you tie the bag or
umbrellas, which do not turn inside out
Outdoor sandals
even in a gale. These umbrellas will
protect you from the depressing rain.
NIKE
Folding umbrella (left) 6,825 yen
Established English shoe-maker
Stick umbrella (right) 9,240 yen
Inspired by the Nike SB backpack
Clarks and a Dutch architect
senz x minä perhonen
straps, these comfortable sandals
created this shoe brand. The heels
(minä perhonen)
combine the right exposure and
are covered in the same pattern,
sense of stability.
giving your feet presence.
Nike Air Deschutz 8,190 yen
High heels 19,950 yen
NIKE (NIKE Japan)
United Nude (United Nude)
use the inner button.
Drawstring bag
Black, silver, brown
23,100 yen each
THEATER PRODUCTS(THEATER
PRODUCTS OMOTESANDO)
Furoshiki
TABAYAMONO, United Arrows
Wrap-around skirt
These modern furoshiki wrapping
PHNOMENON
Bracelet
accentuates the masculinity of
AMBUSH®
An ironic hand bracelet from the
pop accessory brand, AMBUSH®,
designed by Verbal, member of the
Japanese hip-hop band, m-fo.
“SKULL
‘AMB’
BONES”BRACELET
18,690 yen
AMBUSH® (AMBUSH®）
cloths in pop designs can also be
draped around the neck as a stole.
This delightful check skirt
Dress
of the lower body.
Madras check, wrap-around skirt
19,950 yen
PHENOMENON
(THE CONTENPORARY FIX)
Furoshiki (stripes) M size 3,150 yen
Furoshiki (stripes) L size 3,675 yen
the upper body and the delicacy
L'histoire se repétè
Furoshiki (dots) L size 4,725 yen
TABAYAMONO (United Arrows,
The feminine drop of this flowing
salopette leaves a lively impression.
Salopette 27,300 yen
L'histoire se repétè (United Arrows,
Harajuku Main Branch, Women's)
Harajuku Main Branch, Women's)
02-03
and the innovative design of Senz
Professional Works
No. 9 Top:
The irregular shape
of this skirt-shaped
04-05
top lends itself to be
worn in several ways
depending on your
mood. (33,600 yen)
No.3 Pants:
The distinguishing
feature of these
spiral pants, which
look like a snail
No. 3 Top: Folded in a
cross-section, is the
complex, constructive shape,
complex, interlaced
this top is available in an
pleats. The skirt-
impersonal grey, a subtle
like long pant legs do
red, and rainbow-colored foil
not dictate how the
to highlight any skin color.
pants are to be worn
Folded, spread out or worn,
or who wears them.
this top is interesting no matter
(63,000 yen)
the shape. (29,400 yen)
Fun D ressing Up
No.1
132 5.Issey Miyake
Photography/Satoru Naito (p. 4), Takemi Yabuki“Femme”(p. 5); Text/Kyoko Ozawa
No. 9 Skirt:
No.1 Dress:
This skirt beautifully combines
This impressive dress rotates
persimmon-colored fabric with
and reduces into a rectangle.
bronze leafi ng. The oversized
When worn, the pleats open
waist tied with a similar belt
to give the dress three-
gives expression to the skirt.
dimensional volume. Fasten
(44,100 yen)
the snaps in different ways
to change the silhouette.
(36,750 yen)
The code-like numbers in the
brand name, 132 5. Issey Miyake,
represent one piece of fabric making
leaps to the third dimension when
spread, the second dimension when
folded, and the fifth dimension of the
blank space when half the width.
(The fourth dimension transcends
time.) These mysteriously shaped
clothes are a departure from the
traditional concept of the form or
finished shape of clothes when worn.
These garments allow the wearer to
enjoy the actual process of unfolding
and changing their shape.
The intriguing movement is part of
the garment s charm; the origamievoking shape metamorphoses into
an unexpected item when pulled and
twisted apart. Refolding the garment
is bewildering, but when folded along
the permanent-pleats, it will to your
surprise easily revert to its twodimensional shape. When looking at
Issey Miyake s A-POC (A Piece of
Cloth) brand, we can clearly see his
designs are characterized by
planarity. Despite being shaped like
Western clothing, these garments are
more Japanese-like.
