On Thursday September 20th The Japanese Embassy, along with distinguished sake distributor Hasegawa Saketen, co-hosted a charity event to raise money for the Japan Society Tohoku Earthquake Relief Fund. A beautiful ikebana demonstration lead by the distinguished floral artist Mr Showka Ishiwata introduced the event, followed by free sake, shochu and food tastings. The Japan Affairs Forum was also present in the guise of a short video diary, showing volunteers from the UK helping with sake production at Niizawa Brewery, one of the worst affected breweries in Miyagi prefecture. The event, which saw just under three hundred people attend, helped raise over £3500 in donations.

Mr Tachikawa of Hasegawa Saketen UK, one of the organisers of the event held at the Japanese Embassy, commented on how sake is allowing people to show their support for Japan in these difficult times for the country: “Two years ago we started selling sake in London, but now after the earthquake sake is getting really popular. People want to show their support for Japanese products so are buying more sake.”

Thirteen breweries from around Japan were present at the KANPA+i event, including two shochu breweries from Oita and Kagoshima, which use barley and sweet potato as the basis of their shochu respectively. Mr Komaki of Kagoshima's Komaki Jozo Co., brought his Issho shochu for tasting. With its distinct flavour and strong finish it proved incredibly refreshing with ice. Noting the absence of shochu from the European market, Mr Komaki commented: “Getting people to drink shochu is still new, there's no specific category to compare it to, it's not like whisky or any other spirit, and it's not a sake. We need to work on getting more people to try it.” From Shimizu Jozo Co., in Mie prefecture, Mr Shimizu educated us on the harmony of sweetness, smell and taste that good sake delicately fuses. His Zaku sake, a clear, full of flavour liquid, illustrated this harmony beautifully. Three breweries represented Tohoku's Yamagata Prefecture including Sakata brewery with Jokigen, a light, smooth and dry premium sake.

Whilst the event helped promote Japanese food and drink, everybody attending was there to show their support for the people of Tohoku. Brian Tott, a practitioner of Japanese martial art Iaido, commented: “It's very well supported for a very good cause. I hope it's an eye-opener for people who don't quite understand how devastating it really was”.

Whilst representatives from restaurants Roka and Zuma were busy creating sushi for the attendees, Natsuki Kikuya, Head Sommelier of restaurant Roka, introduced the Japan Affairs Forum video diary. Scenes of volunteers from the UK helping staff at Niizawa Brewery in Miyagi prefecture with rice steaming and koji rice production illustrated the physically demanding work that goes into making sake. Established in 1873, the fifth president of the brewery, Mr Niizawa, spoke about how he felt in the aftermath of the earthquake: “After the disaster I thought I couldn't do anything but survive. I was worried but people came to help. The first people to help from abroad were from London and I want to bring this experience to London in the form of the sake you worked on. I want to show how Japanese sake can make a connection over the seas.” All those attending the KANPA+i London event will no doubt be looking forward to welcoming Mr Niizawa in the not too distant future.

Photography: Saera Jin