September 2024

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[Frying pan for birthday]

My 10-year-old son loves egg dishes. For his birthday, he requested that I put a fried egg on top of his favorite dish, lotus root hamburger steak. I have always been curious about Rikucho Ogasawara's Frying Pan, and am I the only one who is more decisive when it comes to my child rather than for myself?

I took my son to the showroom with me and told him that there is a magic frying pan. He was surprised at how heavy it was, but he was so happy that he carried the box with both hands and took it home with him.

During the oiling stage, he asked me, “How do you like it? How is it?" my sons came to the kitchen again and again to check the magic. It was just a fried egg, cracked and baked, but it was as if by magic. But as if by magic, the whites and yolks became lively, full, and fluffy. I was worried about how it would turn out with an induction cooktop since we have all-electric cooking, but I was able to cook the best fried eggs without getting burnt the first time.

Although it was my son's birthday, now that I have this reassuring item, I will be able to enjoy cooking every day and do my best. Now, what shall I cook next?

Rikucho Ogasawara's Frying Pan
https://www.shokunin.com/en/rikucho/fryingpan.html
Wakamatsu Showroom
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/wakamatsu.html

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[Kaya Weaving, a Traditional Technique of Nara Prefecture]

The summer heat is gradually easing off but beware of mosquitoes, which can be a bit of a nuisance, even in the cooler months of the year ahead. Mosquitoes become less active when the temperature exceeds 35°C, and are most active at temperatures between 25°C and 30°C. Therefore, mosquito control measures are necessary even in early autumn. In today's modern living environment, air conditioning has become widespread, and people are more likely to close their windows and use air conditioning to control the temperature rather than letting the breeze in through the window. This has reduced the number of mosquitoes entering the house and the unpleasant sound of them buzzing in your ears when you are sleeping at night. Windows are fitted with screens to prevent mosquitoes and other insects from entering, but these screens became widespread around 1955.

Before that time, mosquito repellent coils and kaya (mosquito nets) were used. Mosquito coils are still used today, but I doubt that many people use kaya anymore. kaya is a large cloth product that is hung from the ceiling with a string to keep mosquitoes and other insects out and is woven with a moderately coarse texture to allow air to pass through it. At bedtime, people would lay out their futons inside this hanging kaya and sleep with their bedding tightly covered to the floor to prevent mosquitoes at night.

This weaving technique called kaya ori (mosquito net weaving), is a traditional technique of Nara Prefecture that has been handed down from generation to generation. kaya were introduced from China, and there is an old record of Emperor Ojin (said to have been around 270-310 during his reign) using kaya. In the Kofun period, it was a special item used by emperors, and in the Nara period, it was used by aristocrats and other upper-class people. The technique of making mosquito net fabric spread in hemp-producing areas such as Nara, Shiga, and Fukui prefectures, but Nara's kaya in particular were used as gifts for aristocrats and warriors as "Nara mosquito nets." During the Edo period (1603-1867), kaya made of cotton became popular among the general public instead of the luxury hemp nets, and by the Taisho period (1912-1926), when the Industrial Revolution was affecting Japan, kaya weaving was mechanized and mass-produced. Until the first half of the Showa period (1926-1989), they were so common that every household had one, but they gradually fell out of use as people began to use screen doors, and water and sewage systems were improved to reduce mosquito infestation.

However, the technique of weaving kaya has been inherited in fields other than mosquito net making, and continues to be used in unexpectedly familiar places, such as "cold gauze" to protect crops from wind and cold, reinforcing materials for car seats, wrapping materials, and construction materials. Mosquito net-weave kitchen cloths are one of the most frequently seen products. The 1mm mesh, which is designed to allow air to pass through, allows wet dishcloths to dry well, and because it is woven in a plain weave method using thick threads, it is strong, durable, and long-lasting. The cloth is woven with glue to prevent the weave from shifting while making gaps, so it has a crisp finish. However, if the cloth is washed in warm water to remove the glue before use, it will become soft and comfortable to the touch.

Okai Mafu Shoten's Linen Fukin, which we carry in our store, is made of 100% linen mosquito net fabric, which is excellent in terms of water absorbency, dry ability, and strength. You can tell that each stitch of the weave is evenly and beautifully woven with great care. The hemp dishcloths are very useful in our home, but I think it is time to replace the kitchen cloth with a dustcloth, the dishcloth with a kitchen cloth, and the new one on standby with a dishcloth. Although it is only one kitchen cloth, it is a product that I want to use with care until the very end when it finishes its role.