The beautifully shaped planarity
when the garment is folded is not
only a fresh concept, but also
practical for storing and carrying.
The recycled polyester fiber used
does not deteriorate, no matter how
many times it is recycled. In our
modern lifestyle, clothes are
necessities, but they are more so
symbolic. The wastefulness in luxury
and high fashion, in fact, shored up
prices. The 132 5. Issey Miyake
design and products challenge the
status quo and have the potential to
radically change our relationship with
clothing.
Planes and pleats combined give
these garments their characteristic
shape ‒ a spatial effect when they
are expanded into their third
dimension. The intensive planarity
and abundant crimps wrap the actual
bodyline, but do not necessarily hide
the whole body. The different ways
the pleats spread depend on the body
shape. The calculated way the fabric
falls gives the garment
maneuverability when it sways with
the body ‒ hinting at the wearer s
body, and its shape and movement.
When we wrap our bodies in
clothes, we apply another surface
over our body skin and cover it with
an otherness ‒ an extension of
ourselves. We are playing with our
otherness and creating multiple
personalities with different surfaces of
clothing. The 132 5. Issey Miyake
design is an extension of this trait.
Wrapping our body with a flat piece
of fabric hides and dilutes its
personality and gender; just as evenly
painting a face in mat colors makes
the face s individual characteristics
and gender ambiguous. However, our
individuality is not completely
covered. On the contrary, the genius
of 132 5. Issey Miyake is the different
ways their products fit each body.
The art of fabric shows us differing
expressions in different dimensions
and teaches us that something is still
exposed on this second skin layer
over our body s surface.
Fumiko Aoyagi (Shop clerk/Harajuku)
Top 17,850 yen
Stole 19,950 yen
Scarf around head 16,800 yen
Pants 23,100 yen
THEATER PRODUCTS/THEATER
PLEATS PLEASE ISSEY
PRODUCTS OMOTESANDO
MIYAKE/ISSEY MIYAKE INC.
Dressed-up People
STYLING
Make-up and accessories
create a surface
06-07
and change the natural body
in a different manner.
One piece of fabric plays a dramatic role
in the flow of daily life.
Photography/Takemi Yabuki“Femme”(p. 6, 8, 10, 12), Maki Taguchi (p. 7, 9, 11, 13)
Hair & Make up/Tsukushi Ichikawa
Models/Shohei Yamashita (p. 8, 10), Sayo Akasaka (p. 6, 12)
Text/Hiroshi Ashida
Toru Saita (Hairdresser/Omotesando)
Top 14,700 yen
Pants 28,350 yen
Handkerchief around neck 3,150 yen
Stole 15,750 yen
undecorated MAN/
PLEATS PLEASE ISSEY
undecorated MAN
MIYAKE/ISSEY MIYAKE INC.
The stole was the original accessory.
Draping a piece of material draws
attention and accentuates.
STYLING
08-09
Each article of clothing has its own attribute.
The skirt, for example, has culturally
come to define a female.
Different facets appear
when wrapped in these cultural restraints.
STYLING
10-11
Top 29,400 yen
Pants 63,000 yen
132 5. ISSEY MIYAKE/
Leo (DJ/Shinjuku)
MIYAKE DESIGN STUDIO
Shorts 84,000 yen
Belt and pumps supplied by
MIKIO SAKABE/CANDY
the stylist
Coat 29,400 yen
Yoko Kunie (Part-time worker, Shibuya)
Shirt 33,600 yen
Pintucked Dolman shirt ‒ sample
Pants 36,750 yen
EMODA/EMODA, Shibuya 109 Branch
132 5. ISSEY MIYAKE/
MIYAKE DESIGN STUDIO
Ample clothing fills
with air and covers body traits.
The dichotomy of males and females
becomes ambiguous,
and the presence of a third,
neutral gender emerges.
