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Japan Forward
27-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Forward
Saku: Craft Vinegar That Elevates the Alcohol-Free Experience
Saku is a refined, non-alcoholic vinegar beverage designed to complement meals. It's an innovative creation from Mizuho, a historic vinegar brewery based in Kashihara City, Nara Prefecture. Drawing on over a century of craftsmanship, Mizuho uses its signature rice and black vinegars to produce a drink that feels both modern and deeply rooted in tradition. With Saku, the company confidently enters the growing alcohol-free market, bringing character and depth. Leading this effort is 36-year-old Yusuke Onishi, the next-generation head of the family business. After a career in the automotive industry, Onishi returned to Mizuho, driven by a strong desire to preserve and renew the company's heritage. Founded in 1894, Mizuho brews vinegar using traditional methods that date back to the Edo period (1603–1868). The fermentation process takes around seven months and is carried out in wooden barrels made from Yoshino cedar. These barrels are sourced from the company's own forests in Higashiyoshino Village. This slow aging process imparts a smooth, nuanced flavor that sets Mizuho's vinegars apart. Initially, Onishi had no plans to join the family business. His father, Jingo Onishi (the current president), had even advised against it due to financial concerns. But everything changed in 2023, when Mizuho's main house and brewery — structures dating back to the Taisho and early Showa periods — were recognized as nationally registered tangible cultural properties. This honor rekindled Onishi's passion for his roots and prompted him to return. He now works to carry the company's legacy into the future. Craft vinegar drink "saku." Inspired by shrubs, vinegar-based drinks that gained popularity in the United States during Prohibition, Onishi began developing a new type of vinegar beverage. He also enrolled in a branding and management course offered by Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten. This was part of a Nara Prefecture initiative, where he learned how to better communicate the story and appeal of his product. After much experimentation and refinement, Saku was born. The name "Saku" comes from sakusan (酢酸), the Japanese word for acetic acid, which is the key component in vinegar. Created with input from an Italian chef based in Hyogo Prefecture, the brand showcases Mizuho's traditional brewing methods while offering a modern, elevated drinking experience. Saku comes in two varieties: Komezu Fruity – A bright, fruity rice vinegar blend infused with dried mango and dried figs. Kurozu Spicy – A bold black vinegar base enhanced with warm spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and vanilla bean. Both are designed to be mixed with sparkling water or other mixers. They offer complex, layered flavors that evoke the experience of sipping a fine cocktail — without the alcohol. "Even though it's non-alcoholic, it gives you a similar feeling to drinking alcohol," says Onishi. "This isn't about drinking vinegar just because it's healthy. It's about truly enjoying something delicious. I hope people can connect with our traditions and culture through these drinks." Each 300ml bottle is priced at ¥2,970 JPY (tax included, about $20 USD). Saku is available at Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten stores nationwide and through Mizuho's online shop. ( Read the article in Japanese . ) Author: The Sankei Shimbun
Straits Times
23-06-2025
- Straits Times
Travel Journal: Finding my place as a Singaporean Chinese abroad
The Singaporean writer – seen here with her daughters on a trip to Japan – reflects on being mistaken for a Chinese national abroad. PHOTO: COURTESY OF SOH WEE LING JAPAN – 'Please wait a moment,' the Japanese store assistant tells me as she fetches her colleague, a Chinese national. I am looking at kitchen towels in Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten's flagship store in Nara and hope to buy the one it has been making since its founding in 1716. But my attempts to communicate with the store assistant in English have failed even after resorting to the in-store translation gadget and Google Translate. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Asahi Shimbun
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Asahi Shimbun
Craftmanship fused with expo mascot proves a popular mix
A lacquerware doll of the official Myaku-Myaku mascot of the 2025 Osaka Kansai Expo. A pair of these dolls cost 1.65 million yen ($11,300). (Provided by Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten) The bizarre appearance of Myaku-Myaku, the official mascot of the 2025 Osaka Kansai Expo, has turned heads. Now, the multiple-eyeballed creature is helping a crafts maker turn a profit. Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten, a long-established sundry designer and vendor headquartered in Nara, has created several products themed on Myaku-Myaku for the international event. The company primarily handles practical crafts, so its artisans faced as challenge using Myaku-Myaku as a 'model.' Its unexpected strong sales at the expo have provided encouragement for artisans of old-style craftworks. All formally licensed products of the expo have been developed under the concept of 'Myaku-Myaku meets craftsmanship.' Measuring 25 centimeters tall, a Myaku-Myaku statue made of Nabeshima porcelain from Imari city, Saga Prefecture, carries a price tag of 550,000 yen ($3,790), including tax. Brisk sales of the sculpture since the expo opened on April 13 led to Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten's decision to ramp up production. A public relations representative of the company said the statue's detailed pattern was drawn carefully stroke by stroke. 'Our customers may find the creation not only cute but also novel and attractive,' the official said. A pair of 25-cm-tall lacquerware dolls of Myaku-Myaku are available for a tax-inclusive 1.65 million yen. One of the limited-edition items was bought within a week of its release. The other is expected to be sold through a lottery by the end of May. The many eyes of the lacquer-processed doll are inlayed with mother-of-pearl and have undergone 'rankaku-bari,' a skill in which finely crushed eggshells are applied to the surface before being coated with another layer of lacquer. The doll's body sections were finished through different painting techniques, such as colorful 'kawari-nuri' and blacking 'shin-nuri,' giving the creation a luster and unique presence, according to the company. Tiny plates of renowned Arita ware porcelain, characterized by subtle Myaku-Myaku designs, have also been popular. They cost a tax-inclusive 2,750 yen each. A small 'o-mikuji' oracle statue, crafted from famed Seto ware and priced at 1,650 yen after tax, is named O-myaku-ji. It dispenses random fortunes on strips of paper when the string at its bottom is pulled. These goods have drawn crowds at the official souvenir store on the expo's venue, according to the company. 'Our artisans are delighted that the international fair offered them an opportunity to not only take advantage of their skills but also refine their techniques,' a publicity official of Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten said. For details of the crafts, visit the Japanese website of Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten at (
