“Hometown Isumi Kidoizumi Kurabiraki”
Kurabiraki – Opening of a brewery for the first time in the year

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An annual event,
I visited “Hometown Isumi Kidoizumi Kurabiraki” at March the 29th.

At the tourist information center in front of Ohara station, they were selling limited edition ochokos (small sake cup) for a toast.

It cost 300 yen, and I bought one.

Various shops from Ohara shopping street were displaying their products for sale in the event, and Sakabayashi-san (signboard of brewery, rounded cedar leaves) was displayed at the venue.

All cheese factories in Isumi City assembled to participate this time!

With drum by TAKERU, the event venue got really lively, and the Kurabiraki started.

The gate of Kidoizumi brewery was finally opened, and Furumai-sake (free sake) was offered and sake tasting activities begun. Sake-related products were likewise sold.

At the tasting counter, at least 10 kinds of sake were provided.

Besides the regular sake products, freshly made sake and ko-shu (aged, matured sake) were given for the tasting.
Many people were drinking numerous types of sake, and comparing differences.

Of course, one can buy the sake there. A lot of people were buying the different sakes they favored.

Gallery Kidoizumi is usually closed on ordinary times, but on that day, the gallery opened as the “Ko-Shu Bar”.

Successive ages of ko-shu were lined up in the room!!

3 kinds of ko-shu with cheese were sold as a set and it costs only 1000 yen each, which is a very special price.

The atmosphere of the room was like a city-styled stand-up bar.

As I cannot drink alcohol, I enjoyed the delicious food!

My favorite was a waffle with cream containing sake lees of “Afs” (their signature sake brand) and cream cheese.
One can also find the sake-manju (steamed bun with sake lees containing sweet red bean paste) and age-manju (deep-flied manju). Both of them are strongly recommended.

Then it became the time for “1000 people toasting”!

Everybody there loved sake and displayed their sense of unity through a joy inspiring toast of celebration.
After a speech by the city mayor, president of the brewery gave a toast!

The event venue became even more lively.

(Chie / Yasuko)

Dairy Farm Field Trip !

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Last month, the 27th March, I visited dairy farm field trip for kids conducted in Isumi City.

It was taken place in “Takahide Dairy Farm” in Isumi City. This farm offers from cow milking for small children to occupational practical training in dairy farming for adults.

It was rain on the day unfortunately, but 12 kids in the program were so energetic.

While listening to the explanation from the staff, kids tried feeding cows, cleaning the cow shed, and milking a cow.

“Warm!”, “Cute!”, and “Big!” Excited voice was here and there.

Not just kids, but their mothers were also very curious.

They came close to the cow and observed them in the cow shed.

And finally, it’s a lunch time!

They baked pizzas using brick oven of the farm.
They put some topping ingredients whatever they like and brought from home, and waited for 2 minutes.

Now delicious-looking pizzas are ready!

Everybody enjoyed these gorgeous pizzas.

After lunch, they moved to former Chimachi nursery school. They drew pictures remembering those cows. And then they did dustcloth race (wiping the floor with a dustcloth to compete for the speed).
The corridor is now sparkling clean. Thank you everybody!

This time the kids joined this program were from Ichinomiya-machi, our neighboring town.
It is a great pleasure for us to have such an opportunity to introduce our town to our neighbors.

Now it’s a pleasant season. It’s your turn to come and visit our Isumi City.

(Shige / Yasuko)