STYLING
12-13
JAPAN QUALITY REVIEW
JQR FASHION
Worldwide Online Media Publication
2011 June Vol.1
Editor in Chief ／ Publisher
Jun Shinozuka
Fashion Director ／ Stylist
Souta Yamaguchi
Art Director
Masaya Mutoh (No Design)
Designer
Akari Sugawara (No Design)）
Editor
Dai Furusawa
Planning
Integral Corporation
〒101-0064
2-1-14 Sarugakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0064
03-3518-4488
Publishing
JQR Editorial Department
2-1-14 Sarugakucho, Chiyoda-ku,
Tokyo 101-0064
03-3518-2270
Shop/Brand Information
Agosto Inc. 03-6427-8806
AMBUSH® 03-6908-2710
Candy 03-5456-9891
Diptrics 03-3409-0089
Emoda, Shibuya 109 Branch 03-3477-5012
Guild Prime Shibuya, 03-6419-3091
Issey Miyake Inc., 03-5454-1705
Miyake Design Studio 03-5454-0721
minä perhonen 03-5793-3700
RE.BIRTH, Information Desk 03-6452-3987
Theater Products Omotesando 03-6438-1757
The Contemporary Fix 03-6418-1460
undecorated MAN 03-3794-4037
United Nude 03-5775-7143
yoshio kubo 03-3794-4037
Nike Japan 0120-500-719
United Arrows, Harajuku Main Branch, Women's 03-3479-8176
jqrmag.com
We asked travel writer Yumi Yamaguchi about
Quality Japanese
Inns and Hotels
[No. 4]
tay
S
m
emiu
r
P
n
Japa
Tokyo
Photography/Yuko Iida, Text/JQR
Q
Tokaido Shinkansen
Shin-Yokohama
Mishima
Izuhakone Railway
I dream of staying at a fancy
ryokan. Where would you suggest
for my first visit to one?
Shuzenji Nantaisan
Asaba, Shuzenji Onsen
long to indulge in the luxury of
You need not worry at
the popular Asaba. (Yamaguchi)
a delicious kaiseki multi-course
Most people feel awkward about staying at a luxury
meal, an elegant room, a hot
ryokan, but the management of a good ryokan knows
spring with water from the
the art of putting guests at ease. Asaba is a member of
source, and a gorgeous garden.
the French Relais & Châteaux group and is often
But I worry that it will turn out
frequented by overseas visitors. Also the setting of a
to be a stressful experience.
novel, Asaba is much-loved by many. I recommend you
where celebrities have
sojourned, but I feel awkward. I
( 上 ) The 2,000m2 lake has a Noh
stage, Gekkeiden, where Noh, Kyogen
and other performances are held
several times a year. (Right) Grilled
sweetfish, a seasonal delicacy.
A
(Female, 35, system engineer for a major computer company)
I want to stay at a luxury ryokan
Each of the 17 suites has
its own distinct
atmosphere and layout.
Beds are available in two
of the suites, so you can
request either Japanese
or Western style
accommodations.
take the plunge and discover the secret of its popularity.
Fumiko, waitress
the other six. As befitting a top-class
was just in season, and to have it
ryokan, the spacious accommodations
charcoal-grilled before me. I savored
had a semi-open air bath, a toilet, wash
every morsel. Everything was delicious.
basin, and a wide verandah. I was
With a total of eight kitchen staff, and
impressed with the elegant layout.
only 40 guests at full capacity, the
I walk up the gravel path sprinkled
Fumiko explained that the inn once had
meals served at Asaba are truly
with water. The noren curtain hanging
26 guest suites, but some were
luxurious. The many repeat visitors who
over the entrance flutters in the fresh
combined to make 17.
come to enjoy the scrumptious food are
May breeze. Beyond the open lobby is
It was time for a brief rest. The view of
a testament to the quality.
a panoramic view of a large lake and
the wonderful garden from the verandah
Overlooking the lake with its gentle
greenery stretching to Mount Amagi.
