The last day has come! This day was at the Obata-Shuzo brewery, one of the most important sake makers in the country.
1.- Obata-Shuzo Brewery
For Obata-Shuzo, there are 3 elements that are crucial at the moment of making sake: Rice, water and people, but also the importance of Sado Island, the Toki bird. All these elements need to be in harmony to make the perfect sake, and that is the creast of the family: “the four diamonds”. Obata-Shuzo won many awards in different competitions. They cultivate their own rice carefully under the eye of very skilled farmers. Every element of the creast is taking care to make their sake the best. They consider nature an important factor, the water, the rice, the climate but also the people, the brewers are also a key element in this process. They are in charge of all the other elements which creast the sake. For that, they are very committed in teaching the way of doing it. They have many apprentices that are being evaluated all the time to develop the skills needed in the brewery.
The place is huge! It is so prepared for tourist also, so we can understand a little bit what this is all about. The tour starts with a video (in english and japanese) that explains about the philosophy of the place and also shows the facilities that we can enter to. Then you get into the sake tasting and shopping room. In that room you have many kinds of sake that you can taste before buying to chose the best for your likes, but also you can taste them without buying afterward. In this place they also sell chocolates, cakes and many other food with their main ingredient: sake. I must say, I tried the cake... It is delicious!!!!!!!
After being at the main place of the brewery, we went to an old school that now belongs to them. This school was closed many years ago and they use the facilities as a second place to do sake. They have even a library related to food and drinks.
2.- Kosado restaurante
Our visit ended and we were very hungry, so we decided to have lunch at this particular place called Kosado. We were told that here you can have the most delicious hamburgers, but also the biggest ones!!!!!! That was a challenge! You have different sizes of hamburger. I ordered the 2nd size with set, which comes with miso soup, rice, fries and some vegetables. The biggest one is supposed to be for 5 people!!!! Can you imagine how big it is????? Also the set is for 5!! They said that once a month, there is an old man that goes to the restaurant and always asks for the biggest one, and he always finishes it!!!! They food was as we were told, delightful!!! And as an Argentinian, I was looking for meat for a long time and this place was just perfect for my absence of it in the last past months!!!!! “Panza llena, corazón contento” (full belly, happy heart)
This is how it ends my stay in Sado. I can´t find the right words to describe it. I am so surprised of all the things I was able to do and I didn´t know that they existed!!!!! Sado has its beautiful and special history and because of its history, one of the greatest culture. What are my thoughts? If you want to know about Japan, you have to come to this place and be involved with local people.
