Man vs Sake
This weekend a few of us decided to go to the annual sake festival held in Saijo, a district of Hiroshima. After paying the 1000 yen ($10) entrance fee, we were given a small sake cup, and we had about 7 hours to sample all the different kinds of sake from all over Japan. If it means anything, my all-time favorite was the sake from the Chugoku region, number 132. I must admit after a few hours, it all ended up tasting the same regardless. The following photos recap my travels in the wonderful city of Hiroshima.
As I mentioned earlier, we were given this cup upon our entrance into the sake tasting area. Although it may look small and harmless, it has the power to bring grown men to their hands and knees in drunken humility, begging for mercy.
This is a shot of the sake-tasting area. Crowds of people gather to form large but quickly moving queues as they taste their way all across the different regions of Japan.
Me and my verbose partner in crime, Shak, about half in the bag. Although he appears much shorter than I, we are roughly equal in height. I was standing on a nearby ledge during this photo, which is why I look much taller.
We weren't the only ones to succumb to the almighty power of Japanese sake. This young man was so involved in choosing which sake he would sample next, we had to inform him that he was carrying around a dead baby, which no doubt fell victim to severe child negligence.
Waiting for the train to take us back to Hiroshima proper so we could investigate the night life. Look into my eyes, for only they can tell whether or not I emerged unscathed from my tumultuous battle with this infamous Japanese alcohol.
On the train taking us back into the city, a few of us just needed to lie down for a bit. Mr. Spiller, the gentleman from Wales, had no choice but to find a suitable position that would better enable him to deal with the ravages of what was going on inside his body.
I survived. The next day was a trip to the site commemorating those who perished when America dropped the first Atomic Bomb during World War II. Because of the way the bomb was constructed and deployed, those directly below the blast sustained the least amount of damage, including this building. It was left unrestored so that one can get a better idea of just how powerful the blast was.
Daryl from Thunder Bay, Canada, and myself posing in front of Hiroshima Castle.
In the castle, they have this section where you can try on a traditional Japanese samurai hakama and kimono. Sadly, I could not take this photo with one of the katanas in the display cases, but I still look well-prepared to defend the village from the other hostile clans.
As I mentioned earlier, we were given this cup upon our entrance into the sake tasting area. Although it may look small and harmless, it has the power to bring grown men to their hands and knees in drunken humility, begging for mercy.
This is a shot of the sake-tasting area. Crowds of people gather to form large but quickly moving queues as they taste their way all across the different regions of Japan.
Me and my verbose partner in crime, Shak, about half in the bag. Although he appears much shorter than I, we are roughly equal in height. I was standing on a nearby ledge during this photo, which is why I look much taller.
We weren't the only ones to succumb to the almighty power of Japanese sake. This young man was so involved in choosing which sake he would sample next, we had to inform him that he was carrying around a dead baby, which no doubt fell victim to severe child negligence.
Waiting for the train to take us back to Hiroshima proper so we could investigate the night life. Look into my eyes, for only they can tell whether or not I emerged unscathed from my tumultuous battle with this infamous Japanese alcohol.
On the train taking us back into the city, a few of us just needed to lie down for a bit. Mr. Spiller, the gentleman from Wales, had no choice but to find a suitable position that would better enable him to deal with the ravages of what was going on inside his body.
I survived. The next day was a trip to the site commemorating those who perished when America dropped the first Atomic Bomb during World War II. Because of the way the bomb was constructed and deployed, those directly below the blast sustained the least amount of damage, including this building. It was left unrestored so that one can get a better idea of just how powerful the blast was.
Daryl from Thunder Bay, Canada, and myself posing in front of Hiroshima Castle.
In the castle, they have this section where you can try on a traditional Japanese samurai hakama and kimono. Sadly, I could not take this photo with one of the katanas in the display cases, but I still look well-prepared to defend the village from the other hostile clans.
posted by Alex Cruz at
5:11 AM
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