was quite soothing. A stream flowed
breezes is the Gekkeiden Noh stage,
From the moment I stepped into the
through a tapestry of moss and shrubs
where performances of classical
entrance, I had a hunch that this was
accented with a garden lantern. To
Japanese theater (Noh and Kyogen)
a good inn. First of all, I was amazed
think, this view was all mine. I ended
and classical Japanese music (flute,
that the interior was not over-
up lingering too long, because I wanted
biwa [Japanese lute], koto [Japanese
decorated and was kept immaculate.
a bath in the open-air tub. A long soak
zither], wadaiko [Japanese drums] and
The atmosphere was dignified – a fine
in the hot spring water, which flows
gagaku [court music]) are held several
balance between tension and
from the source, refreshed my body and
times throughout the year. Enjoy a night
tranquility.
my soul.
immersed in Japanese culture, satiated
Fumiko, the waitress, greeted me with
The sumptuous 12-course kaiseki
with delicious food. My next stay will
a warm smile and led me to the Hagi-
dinner served in my room was made
definitely coincide with a stage
no-ma guest suite with two rooms, one
from seasonal and local produce. I was
performance.
measuring eight tatami mats in size and
surprised to be served sweetfish, which
Enjoy the Extravagance of
a Japanese Ryokan
Established in 1489
52
2 011 July
Look out over the lush garden from the Hagi-no-ma guest suite. Ring to make a reservation. Asaba will accept requests to
make your stay as comfortable as possible.
Asaba
3450-1 Shuzenji, Izu, Shizuoka
Tel: 0558-72-7000
http://www.relaischateaux.com/
37,950–78,900 yen per night per person including
two meals (tax and service inclusive)
* The staff speak English.
* Children under seven not allowed.
Take a luxurious soak in the shiny bath
filled with hot spring water from the source.
Relax in the chairs on the verandah and
enjoy the seasons at this excellent location.
［Access］
● By train
30 minutes from Shinkansen Mishima Station to
Shuzenji Station on Izuhakone Railway. Seven minutes
by taxi from Shuzenji Station.
● By car
60 minutes from Tokyo on the Tomei Expressway to
Numazu. 50 minutes from Numazu on Route 136.
* Asaba is a member of the Relais & Châteaux exclusive
Yumi Yamaguchi
Travel Writer. Author of Teikoku Hotel・Wright kan no nazo (Mysteries of the Imperial Hotel and
Wright Buildings), Shueisha Shinsho; Kieta shukuhaku meibo~hotel ga kataru senso no kioku (A
Register of Vanished Hotels: Memories of War that Hotels can tell us), Shichosha; Tabi no mado
kara (Window Scenes from my Travels), Chihaya Shobo, and others.
collection of the finest hotels and restaurants around the
world.
2 011 July
53
Japan and Me
-The Modern is in the Traditional-
VOI.
Françoise Moréchand
1
私と日本
Francoise Morechand, Essayist
Moss
Between Romanticism and Refinement
In the West… Moss Relates
to Man
moss as a plant, one which never seems to flower, but hugs
the ground in a furry covering.
One might compare moss, which deepens in color and
Fortunately for French poets, in French the word for “moss”
grows fuller with each passing rain, to a youthful woman’s
(mousse) and the word for “soft” (douce) happen to rhyme.
skin, often described in Japanese as mizumizushii, or fresh
And in fact, poets and lyricists have made great use of this
and luscious.
rhyme. Coincidence is a wonderful thing, and the fact that
Soft, short-stemmed moss uses its rhizoids to attach itself to
moss is indeed soft makes this rhyme even more convenient.
the surface of things. “Rhizoid” is the academic term for a
In the West, the first feeling the word “moss” arouses is a
structure of fine, root-like filaments, which are responsible
romantic one. What comes immediately to mind is a moss-
for the ability of mosses to live not only on the ground, but
covered bench. Perhaps the bench is decorated with ancient
on trees, walls, and roofs, creating a uniquely pastoral,
carvings, and has offered generations of lovers a place to sit
poetic aura.
and kiss, to proclaim their everlasting devotion, or to
Mosses prefer a shaded, damp environment, and in doing so
surreptitiously peruse a love letter.
may be looking back at their own roots. Many botanists
It also brings to mind an image of renaissance sculptures,
argue that the ancestors of mosses were actually green
figures that have stood watching the march of time with
seaweeds.
perfect composure. The statues look with melancholy upon
This is also why moss growing on trees will usually be found
the moss and vines that surround their bases like crowns.
only on the north side of the trunks. When I was a child, my
Beginning with “Beauty and the Beast”, Jean Cocteau, who
father taught me that, if I ever got lost in a forest, I could
was a true poet among poets, often had benches and
always find north, south, east, and west by checking on
statues appear in the mysterious castles and gardens of his
which side of the tree trunks moss was growing, because
movies, objects which would move about when freed from
moss always grows on the north side.
the gaze of humans.