Yomiuri Shimbun
11-05-2025
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Firms Incorporate Traditional Japanese Craft Techniques Into Construction Materials with Local Government Support
The Yomiuri Shimbun Tactile House Osaka in Izumi, Osaka Prefecture, where visitors can experience the feel of construction materials made using traditional craft techniques OSAKA — Through various collaborative efforts, traditional Japanese crafts such as washi Japanese paper, textiles and urushi lacquer are being incorporated into modern construction as building or interior materials for houses and commercial facilities. As part of these efforts, a new company has been established to develop and sell construction materials made using traditional craft techniques and a consortium of traditional dyeing and weaving companies, as well as local governments have jointly been developing a sales channel. Also, opportunities are being created for people to feel the comfortable textures and pleasant atmosphere created by traditional crafts. Nara Prefecture-based Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten, which produces and sells traditional crafts and household goods, and Hotta Carpet Co., a wool carpet manufacturer in Osaka Prefecture, established a new company called Tactile Material Co. on March 1. Courtesy of Tactile Material Co. Kojima Orimono Co.'s woven wallpaper is made by skilled craftspeople. The new firm is working with seven manufacturers of traditional crafts to produce construction materials using traditional craft techniques. Materials such as wallpaper woven with cotton and other natural thread by Kojima Orimono Co., a textile company in Kyoto Prefecture, and urushi lacquer for painting produced by Shitsurindo in Fukui Prefecture are sold wholesale to housebuilders and construction companies. The new company sells products that meet the fire safety and other standards under the Building Standards Law and the Fire Service Law, just like ordinary construction materials. The company will also develop new construction materials. 'There is a limit to what we can do to support the traditional crafts if we stick to household items,' said Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten's President Aya Sengoku, 49. 'We decided to expand our business into construction materials.' In keeping with the word 'tactile' in the company's name, the company opened a hotel called Tactile House Osaka in Izumi, Osaka Prefecture, on March 9, where guests can experience the comfort of construction materials made with traditional craft techniques as well as how they feel. One of the partner companies, Taki Washi Paper Inc., a paper manufacturer in Fukui Prefecture, hand made Echizen washi Japanese paper for shoji sliding doors, with wool mixed in during the production process to give it a unique feel. Hideaki Taki, 46, a designated master of traditional crafts, said: 'The hotel will provide an opportunity to have construction materials made with a large washi paper making technique widely known.' 'I want to convey the appeal of construction materials made with craft-making techniques that can make our lives more comfortable,' said Masaya Hotta, 46, president of both Hotta Carpet and Tactile Material. 'I also want to invigorate traditional industries.' Support from local governments The Yomiuri Shimbun A catalog jointly produced by the Kyoto prefectural government and associations of traditional dyeing and weaving industries features fabrics suitable for building and interior materials. Some local governments are supporting the opening of sales channels for construction materials made with traditional crafts techniques. In 2021, the Kyoto prefectural government established the Silk Textiles Global Promotion Consortium in cooperation with the associations of the Nishijin textile production area, Kyo-yuzen dyeing area and Tango textile production area in the prefecture. The consortium produced 600 copies of a fabric and textile catalog for architectural design offices and design companies. The catalog includes samples of textiles such as a fabric made with a special Kyo-yuzen dyeing technique called hikizome and crepe-like Tango chirimen. The catalog also includes high-quality images reproducing the textures of the materials. The catalog illustrates how materials from the production areas are used for paper for fusuma sliding doors, wallpaper and sofa upholstery. The consortium's secretariat says that it has received inquiries from overseas. 'We want to develop the market by offering products that are safe and durable while making use of Kyoto's dyeing and weaving techniques,' a consortium official said. The Fukui prefectural government subsidizes newly built and renovated houses with wood produced in the prefecture using traditional craft techniques. Courtesy of Fukui Phoenix Hotel A guest room that uses traditional crafts for wallpaper and other interiors For example, up to ¥100,000 is provided to cover part of the cost of using Echizen rooftiles for roofs and Echizen washi paper produced for fusuma paper and wallpaper. In recent years, the prefectural government has received about 40 applications per year. From fiscal 2021 to 2023, the prefectural government also provided subsidies to accommodation facilities and restaurants in the prefecture. The Fukui Phoenix Hotel in Fukui used Echizen washi paper for the ceiling and walls of a suite renovated in July 2023. The room number plate is made using Wakasa agate. A total of seven crafts created by designated masters of traditional crafts, including the paper and the agate, are used for the room. In the lobby of the hotel, there are panels showing traditional crafts. 'We have created a place where visitors can see and touch traditional Fukui Prefecture crafts up close,' a hotel employee said.
