There are some great campaigns being set up to help kickstart Tohoku's paralyzed eonomy — starting with their sake breweries.
Here's something I wrote that never made its way into print...
“Eat and drink for Tohoku.” On first consideration the idea seems crass and insensitive. How can we knock back the sake and food when there are so many people in shelters for whom simple hot meals still feel like a luxury? On reflection, though, this is a simple but powerful way in which we can help communities so badly affected by last month’s massive earthquake.
Since March 11, there have been numerous fund-raising events held in support of the emergency relief work. But now it’s time to start thinking about the next stage: rebuilding the local economies. For so much of rural Tohoku, that means buying their agricultural produce. And because sake breweries are so focal for their communities, that is as good a way as any for us to start.
One person who certainly understands this need is Taiji Nakamura, the owner of Namikibashi Nakamura [featured in my latest Japan Times column]. He hails from Fukushima Prefecture and has extensive contacts in the sake industry in his native Aizu Wakamatsu. Although the area is far from the devastated coastal region and the ongoing nuclear crisis, it suffered substantial quake damage and was equally paralyzed by the ruptured infrastructure.
Instead of cancelling his annual spring sake party, as many have been, Nakamura turned it into a fundraiser. This was done with the agreement and participation of the brewers themselves. On their first visit away from their hometown in almost a month, they were given a powerful — and very moving — statement of intent and encouragement.
Other bars, restaurants and liquor stores around the metropolis have been doing much the same, urging their customers to make conscious choices about what they spend their money on. By specifically choosing sake from Tohoku, Tokyo and its consumers are literally drinking to the health and recovery of an entire region.