Okai Mafu Shoten's Linen Fukin
https://www.shokunin.com/en/okai/fukin.html
Otaru Showroom
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/otaru.html

References
https://www.apparel-nara.com/orimono/naranokayaori/
https://iebisou.com/amido-history-features-trend/

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[Wine]

In Hokkaido, where the Otaru Showroom is located, the sun goes down in September and a pleasant coolness comes over the air. In autumn, crops exposed to abundant sunlight during the summer begin to bear fruits and are ready to be harvested. Many people look forward to this time of year with great anticipation, especially for fruits, many of which are harvested in autumn. In Otaru City and its neighboring towns, Yoichi and Niki, fruit cultivation is thriving, with apples and grapes being the main fruits of the harvest season. The 20-km road connecting the Shioya district of Otaru City and Niki Town is called the "Fruit Road." Along the road, there are many fruit farms, tourist farms, and direct sales stands, and the farms are busy with fruit picking. In this region, grapes are grown for food, but many grapes are also grown for wine, and these grapes are used in the production of domestic wine. In recent years, wineries of various sizes have been established in various parts of Japan, and you may enjoy the wines of the region when you travel there. Hokkaido also has a large number of wineries, the third largest after Yamanashi and Nagano prefectures. Although wineries in Japan now produce wines with their own regional flavor, wine did not become popular in Japan until about 150 years ago, during the Meiji Era (1868-1912).

In comparison, the history of wine itself is far older. The earliest remaining documentation dates back to the Mesopotamian civilization, 6,000 to 7,000 years ago. Wine was made and grapes were cultivated for this purpose. This is only an indication that wine was being made, and since it is believed that humans consumed the original grape species that grew wild and naturally fermented with yeast in the wild, it could be said that wine has been with human history. As civilization spread, winemaking spread to Egypt, Greece, and other Mediterranean countries, and then moved to Europe. The wine that was introduced to various parts of Europe had a deep relationship with Christianity, and Christians made wine in monasteries, where it was used in ceremonies such as Mass and served to pilgrims. The New Testament tells us that at the Last Supper, Jesus Christ gave bread to his disciples as "my body" and wine as "my blood," so wine was not just a drink for Christians, but also something sacred. As the world entered the Age of Exploration, wine spread with Christianity to other parts of the world, and with technological advances such as the use of glass bottles and cork stoppers that could withstand long-term aging, along with improvements in the quality of storage containers and mass production, wine became a widely popular drink, regardless of religion.

In Japan, the government decided to take up winemaking as part of its modernization policy in the early Meiji Era, and this effort began in Yamanashi Prefecture, where grapes had been produced since the Edo Era. Wine production started with the Koshu grape, a Japanese grape, but the Japanese public did not well accept the unfamiliar wine, and the first Japanese wine company was dissolved. The government-led winemaking efforts came to a halt, but those who had been involved in domestic wine production continued to make wine privately. Among them, sweet wine, in which wine is sweetened with honey or Chinese herbal medicine, gradually gained recognition because it was easy for Japanese people to drink. The production of authentic wine, characterized by its astringent taste, continued in small quantities, but the high economic growth of the postwar period and the westernization of the Japanese diet provided a tailwind, and authentic wine began to spread. Subsequent events such as the Tokyo Olympics and the Osaka World Exposition led to an increase in wine consumption. While most wine is imported, the increase in wine consumption has led to an increase in domestic wine production, and wineries have sprung up one after another throughout Japan. Although Japanese wine still has a short history compared to wines from around the world, the quality of domestic wine has improved year by year thanks to Japanese producers who are committed to winemaking with a strong desire to produce better wines, and they are now often seen in supermarkets and convenience stores.

During the hot summer months, many people may prefer to drink beer, which is refreshing and invigorating. As summer comes to an end and the days gradually get cooler and shorter, people spend more time relaxing at home. At such times, you will miss wine, which you can savor until the aftertaste. Hirota Glass's Sori Yanagi Wine Glass has a design in which the handle and bottom are integrated into a single piece, and the beautiful curve of the glass fits the hand and makes it easy to hold, while the thick and moderately weighted bottom is stable and stable. The bottom, which is thick and moderately weighted, allows for stable placement, making it perfect for everyday use, whether at a dining table with food or on a side table next to the sofa. The glass bottom reflects the surrounding scenery with brilliance. The tableware is currently available at the Otaru Showroom, so please take a look at it for yourself.

Hirota Glass's Sori Yanagi Wine Glass
https://www.shokunin.com/en/hirota/wine.html
Otaru Showroom
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/otaru.html

References
https://jwine.net/knowledge/history/
https://www.kirin.co.jp/alcohol/wine/wine_academy/knowledge/region/history.html