Reminiscing 2013 - kobe, okayama, shikoku trip - part 1

* السلام عليکم * 

 こんにちは q(^_~)p

Since we are entering 2013 in about 3 weeks, I think this is the best time to start reminiscing this year's activities. In fact this is like backlog for the blog itself. I shall start from March 2013.. I joined my laboratory trip to Wakayama on 3-4 March and as usual, my labmates have prepared interesting trip. The yearly March trips are usually kind of farewell party for our seniors, in 2011 we went to Tottori, 2012 to Hyogo where I skied for my first time and this time we went to see some interesting places around Shikoku Island.

So, our trip this time started with visiting Sake brewery in Kobe. Yes, you heard me right, we went to Sake museum first thing in the morning. Even our sensei also laughed a lot since it is really weird to be drinking alcohol on the morning haha..

The museum showcase the method to produce good Sake -- owh before I forgot, Sake is a japanese alcohol made from fermented rice. old method include producing sake using manual hands and nowadays sake is brewed using machines.

Lets enjoy some pictures. Some of it are self explanatory, so here it is.

some of my labmates

Listening to the introduction -- of course I can hardly understand the explanation haha

it was said that if sake is currently being produced, the factory will hang this ball outside their door so people would understand that sake is currently brewed

barrels used for storage

place where staf stays and hangout

usually, washing rice are done early in the morning -- about 5am 

washing area

then they store the clean rice here

this pot is used to cook the rice

fermentation began from this room and they will cover the rice with gunny sack

mixing area

if I am not mistaken this is where they start processing the fermented rice to become sake

pressing machine to get liquid sake

and it is gathered in the holder shown by the uncle.

another museum

some of the sake (this type came from different factory as shown in the explanation above)

that's all for the first part, till next time, XOXO