Women in my grandmother’s generation also knew of the
Another dream that moss arouses in those of us from a
medicinal properties of moss. It can be used to relieve
background of Western culture is the joy of running barefoot
fevers, improve anemia, and it works as a tonic. They would
over, or lying down on, a carpet of moss on a hot summer
collect the moss in the summer, when the color was a deep
day, enjoying the indescribably cool, luscious sensation. It is
green. After drying the moss, they would store it in tightly-
like plunging into an illusion of floating on velvet.
covered glass jars, boiling it twice before using it as
As you may already know, nouns in French are separated
medicine. It had an excellent slimming effect.
into either the feminine or the masculine. Mousse, which
So that is the story in Europe. This goes for nature in
means “moss”, is a feminine noun, the perfectly appropriate
general, but in Europe, the value of moss was first
gender for moss. Meanwhile “forest” (bois) is a masculine
of the Japanese garden was, for me, a truly shocking event.
concepts of simplicity, humility, and refinement, which in
It is an aesthetic created out of plants, moss, stones, and
turn lead to a sense of wonder, a pang of nostalgia, and at
sand, all brought to the peak of their natural beauty.
times even bringing a feeling of loneliness and resignation.
There, I could feel the care taken in the details, and later, I
Moss also exemplifies modesty. For the Japanese, modesty
found the same aesthetic in Japanese literature as well. A
is something they are born with, something which they take
classic example is in Natsume Soseki’s “Kusamakura”,
care to nurture and which they hold as a basic principle in
which in its opening discusses the contrast between reason
life.
and emotion. Natsume seems to believe that emotion is
This is a way of looking at the world that is unfamiliar in the
more important than reason, or at least, that emotion is the
West. Shinto, a uniquely Japanese religion deeply ingrained
less dangerous of the two.
in Japan’s culture, believes that faith resides in nature itself,
My first visit to a Japanese garden was on October 30 of a
and is not something created by man, as in the West.
certain year. The leaves of the maple trees had just begun
Evidence of this can be seen in the fact that the Japanese
to turn, and a few of them had fallen onto the moss below,
build gardens, rather than cathedrals. Gardens teach us that
creating a tapestry-like display. This picture, entirely at the
all things change. Buddhism, as well, has had an effect on
hand of nature, was as fine as any work created by the
Japanese gardens and the mosses that grow in them. To
greatest artist. My mother, who was visiting Japan at the
meditate in front of a moss garden is to accept time moving
understood through the touch of human hands.
time—she was a painter—saw this and said “This is the
at a slower pace, because waiting for moss to grow in a
work of God.”
garden requires a great deal of patience, and thereby
wisdom.
the same way.
Once one understands how the Japanese people interact
Looking now at the world of fashion, luxury brand couturiers
In Japan…Man Bonds with
Moss
Long before my mother said those words, Sen no Rikyu felt
Japanese gardens are austere, but at the same time highly
with nature, one can look at how the citizens of Japan have
and the stylish women who are their customers have a great
In Japan, I discovered a culture completely different from
refined. This refinement is the opposite of ostentatious
reacted to the recent tragic disaster with such dignity and
fondness for the color “moss green” in their daytime wear.
that in which I had been raised, and I immediately took to it.
flamboyance, and is a reflection of the Japanese aesthetic
fortitude, and see that moss truly represents the Japanese
While it stands out more than ordinary beige, moss green is
I have resolved to spend my final years, and eventually be
sense which says “The shadow cast by a tree is more
mind.
a similarly modest color, yet both bright and warm enough to
buried, here in Japan. I first began to feel this way when I
provide a soothing ambience, something that beige or gray
found myself at standing in front of a small cemetery laid
won’t do. Women, however, will only wear moss green for
out next to one of the sub-temples at Daitoku-ji, gazing at
daytime; it loses its luster as the sun goes down. Once the
gravestones on which moss had grown to become almost a
clock strikes 6 p.m., women turn to gold jewelry to give
part of the design.
them the glamour they need.
Arriving in Japan decades ago, encountering the aesthetic
noun, and this too seems the perfect gender to describe the
warm yet rugged atmosphere of a forest.
54
Leaving aside the costumes of high society, let us talk about
2 011 July
beautiful than the tree itself.”
In Japan, moss is loved for itself, for its fragile beauty that
lies hidden in the shade. The best way to experience the
allure of that refinement is to visit Kyoto’s Saiho-ji
(Kokedera, or Moss Temple).
In Japan, moss carries a special meaning, representing the
2 011 July
55
Sake to Drink From a Wineglass
In Praise
of
Vol.
Fine Sake
3
Manzairaku
MANZAIRAKU SAKE KURA Co., Ltd.
Address: Tsurugi Honmachi 1--wa -47, Hakusan-shi, Ishikawa
Telephone: 076-273-1171
http://www.manzairaku.co.jp/
● Alcohol content: 15%● Seimaibuai (rice milling percentage) 50%
● Nihonshu-do (Sake Meter Value + dry, -sweet) +2 ● Amino acidity:1.1
● Acidity:1.3 ● Rice: Yamada-nishiki (Kuchiyokawa Hyogo A-A )
● Volume: 720ml ● Price: 3,150 yen (tax inclusive)
Hakusan Junmai Daiginjo
Text/ Kaori Haishi (sake sommelier) Photography/ Susumu Nagao
A Sake that Combines
Flowers with Strength
Another interesting aspect of this sake
and acidity of this sake. Something like
is its rich expression. Just when you
canned tuna, cucumber and myoga
think it’s slipped down the throat like
ginger mixed with a ponzu (citrus and
The first thing that came to mind when I
water, a slight viscosity—that makes
soy sauce) dressing or fried horse
tasted this sake was the legendary
you wonder if it was a mature sake
mackerel in a vinegar and shallot
Empress Jingu, who is venerated at the
—enfolds the tongue, then withdraws in
marinade would be good. For something
Hachimangu Shrine. She was an
an instant. A slightly sharp lingering acid
unusual try cheese sandwiched between
endlessly courageous woman who
aftertaste primes the tongue so that
thinly sliced vegetables pickled in sake
crossed the sea while pregnant to attack
before you know it, your glass is empty.
lees (sediment). Contrary to what you
the country of Shiragi (an ancient
The more you drink the more deeply
might expect from this strange
Korean kingdom). This sake is showy,
attractive it becomes. This unique flavor
combination, the cheese flavor and
but unites that with a dignified strength.
is due to a collaboration of the finest
salty-sweetness matches this sake
Maybe that was the quality that evoked
quality Yamada-nishiki rice and
surprisingly well. You never know unless
the awe-inspiring image of this legendary
Manzairaku’s original NK7 yeast. In any
you try—experimenting will broaden
holy mother.
case, it’s a hard sake to forget.
horizons for you in the world of food and
I’m sure many people imagine a sake
56
Drink it at 15 to 18 degrees. The
sake.
with a flashy aroma when they think of
smoothness is not impaired and you can
It’s an ideal sake to have with a meal,
Junmai daiginjo, but this is really very
enjoy the changes in its expression from
but it would be a small luxury just to
refined. The sweet-sour aroma
one moment to the next. If you drink it at
drink it by itself, and slowly enjoy its
reminiscent of berry fruits is light and
a higher temperature I recommend a
constantly changing expressions. This is
gentle. It displays its individuality but is
Bordeaux glass for the aroma to expand
the best love the holy mother gives us.
not overbearing—this consummate
in.
balance is perfection itself.
Tart foods go with the moderate flavor
2 011 July